The Caring Death Doula

Grief Asking For Attention

Grief has a way of making us disappear from ourselves.  In this episode, we discuss how we stay busy, stay quiet, keep it moving, and hope time will do the work we refuse to touch.  But when nobody talks about grief, we often stuff it down, then it starts leaking out through anger, isolation, overworking, and that constant feeling that something is hanging over us. We take a clear look at what grief really is and why it’s bigger than bereavement. Yes, it includes the death of a loved one or a pet, but it can also be the death of a dream, the end of a career, the loss of a role, or the painful realization that life doesn’t match what you hoped for. When we broaden the definition, we stop minimizing our own pain, and we get better at supporting friends and family who are struggling. We also talk about avoidance and the coping habits that can become destructive: drinking, drugs, gambling, binge watching, relationship cycling, and nonstop productivity fueled by caffeine and no sleep.  Most importantly, we talk about what real grief support looks like: finding someone who will listen without trying to fix you, rush you, or talk you out of your feelings. If you’ve been told to “get over it,” this conversation is your permission slip to slow down and take care of you. Share this with someone who needs it, and consider leaving a review so more people can find support when grief feels unbearable. Holding space for you, Frances, The Caring Death Doula Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530196/fan_mail/new] Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr [https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]

Rest Is Part Of Grieving

In this episode,  we discuss how your  body can only carry grief for so long before it starts sending louder signals.  We talk honestly about what it feels like when you’ve been pushing through loss for weeks, months, or years, and the exhaustion is deeper than being overwhelmed. It’s the kind of tired that lives in your bones and your nervous system, and it’s telling you to stop. Again we widen the lens on what counts as grief: the death of a loved one, the loss of a pet, estrangement from family, the end of a role you held for decades, a career that didn’t work out, or the life you expected to have.  No matter what form it takes, grief asks for time, space, and gentleness.  Rest is not a luxury here. It’s a health decision. Together, we walk through a practical idea: a real 48-hour break. That might mean calling in sick, taking vacation days, or protecting a weekend. We get specific about unplugging beyond social media, setting boundaries, delegating, and finding options even if you have kids, limited help, or a demanding boss.  This episodes also explores simple self-care that can calm your body: a long shower or bath, low light, soothing scents, music, journaling, or doing absolutely nothing. If this resonates, listen and  don’t hesitate to share if someone comes to mind. You never know what it could mean to them. Please consider leaving a review so more grieving people can find the support they need.  Holding space, Frances The Caring Death Doula Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530196/fan_mail/new] Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr [https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]

Holding Space For Mother’s Day Grief

Mother’s Day lands differently when your mom is gone or when motherhood has been shaped by loss.  This episode follows Morher’s Day weekend here in the U.S. and I wanted to honor the place a mother has in our lives. And, to let the women often overlooked by society who long to be mothers know they are seen.  We talk about grief as evidence of love, why it helps to speak plainly about death, and how we can support each other without comparison.  • Mother’s Day grief and the ache of absence  • Grief as tangible evidence of love we carry  • Getting more comfortable talking about death and living present  • Holding space for infertility, miscarriage, and stillbirth  • Validating motherhood after pregnancy loss  • Rejecting the urge to rank grief and loss  If you need to feel seen this week after making it through the weekend of missing your mother, this episode is for you. If you know others missing their mom or women who long to be a mom and hold their babies, then please pass this episode on.  Share with those who miss their moms. Any day or event celebrating moms can be so hard for many of us.  Be there for someone or take a deep breath for yourself knowing I hold space for you.  Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530196/fan_mail/new] Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr [https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]

Grieving More Than a Death

This episode comes from the thick  envelope from a lawyer that lands in my mailbox and flips my whole day upside down. Inside is news I never expected to learn this way: my aunt has died, and I don’t even know when it happened.  Shock hits first, then my mind does what it has learned to do for a lifetime it reaches for connection. I want to call my dad. Then I remember I can’t, because he died too. That split second says so much about how grief lives in the body, not just in our thoughts. I talk honestly about layered bereavement, the kind that shows up when a family member dies and it reopens old family pain. There’s the death itself, and then there’s the silence- why wasn’t I called?- and then there’s ache of realizing you were not included.  When family estrangement, messy dynamics, or a controlling religious group has shaped who stays in touch, grief can carry bitterness and resentment right alongside love. If you’ve ever felt confused by your own reaction to a relative’s death, there is nothing wrong with you. You are not broken. You are human. We also discuss what I do in the moment to steady myself: getting out of the house, taking a long walk, and trying to calm my nervous system when anger starts to surge.  As The Caring Death Doula, I’m not here to polish grief into something pretty. I’m here to tell the truth and to hold space for yours too. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs gentle support, and leave a review so more grieving people can find this podcast.   Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530196/fan_mail/new] Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr [https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]

Normalizing Death Helps Children

In today’s episode we talk again about children and grief. We discuss how important it is for children to see death as a natural part of life. They need to be part of conversations and hear adults talking.  If talking about death around children makes your chest tighten, you’re not alone and that discomfort is exactly why the conversation matters.  We dig into how children learn what grief “means” by watching the adults around them, and how silence can quietly teach them that death is scary, or off-limits. When children don’t feel safe asking questions, they often carry unresolved grief into adulthood, expecting time and adulthood  to fix what never got named.  We explore what it looks like to normalize death as a natural part of life, not a topic reserved for whispers in the hallway. That includes being honest about how hard grief is, letting children be included as much as they feel able to, and recognizing how moments like missing a funeral or a hospital visit can become lifelong pain points. The goal isn’t to force big conversations on demand, but to make your home and your relationships a place where death can be mentioned without everyone shutting down.  You’ll also hear practical community-based ideas that make these talks easier: informal Death Cafe style meetups and Death and Cheesecake gatherings where people can listen, share fears, and speak plainly with no agenda. We highlight children’s grief centers too, including how they may process loss through peer conversation, arts and crafts, reenactment play, or movement when words don’t come.  If you want better tools for supporting grieving children, it starts with growing your own comfort and modeling that it’s safe to feel.  Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this with someone raising kids, and leave a review with one thing you wish adults had said to you about death. I’d love to hear from you! Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530196/fan_mail/new] Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr [https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]