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TikTok surprised me and not in the way I expected. I went looking for community around pregnancy and infant loss, and within a few minutes I felt the full swing of grief: proud of the vulnerability and advocacy I saw, then suddenly in tears, even though I started out hoping for something uplifting. That emotional whiplash is real.

We talk about what’s helpful about online support groups and what’s hard about having limited control over what shows up on your screen. I’m encouraging us all to share honest content that also makes room for relief. From there, I share what my little TikTok experiment taught me about multidimensional identity. Being a bereaved parent is part of who we are, but it does not fully define us. When grief starts to consume our day and identity, we can forget the rest of ourselves, and that’s where the dimensional aspects of our identity matter most.

I also touch on restoration-oriented coping and the power of small distractions, like nostalgia videos that make you laugh for a minute. Plus, I share a practical idea: using TikTok like a technologically advanced journal with pictures, videos, words, and music.

If you have a topic you’d like me to cover on the podcast, or if you would like to share your creative coping strategies to help our listeners, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me by:

Email- gina@moderncounselingsolutions.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/moderncounselingsolutions

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/moderncounselingsolutions?utm_source=qr

TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@gina.g.psyd

These episodes are fueled by sunshine and plenty of coffee. If you want to help keep the coffee coming, you can support the show by visiting this website: buymeacoffee.com/ginagonzalez

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The quietest grief decisions are often the heaviest: what do you do with the diapers, the crib, the stroller, and the baby shower gifts when you come home without a baby? I’m Gina Gonzalez, and I’m opening up an honest conversation many of us get left to figure out alone, the emotional and practical reality of baby items after pregnancy loss.

I walk through how my choices changed over time, from passing along wipes and samples before they expired, to wrestling with the unspoken “etiquette” of giving away gifts. If you’ve ever wondered whether friends and family will feel offended, whether you’re allowed to donate baby items, or whether keeping everything means you’re still hoping, you’re not alone.

You’ll also hear the middle paths that don’t get talked about enough: saving a few personal keepsakes, gifting big-ticket gear to a sibling who’s expecting, donating toys to a shelter supporting young mothers, and letting each step be its own small decision instead of one sweeping moment. The core takeaway is simple: there’s no right or wrong answer here, only what supports your healing.

If you have a topic you’d like me to cover on the podcast, or if you would like to share your creative coping strategies to help our listeners, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me by:

Email- gina@moderncounselingsolutions.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/moderncounselingsolutions

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/moderncounselingsolutions?utm_source=qr

TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@gina.g.psyd

These episodes are fueled by sunshine and plenty of coffee. If you want to help keep the coffee coming, you can support the show by visiting this website: buymeacoffee.com/ginagonzalez

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A song can be background noise for years, and then one day it becomes a mirror. I’m Gina Gonzalez, and I’m sharing how music opened a new awareness for me after the loss of our son, especially during seasons when life keeps moving but you feel like you’re only surviving. Sometimes the smallest details become a gateway back into the richness of living, and for me, that gateway was listening to lyrics I thought I already knew.

We walk through two songs that landed with unexpected precision across time, one that played during pregnancy and later hit with crystal-clear meaning in the raw weeks after loss, and another I found in a lighthearted movie. I unpack the specific lines that resonated, why grief can steal our present moments, and how a simple image can shift the way you carry hope. If rainbow symbolism feels complicated or even painful, we also talk about why I started gravitating toward sunrises and sunsets instead: the sun rises every day, with or without perfect weather, offering a steady reminder that a fresh start is never far away.

You’ll also hear practical ideas for bringing more light into your life on purpose, from choosing people who lift you up to feeding your mind and ears with things that soften the day instead of adding weight. If you need a gentle nudge to breathe, reflect, and keep going, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a rating or review so more grieving parents can find this support.

If you have a topic you’d like me to cover on the podcast, or if you would like to share your creative coping strategies to help our listeners, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me by:

Email- gina@moderncounselingsolutions.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/moderncounselingsolutions

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/moderncounselingsolutions?utm_source=qr

TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@gina.g.psyd

These episodes are fueled by sunshine and plenty of coffee. If you want to help keep the coffee coming, you can support the show by visiting this website: buymeacoffee.com/ginagonzalez

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Grief after pregnancy or infant loss isn’t only about the day everything changed. It’s also the quiet, repeated losses that follow you into regular life: the milestones you never get to see, the identity shift that hits when you don’t have a living child to parent day to day, and the gut-punch reminders that show up on birthdays, holidays, and even back-to-school photo season.

