Kaitlyn and Mathew Hobbs live in Athens, Georgia. They currently have two little girls aged six and three and are expecting a baby girl in July. She is their rainbow baby after a miscarriage at 12 weeks in 2020 that led to a Dilation and Curettage (D&C).

Kaitlyn and Mathew have been together since March of 2020. They were introduced by her stepdad, a friend of Mathew’s family.

            “We went out to the beach, dinner, and a few drinks and it was like he was my perfect match,” said Kaitlyn. They found out they were pregnant just a short time later.

            “In July 2020, we went for our regular check-up at 12 weeks and were told that the baby didn’t have a heartbeat,” Kaitlyn said. “The doctor had us come back a couple of days later to double-check and the baby still had no heartbeat. We ended up scheduling a D&C. It was one of the worst days of my life.”

            Kaitlyn is currently pregnant with their rainbow baby. Their rainbow is extra special because she will be named after Kaitlyn’s aunt who passed away last year. Kaitlyn and Mathew were very excited when they found out she was pregnant again. They and their daughters look forward to little Louisa Willow officially joining their family. 

            Lydia Hammond CNM, nurse midwife has been a midwife for 12 years and was a nurse 5 years before becoming a midwife. She has dealt with miscarriages and pregnancy loss during her career and as a mom herself. She said, “I had three babies quite easily and then had 3 losses in a row over around 9 months…I ended up with 9 rounds of fertility treatments and waiting 6 years for number 4 … I think all these experiences have helped me empathize with the women I serve.”

            Lydia sees an average of over 100 women a month and said that “60-70% have experienced some form of pregnancy/infant loss and/or infertility.”

            Kaitlyn was 12 weeks along when the miscarriage occurred and since her body was just barely starting the process of letting go of the embryo, she had to get a D&C.. Now with the overturning of Roe Vs Wade, procedures like the D&C will no longer be available for moms like Kaitlyn.

            According to the article Dilation and Curettage on healthdirect.gov, “Dilation and curettage (D&C) is an operation to scrape away tissue from the inside of the womb. It’s used to diagnose and treat many conditions, including abnormal bleeding and after a miscarriage.”

            Lydia shared her experience with miscarriages and D&C within her midwife career. “Treatment does vary on length of gestation. In some cases, it is safe to miscarry at home either spontaneously or using a medication,” she said. “After 9 weeks the danger of hemorrhage is greater, and we recommend D&C.”

One of the other conditions that a D&C has been used for is abortion. Although this isn’t always the case, because of the overturning of Roe VS Wade in June 2022, procedures like the D&C will not be readily available to women who need to have it done after miscarriage or even to treat conditions such as endometriosis.

In the NBC News article “It’s not just about Abortion, Overturning Roe could affect miscarriage care, Dr. Stephanie Mischell, a family medicine physician in Texas and fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health stated “Medically, miscarriage and abortions are treated in a very similar way.” The article goes on to state “that laws that restrict abortion or outlaw certain medications or procedures used in abortion, also have the potential to limit treatment of miscarriage.”

            According to the American Pregnancy Organization article on D&C, “about 50% of women who miscarry do not undergo a D&C procedure…a D&C may be recommended for women who miscarry later than 10-12 weeks.” So, the other 50% of women who need a D&C may not be able to get one because they will be banned/illegal with the overturning of Roe vs Wade. Women like Kaitlyn will have to undergo other treatments for this miscarriage including possible C-sections to remove the remains of their lost child.

            Here are some links to articles on D&C and what to expect during the procedure

                        1. What to expect from a D&C or D&E on The Bump

                        2. Dilation an Curettage on Mayo-clinic

                        3.D&C after miscarriage- should you have one? In parents magazine

            One in four women will experience a miscarriage during their lifetime. That means that out of the 4 women you know; sisters, friends, aunts, cousins, etc, 1 in every 4 of them will experience some type of miscarriage or pregnancy loss. Kaitlyn is 1 in 4. She never thought it would happen to her. She now lives with that little piece of her heart up in heaven. She spoke out about her miscarriage and rainbow baby to give others hope and to help them have the courage to speak out as well. 

            There is always hope after the storm. It may come in different shapes and sizes but there is always hope. Advocates can help spread the hope by sharing this and other stories of women who have suffered losses and gone on to receive their rainbow after the storm. The biggest thing to help them remember is that they are not alone! 

Links to previous stories

“When I look at my rainbow baby, I know a little bit of heaven is looking back at me.”- Anonymous

“You were carried for only a moment but are loved for a lifetime.” — Unknown

At the end of the rainbow, there is always a pot of gold.

“A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes… When your fast asleep…