And Also With You Christian Motherhood Taboos: Publicly Navigating a Miscarriage
Sep 22, 2025
The Rev. Allison Caudill, a rural Episcopal rector who ministers on family and reproductive loss, and The Rev'd Allie McDougall, an Anglican vicar who writes on pastoral and maternal life, speak candidly about miscarriage and public grieving. They explore why miscarriage is taboo, the political and pastoral pressures around reproductive loss, and how openness, ritual, and faith shape responding to grief.
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Choosing Transparency With Congregations During Miscarriage
- The Rev'd Allie McDougall miscarried in January and chose openness with her congregations because hormonal and emotional changes would affect her ministry.
- Wardens' reactions varied by gender and generation: male wardens were awkward, while women offered immediate compassionate practical support.
Public Announcement Led To Hidden Stories Emerging
- The Rev. Allison Caudill miscarried days after announcing a pregnancy and initially told parishioners she was sick before sending a brief explanatory email.
- Her inbox filled with mostly women sharing their own losses, revealing widespread hidden grief in the congregation.
Why Miscarriage Is Both Common And Silent
- Miscarriage is highly common yet culturally silenced because it involves private bodily processes and social discomfort about women's bodies.
- That silence breeds embarrassment and isolation despite statistics showing many experience pregnancy loss.