After Miscarriage: A Catholic Woman's Companion to Healing and Hope [Paperback]

Karen Edmisten (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2012

After Miscarriage: A Catholic Woman's Companion to Healing and Hope is a book about grief, healing, and hope after miscarriage. Not afraid to examine the raw emotions that accompany such an experience, the author tells women that they are not alone in reacting strongly, even frighteningly, to their loss and reassures them that hope and healing will come. Having experienced multiple miscarriages herself, Karen shares excerpts from her personal journals, as well as other women's stories, rich quotes about grieving and the healing process, and practical advice. A helpful resource section includes a wide variety of information from both Catholic and secular sources.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

KAREN EDMISTEN is the author of The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary and Through the Year with Mary: 356 Reflections, both published by Servant Books. A popular blogger and a regular guest on Relevant Radio, she is also a contributor to Atheist to Catholic: Stories of Conversion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Servant Books (February 13, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0867169974
• ISBN-13: 978-0867169973
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.5 x 6.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Karen Edmisten was born on Cape Cod and has lived in Washington, Alaska, Florida and Nebraska. A former atheist, she converted to Catholicism at the age of 35. She is a freelance writer and the author of "The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary" and "Through the Year with Mary."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Priceless Book & Long Overdue! July 30, 2012

By Therese Heckenkamp

Format:Paperback

I read this entire book mere days after my miscarriage, when the grief and devastation were still so raw and unrelenting. My heart and soul were crying for answers. I always turn to books when I need more information, but this time I needed more than information--so much more--and I found it in "After Miscarriage: A Catholic Woman's Companion to Healing & Hope" by Karen Edmisten.

This book is perfectly titled. It won't give you long-winded insensitive medical theories. Instead, it addresses the all-too-often overlooked issues of how much a woman's heart and soul and faith are wounded by miscarriage. A woman needs to know she's not alone or overreacting in feeling like her world has ended, and the real-life stories in this book give you that sense of shared suffering. They helped me to wrap my mind around the hard reality, but in a completely compassionate, therapeutic way.

The connection with other women and their stories is made even deeper because we share the same faith, yet with an understanding that faith doesn't mean that miscarriage is easier for us or any less devastating. It also lets you know that that no matter what anyone may think or say, you have the right to mourn and remember your child--no matter how tiny that child, no matter how short a time your child lived. It is perfectly normal to love and miss your child beyond measure.

And as a Catholic, the fact that my baby had not been able to be Baptized before dying, hit hard. I found immense comfort in the words in this book: "[God] loves our babies even more than we are able, and the best thing we can do is to place all our trust and hope in Him. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: 'God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments' (CCC, #1257).... In other words, God gives us the rules ('Baptism is necessary for salvation') because we need them, but He can 'break' His own rules."

"After Miscarriage" is priceless, yet it is so extremely affordable that every Catholic woman who has experienced a miscarriage should own a copy. It is full of true stories, facts, quotes, and helpful resources, including information on supportive websites and memorial items. This book is also compact enough so that if you did want to carry it with you in your purse, you could. Chapters are short enough so that you can easily stop and start reading as needed, or as you can handle. Yes, you most likely will cry reading it. I knew I would, but . . . I was crying anyway. We need to. Only then can the healing begin.

A book dealing specifically with miscarriage for Catholic women is long overdue. Think about it: Catholic women, in their willingness to be mothers (and in their complete rejection of contraception) are likely to become pregnant more often than many women. And since statistics show that about one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage, a Catholic woman's chances of facing a miscarriage are, sadly, rather high. As the author of this book said after multiple miscarriages: "For me, being open to life means being open to death."

The author and all those contributing stories to "After Miscarriage" were very brave and charitable in their willingness to revisit the pain and share with others in hopes of helping them heal. I count myself blessed that this book was available for me when I desperately went searching for something . . . something to help.

And it has. More than two months after my miscarriage, I reread "After Miscarriage". I still cried, but not as much. I found more words of wisdom to help me heal. And now, finally, I was able to write this review.

