Meet Arden Cartrette Arden Cartrette is a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula, Certified Trauma Support Specialist, and the founder of an online service and resource under the name of The Miscarriage Doula. Following her personal journey with recurrent pregnancy loss and infertility, she gave birth to her first of two living children which inspired her to start a resource that she desperately needed when she was in the thick of miscarriage-related grief. Arden lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and four dogs. She works virtually with people all over the world and has served over 400 clients since starting her service in December 2020. How did you decide to do the work that you do? When I became a bereavement doula it was three months following the birth of my first living son following two miscarriages. During the thick of my personal journey, I didn't feel that I had access to the support I needed nor did I feel properly prepared for what happened to me during my miscarriages so I am passionate and dedicated to providing miscarriage support and education to everyone who is looking for that. What are you most proud of in your work? I'm most proud of creating a safe space for so many people to discuss and process their experience with pregnancy loss. It feels rare that we are given space to do so let alone with a professional that has personal experience. What is a challenge you have overcome in your work? Or, what is the biggest challenge you are currently facing in your work? Challenges that I've had to overcome in my work would be handling my own triggers as they arise. Because I come to this work from my personal experience, I have my own trauma, too. It doesn't happen often which I credit to my extensive work in therapy but when it does, I have to take some time to sit with these triggers and work through them. What do you wish people knew about fertility and reproductive health? I wish that people knew that fertility and reproductive health is a large umbrella of care. It's care that is important for every person and for many, it's not easily accessible or affordable which can affect personal family-building plans. Reproductive care in general is much more than physical health and it affects every aspect of our mental wellbeing and life in general. Is there anything happening in the reproductive health field that you're especially excited about? As a miscarriage doula, I am passionate about reproductive rights and ensuring that people have access to the medical care they both need and choose to pursue. Who inspires you in this field? There are so many people and organizations that inspire me in this field. To name a few (in no particular order): Dr. Jessica Zucker, Measure The Placenta, PUSH Pregnancy, Sisters in Loss, Caileigh from @everymamasheart, Pregnancy After Loss Support, and many, many more. What are you working on next? I'm currently finishing up a program I've created that will give doulas, birth workers, and other loss moms to become certified miscarriage doulas under my company, The Miscarriage Doula. Want to meet some more Changemakers? Read on here.
