How To Love a Grieving Friend After Baby Loss | Episode 096 with Whitney & Nicole (part 01)

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Episode 96

We are currently working our way through a series of episodes that honestly discuss the realities of friendship amidst loss and grief. This episode is part 1 of a special 2 part episode where I interview best friends Whitney & Nicole. These two women became friends when Nicole reached out with a text that said something along the lines of “I know you don’t really know me but I just found out my baby has died.”

Whitney had walked through the loss of her daughter Olivia a year prior and was able to help Nicole in the days following the tragic words that there was no heartbeat for her son William. They became close friends, bound by a common thread of having lost a baby. Little did either of these women know that just a short time later Whitney’s son Rory would be born with the same genetic condition as her daughter Olivia and a similar text message would be sent only this time it would be from Whitney to Nicole. These two friends would walk this familiar journey through loss and grief again. Their story of friendship is unique and powerful. What they share here is honest and tender and I think you will find their thoughts about friendship after loss incredibly relatable and helpful.

I wanted to give space for each of these women’s stories to be shared so this episode is broken into two parts. Stay tuned for part 2 next week when we will continue this conversation.

I am forever grateful for these two women and the friendship they represent. I pray it encourages you to step into the messiness of friendship after loss as it reminds you that it is absolutely worth it.

QUESTIONS WE ANSWER (OR TRY TO ANSWER) DURING THIS EPISODE

Where did this special friendship begin?
What did your friendship look like in the midst of grief?
What do you think the biggest challenge is in regards to friendship when one friend is grieving?
What would you say to a grieving mom who is feeling lonely and isolated and feeling forgotten by her friends?
What role does the grieving mom play in pursuing friendship?
What was the most meaningful thing done for you that brought healing or joy or hope?
What do you wish others knew about friendship after baby loss?
How has your friendship impacted your journey to healing?

Meet whitney & nicole

Hi I’m Whitney.

I’m a digital marketing and technology consultant, and founder of The Pink Zebra Club. I have 3 children who I love fiercely: a spunky toddler at home, and two beautiful children in heaven. When my first daughter Olivia was born with a severe and life-limiting neuromuscular disease, I began speaking openly online about my family’s journey with undiagnosed rare disease, child loss, and living through grief. Since then, I have walked though pregnancy after loss, parenting after loss, and loss after loss (if that's a term!) when my son Rory died from the same disease in 2019.

Through her honest conversations online, and the work of The Pink Zebra Club, I hope to provide practical support and hope to other grieving parents.

You can get involved with The Pink Zebra Club here, and learn more about Whitney by following along via Instagram: @whitneyprior

Connect with Whitney