Pregnancy After Loss App

I reached out for help a week ago because for some reason I can’t log in. I’ve tried every email I have even though I know which one I used, but I get an error message every time I try to reset my password or submit a request for help. I emailed them a week ago for help with this and have been ignored.

I have appreciated this app for my pregnancy journey and it makes me feel like there are others that understand. I do wish it worked better though. I have been very frustrated with this app because every time I open it it starts from the first week and I have to scroll all the way to the week I’m at. I use other pregnancy apps and this never happens. I realized I’ve stopped using this as much because of it. If this could be fixed it would go a long way.

This app means so much to me as a stillbirth mama. I am able to safely go into a pregnancy app without worrying about being triggered. So many wonderful resources that I use everyday during my pregnancy after loss!

The purpose behind this app is wonderful and so needed for parents experiencing pregnancy after loss. I found it so helpful in the early weeks and months to have a resource that offered something new every day to give me something to track and “do” since most of pregnancy is just waiting and hoping. The idea for this is great, but ultimately feels more like someone’s very dedicated hobby/blog/passion project. The writing feels very unpolished and amateur in a number of places. It also seems very strange to me how much and how frequently the app brings up gender disappointment. This is absolutely a valid experience and one that deserves mention, but there have essentially been mentions of this phenomenon in the daily messages, readings and polls multiple times per week since the end of the first trimester. This just feels imbalanced and ultimately overemphasizes the nature of gender/fetal sex, which I know is not the intention. I think all possibilities do warrant acknowledgment since everyone will make their own choice about this personal topic, but it might be worth suggesting that anyone anticipating the possibility of severe gender disappointment consider waiting until birth to learn the baby’s sex. Once a healthy baby is in your arms and you are encountering your actual child, it’s much easier to move past the preconceptions about gender than when everything is a hypothetical idea of a baby. Of course, it doesn’t mean any hopes around gender disappear at birth, but there’s so much more to balance out those feelings than there will be in an ultrasound or bloodwork results. It’s so common to learn the sex as soon as you can now, I think some PAL parents could benefit from a reminder that this doesn’t need to be the default and there can be truly helpful reasons to wait.

This app was exactly what I needed, and I'm beyond grateful for the time, effort, and thought that was put into crafting it. My miscarriages were spread out over a number of years before I successfully carried and birthed a living daughter in February 2020. The PALS website got me through that pregnancy. Then, this January, I became pregnant again and all of the old fears and anxieties came back. I couldn't even bring myself to acknowledge the pregnancy or share with family or friends until well into the 2nd trimester, if at all. And even then, I hated having to deal with the immediate cheer & outright dismissal of my feelings and anxieties. Having a toddler take up my energy helped serve as a distraction, but I knew my mental health was suffering. I downloaded and deleted probably a dozen apps around the time of my 20-week ultrasound, since it seemed that I should at least know how far along I was getting, even if I still wasn't convinced that this pregnancy would go to term. Finally, I saw a reminder about the PALS app, and it has been an absolute lifesaver! The articles answer so many of the questions that are bouncing around my head - it's so validating! The weekly affirmations keep me grounded, and somehow are perfectly crafted for what might be happening each week. Nothing is saccharine or overly optimistic or cutesy, though the fruit size comparisons crack me up - I appreciate that the creators acknowledge that the fruit size thing is actually ridiculous! The PALS app is centered around the complex time of pregnancy after loss and the anxieties/pressures facing the pregnant person. The polls and advice for self-advocacy are so helpful and validating, especially given that PAL parents are regularly made to feel crazy or like we're an inconvenience by our care providers. I cannot thank you enough for creating this incredible resource.

After experiencing a later-ish 1st trimester missed miscarriage, I’m approaching this new pregnancy with much more anxiety and trepidation. The “sunshine & rainbows” attitude of some other mainstream apps just feel too painful. And not validating of my fears, concerns & experiences. Thank you for making an app for what us PAL mom’s need! *I think once the user base grows, the community aspect will much better. Now there is just not enough use for it to be beneficial

After having multiple pregnancy losses and being pregnant again I found traditional pregnancy apps very triggering and not helpful for my specific pregnancy. I am so glad this app was created and it is so mindful of pregnancies for women who have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss. I have found it very helpful, especially all of the extra tools it has available.

I downloaded this app immediately when I saw it was released, I was so excited to be able to use it! Due to an error in the account verification process, I can’t even log in. I contacted support but there has been no resolution or follow up in 2 days. I am so sad and disappointed.