S9 E19: Pregnancy After Stillbirth: Alicia on Grief, Faith and Fighting for Black Maternal Care

In this heartfelt episode of The Worst Girl Gang Ever, we welcome Alicia — a passionate baby loss advocate, mother of three living children, and a woman who has bravely walked through unimaginable grief. Alicia shares her raw, deeply personal journey of miscarriage, stillbirth, pregnancy after loss, and the traumatic gaps in maternity care, particularly for Black women in the UK. Topics Covered in This Episode: Alicia’s first devastating stillbirth at nearly 5 months pregnant The emotional trauma of grieving in a non-soundproofed maternity ward Navigating a new pregnancy just weeks after loss Living with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and high-risk pregnancies The emotional toll of recurrent miscarriage, including vanishing twin syndrome Faith, mental health, and finding purpose after loss Advocating for bereavement care reform and Black maternal health Creating DOTE Bags — care packages for parents grieving baby loss Why fathers and partners deserve more recognition and support in baby loss experiences Alicia courageously opens up about her experience as a Black mother navigating the UK maternity system — including shocking disparities, dismissed symptoms, and the lack of empathy she faced following multiple losses. She explains why she is now petitioning for improved bereavement care, including soundproofed hospital spaces for grieving families and better mental health support. She also discusses her project, The DOTE Bag Initiative, providing self-care essentials and emotional comfort to parents experiencing miscarriage or stillbirth, especially around sensitive times like Father’s Day. About The Worst Girl Gang Ever The Worst Girl Gang Ever is a real, honest, and emotive podcast that covers the heartbreaking subject of miscarriage, infertility, and baby loss. Expect raw conversations about unspoken experiences, hosted by TWGGE founders Bex Gunn and Laura Buckingham. This show aims to break the silence and open dialogue around miscarriage and pregnancy loss. No more shame, no more taboo—let’s change the narrative for future generations. Support and Resources Access The Warriorship The Warriorship is our free peer to peer membership platform, connecting you with others who ‘just get it’ through whats app groups, online drop in sessions, a book club, creative workshops and informative webinars. Join now and instantly connect with others who understand the challenges you face.https://theworstgirlgangever.co.uk/membership/ Our book We are here to tell you that you are entitled to grieve, and that your grief is not disproportionate to your loss. We are here to open up the dialogue around miscarriage, so we don’t perpetuate the shame, judgement and isolation so many of us feel following pregnancy loss. We are here to equip you with knowledge, tools and guidance to support and help you in whatever way you need. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0008524998/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8& Our Instagram accounts @this_ache_has_a_name (where I write about Ness) @nessfund (where we speak about our fundraising but also share updates of Sharanam’s work) @ness_littlelibrary (for book recommendations and to request to borrow a book for free) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices