Jamie Otis Says Pregnancy After Loss Is "Such An Emotional Rollercoaster"

Pregnancy can be a nerve-wracking time for anyone. But for those who've experienced a miscarriage? This can feel like one of the longest and most anxiety-ridden times of their lives. And one celebrity mom hit the nail on the head. In a candid post on Instagram, Jamie Otis shared that pregnancy after loss is hard. Specifically, it's "such an emotional rollercoaster."

As a refresher, the Married at First Sight alum and her husband Doug Hehner — who tied the knot on the reality TV show in 2014 — have a 2-year-old daughter, Henley. Otis is currently pregnant with their second child, as the couple revealed revealed in September. It's worth mentioning, though, that Otis and Hehner have been through a lot to get to this point. Back in 2016, Otis lost a baby boy — whom they named Johnathan — when she was 17 weeks pregnant. More recently, she had a chemical pregnancy in September 2018, followed by a miscarriage in January 2019. So you can probably imagine Otis and Hehner's excitement when they found out they were once again expecting.

"We went to the fertility specialist and found out WE ARE PREGNANT!!!" Otis wrote on Instagram in September. "I cannot even believe it! After 18 long, painful months, two losses and negative after negative on the pregnancy tests we are *finally* pregnant again!" She added, "Of course I am being cautiously optimistic, but I have a feeling this little one is going to stick."

Fast forward to today, and Otis is now 13 weeks into the pregnancy. The expectant mom shared an update with her Instagram followers on Wednesday, Nov. 5 with a bump photo alongside her husband. In it, Otis got candid about what she has been feeling. "Tears of JOY! WE MADE IT TO OUR SECOND TRIMESTER!" she captioned the post. "I used to think that meant we are in the clear, but after losing our first born son, Johnathan, at 17 weeks we know to be cautiously optimistic."

Otis added that she hasn't had any problems with bleeding or cramping during this pregnancy, which gives them confidence that all is well. Last weekend, she and Hehner also had the opportunity to see their little one moving around — and even sucking his/her thumb — during an ultrasound.

"It's such an emotional rollercoaster being pregnant after a loss bc the memories of Johnathan at this very stage come flooding back," Otis continued: "We still have a dvd of him wiggling around inside me seemingly healthy & strong just like this baby now ... but just a few weeks later I was kissing his tiny face goodbye." Otis added:

If you’re a mama who is also pregnant after a loss, you’re not alone with all the fears. I try not to talk about mine bc I don’t want to focus on that — or sound crazy — but they’re there. And I’ve realized over time it’s better to be honest and share our reality rather than just pretend to be “normal” bc that is SO isolating and lonely.

I admire Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner for being so honest about their pregnancy journey after multiple losses. Everyone copes differently, of course, but in sharing her experience about pregnancy after miscarriage, Otis is shedding more light on a journey that many other women walk through in petrified silence. And it can be lonely as hell.