Trying to navigate life during infertility or after miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, or TFMR can feel terribly lonely and extremely difficult. Here at Detroit Mom, we want you to know that you’re not alone. We are here to support YOU.
Did you know that we have an Infertility + Loss Support Group on Facebook? Started in 2019, it is run by local women who have had similar struggles. They are hoping to now offer you support in your journey. The goals of the support group are to offer a safe space for you to share your feelings, connect you with others going through similar situations, and to help you feel less alone and more understood.
The Detroit Mom Infertility + Loss Support Group is a peer-led, volunteer-based support group. The local women who run the group are strong believers that no one should suffer alone. They would love to support you along your journey. In addition to the support group on Facebook, these women also hold monthly Zoom meetings, and encourage you to attend if you feel comfortable doing so. To date, the group has supported over 190 women as they navigate through this difficult journey.
Meet the local women who proudly run this group:
Steffanie Marshall
Steffanie is a wife, Detroit Mom writer, and fellow infertility and loss survivor. After a year of taking various supplements, charting temperatures, and peeing on ovulation sticks she was finally diagnosed with infertility. The next three years were filled with numerous medicated cycles, an ectopic pregnancy, five rounds of IVF, and four miscarriages before being blessed with three rainbow babies–Jonathan, Nicholas, and Lucas. Throughout her four years of infertility, she felt extremely isolated. She turned to support groups to help cope with her feelings of grief and hopelessness. Steffanie is passionate about paying it forward by building a community to support our local infertility warriors and loss mamas. No one should struggle alone.
Emily Nelson
Emily is an advertising guru momma working full-time in Detroit who leads a vegetarian lifestyle. She and her husband met in high school. They now live in Northville with their sons Asher and Milo and rescue pup Monk. Their lives took a tragic turn when they lost their first child, Veda. With the outpouring of support from family, friends, and a community of other women sharing similar devastation, she was able to piece things together and begin healing. She hopes to create a safe place to help others since learning first-hand the positive impact that can have. In her free time, she loves to enjoy the outdoors and the little moments in life.
Jesse Sutherland
Jesse is an infertility warrior and loss mom who lives in Royal Oak with her loving husband, Nick; rescue pup, Clyne; double rainbow baby, Gus, Otto, and their latest addition, Mabel. Between being terrified her entire pregnancy (her fourth after two previous losses) of losing the baby while also navigating the ever-looming global pandemic, she totally understands how complicated this journey can be. She hopes to create a safe space for women to feel supported and able to honor how they’re actually feeling without anyone telling them how they should be feeling.
Lilly Pritula
Lilly lives in Farmington Hills with her wife Rachel, rainbow babies Josie and Leah, and three cats (Pumpkin, Bow, and Arrow). She is no stranger to all things fertility treatment-related. Lilly is also an empathetic listener and supporter for those that have experienced pregnancy loss. After losing her first child, Cole, at 38 weeks, and then suffering a subsequent miscarriage, she deeply understands the delicate balance of grief and love. She has a greater appreciation of the unique challenges faced during pregnancy after loss after going through it herself during the pandemic. Lilly is passionate about supporting those in their grief, and advocacy to bridge the disconnects between loss parents and their experiences in the healthcare system.