We take a deeper dive into secondary losses after perinatal loss and how they can complicate healing for individuals, couples, and families. We talk honestly about how perinatal losses impact finances, workplace strain, relationships, and intimacy. We explore how partners often cope differently, how we can show up for one another, and how intimacy includes far more than sex: emotional, physical, intellectual, experiential, and spiritual connection. We also address pregnancy anxiety after loss, loss of bodily trust, and the painful reality that some parents face changes in their pregnancy journey, including decisions around surrogacy, adoption, or closing that chapter altogether.

If you have a topic you’d like me to cover on the podcast, or if you would like to share your creative coping strategies to help our listeners, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me by:

Email- gina@moderncounselingsolutions.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/moderncounselingsolutions

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/moderncounselingsolutions?utm_source=qr

TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@gina.g.psyd

These episodes are fueled by sunshine and plenty of coffee. If you want to help keep the coffee coming, you can support the show by visiting this website: buymeacoffee.com/ginagonzalez

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“Do you have children?” can be a casual question for most people, but after pregnancy or infant loss, it can hit like a wave. Today's episode makes space for the reality that these questions can impact us, and that many of us were never given advance notice of this potential emotional trigger.

We can walk through how to decide what to say in the moment by looking at a few grounding factors: which question was asked, how long the interaction will last, and your emotional bandwidth. I share several response options. We also talk about the power of a prepared “elevator speech,” a 30-second version of your story that helps you stay authentic without spending all your emotional energy searching for words under pressure.

We also separate social small talk from medical environments, where being honest about pregnancies and losses can matter for your health history and your ability to advocate for yourself. This is a deeply personal journey, and your responses can evolve over time. Most importantly, your parenthood status never changes. You are a parent, your babies matter, and you are the voice of your journey.

If you have a topic you’d like me to cover on the podcast, or if you would like to share your creative coping strategies to help our listeners, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me by:

Email- gina@moderncounselingsolutions.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/moderncounselingsolutions

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/moderncounselingsolutions?utm_source=qr

TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@gina.g.psyd

These episodes are fueled by sunshine and plenty of coffee. If you want to help keep the coffee coming, you can support the show by visiting this website: buymeacoffee.com/ginagonzalez

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I’m Gina Gonzalez, and I’m walking you through the dual process model of coping, a grief framework that finally put words to what my own journey after stillbirth has looked like over the years. We will discuss some specific examples of loss-oriented and restoration-oriented coping strategies.

From memorial rituals like wind chimes, butterfly plants, and meaningful symbols to counseling, peer support, journaling, and creative mementos, we talk through loss-oriented strategies that honor what happened. Then we shift into restoration-oriented coping: rebuilding routines, using music intentionally, adding movement, practicing self-care, meeting people, trying new hobbies, and giving yourself permission to “seize the day” in ways that fit your life. I also share how meaning-making and new personal goals are a form of restoration-coping and without erasing grief.

If you have a topic you’d like me to cover on the podcast, or if you would like to share your creative coping strategies to help our listeners, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me by:

Email- gina@moderncounselingsolutions.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/moderncounselingsolutions

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/moderncounselingsolutions?utm_source=qr

TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@gina.g.psyd

These episodes are fueled by sunshine and plenty of coffee. If you want to help keep the coffee coming, you can support the show by visiting this website: buymeacoffee.com/ginagonzalez

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Grief can feel heavy enough on its own, then life keeps demanding that you function like nothing happened. I’m Gina Gonzalez, and I’m introducing a practical grief framework to guide your healing journey: The Dual Process Model of Coping.

According to this model, there are two modes of coping: loss-oriented coping and restoration-oriented coping. Loss-oriented coping is the part of grieving that leans into the emotional reality of the death. Whereas restoration-oriented coping is the forward-facing work of rebuilding and creating a “new life” after loss. We also talk honestly about why “balance” is through oscillation; switching back and forth between the two modes can maximize your ability to cope with grief.

You’ll also hear a wide range of concrete coping strategies, from grief counseling and memory making to self-care, identity shifts, new goals, and community support. We highlight Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and the significance of October 15th to the perinatal loss community.

The Dual Process Model of Coping image link:

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkxe4ZwUDTe_S7n2EjVjruc9B94ioRBBiJu?si=PalyMGCn6VP0h1Rk

If you have a topic you’d like me to cover on the podcast, or if you would like to share your creative coping strategies to help our listeners, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me by:

Email- gina@moderncounselingsolutions.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/moderncounselingsolutions

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/moderncounselingsolutions?utm_source=qr

TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@gina.g.psyd

These episodes are fueled by sunshine and plenty of coffee. If you want to help keep the coffee coming, you can support the show by visiting this website: buymeacoffee.com/ginagonzalez