Another step toward healing and hope.

Reviewed by:
Therese Heckenkamp
Author of "Past Suspicion" & "Frozen Footprints"

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Didn't know I needed this!!! May 1, 2012

By Terri B!

Format:Paperback

I'm a mom of 4 living children, that has recently suffered my second, 2nd trimester loss. Knowing the long journey ahead, that grief comes in waves, I put this book aside after receiving it as a gift. I picked it up around the anniversary of my first loss, and it was balm to the soul. I found myself nodding my head, tears streaming down my face, heart pierced by words I was reading, unable to utter them myself. I began to make some sense out of my sheer sorrow. This book is a go to for anyone who wants to support parents who have lost, or a requirement in a grieving ministry.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Much-needed and Helpful book July 1, 2012

By Patrice Fagnant-macarthur VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Baby loss through miscarriage is one of the last taboo subjects in our society. Because in most cases, it is largely a hidden loss, the grief associated with it is all too often dismissed easily by people who just don't understand. Karen Edmisten and those who contributed to "After Miscarriage: A Catholic Woman's Companion to Healing and Hope" are working to change that by sharing their own stories of loss.

Edmisten has suffered the pain of several miscarriages and she willingly opens her heart and the pages of her personal journal in order to help others. She also offers advice for those trying to help someone suffering through this loss. "All we really want is a friend who will sit with us and let us be what we are: sad. Let us feel what we're feeling: pain. Let us do what we need to do: cry."

These women also stand united in the belief that every life is precious, even those that never make it to their first breath. Those who carry these children, as well as those who pray for these children, are forever touched. These children are also safe in the arms of God. They never sinned. They are saints, waiting for their families to join them in heaven.

Mary DeTurris Poust speaks of the loss of a baby she named Grace: "Grace had shaped our family by her absence rather than her presence. I am very much aware that life would be very different had she lived. She managed to leave her mark on us, even without taking a breath. . . what a sorrowful and yet beautiful impact she had on us."

Edmisten also speaks of the pain of Mother's Day for those who have lost a child, especially for those who have no children in this world.... She encourages others to reach out to these "invisible mothers" - "A card, a sympathetic e-mail, a phone call from a friend who understands - having someone reach out means a lot."

"After Miscarriage" is a painful book, but also beautiful in its reflections, love of life and hope for eternal life in which parents and those they lost will be reunited. I would recommend it for any mother who has lost a child through miscarriage, but I would also recommend it for anyone simply trying to better understand the grief that these women experience. Thankfully, I have never lost a child through miscarriage, but I've tried to help my friends who have. I'm sure I've said or done the wrong thing in my efforts to be helpful. These reflections offered me a much better window into this pain. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable! February 1, 2012

By Donna M. Cooper Oboyle

Format:Paperback

Author Karen Edmisten has done it again! She knows precisely what is necessary to bring hope, healing, and inspiration to today's Catholic Moms. This lovely and sorely needed book will powerfully and tenderly touch your soul with abiding comfort and blessing. I highly recommend it for mothers who have miscarried, family members, priests, deacons, Religious, Catholic medical staff, and those in ministry.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book! October 24, 2012

By NLW

Format:Paperback

I have lost 3 babies in the last 6 years - a little boy at 12 weeks, another boy at 20 weeks, and a baby at 7 weeks. The first two, I had to go to the hospital and be induced and deliver. Whenever I would go to the nearby Catholic bookstore, I would always look to see if there were any books on the subject, but I never really had any luck. Just the other day, I was in again and came across this book and I feel like I have finally found what I was needing! While reading it, I felt that each account I read could have been me...it was so comforting to read that I am not alone in the feelings that I have had over the years and the faith journey that these losses have led me on. I wish that I had had this book sooner, however, even now, after all this time, this book still offers a lot of hope and comfort. I know that my children are in heaven with God and are praying for me, their dad, and their sister and brother here on earth. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has experienced a miscarriage and even to those who have not, but are in a position of support for someone who has.