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Congrats on the safe arrival of your new baby! Can you tell us more about your family and your new baby? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
My husband, Jesse, and I have been together for 16 wonderful years! Our fur-child, Belle, is our first born (haha!). She was followed by our first human daughter, Josie, who is currently 4.5 years old, and Alex, who was stillborn in October of 2019, and last but definitely not least, our son, Cal. Calvin Thaddeus Aitken was born Aug. 27, 2020 at 6:37 p.m., and measured 6 lbs., 6 oz. and 20 inches. He had blonde hair at birth and we have no clue where that came from since we all have brown hair! His hair has darkened as he\u2019s grown over the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How long have you been a Count the Kicks <\/em>Ambassador and what does it mean to you? <\/h4>\n\n\n\nI became a Count the Kicks<\/em> Ambassador in June of 2020, during my third trimester of pregnancy with Cal. After losing Alex, I knew I needed to give back in some way to honor her, and becoming an integral part of Count the Kicks<\/em> was the obvious answer to this calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPlease tell us more about your experience being pregnant after losing a baby to stillbirth. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I got pregnant again very quickly after losing Alex. She was born still on Halloween, Oct. 31, 2019, and I found out I was pregnant with Cal on New Year\u2019s Eve, Dec. 31, 2019. I recognize how fortunate I am to get pregnant so easily, however this rapid timeline did not allow me the time to properly grieve Alex and launched me into emotional turmoil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was extremely hesitant to share the news of my pregnancy with anyone, not even my own family. Honestly, I was terrified that Cal would die too and I knew I could not survive the loss of another child. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was so laid-back during my pregnancies with both of my daughters and trusted my body to do its job and protect them, and I felt I\u2019d personally failed Alex. I was riddled with anxiety during my entire pregnancy with Cal and was constantly worried about him. To sum things up, being pregnant with Cal was the hardest thing I\u2019ve ever had to do in my life. I don\u2019t think I could put myself through that again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/countthekicks.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Erica-Aitken-Alex-memory-300x132.jpg\")
Erica Aitken’s daughter Alex was born still in October of 2019. She welcomed her Rainbow Baby, Cal, in August 2020. Photo Credit: Erica Aitken Photography<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDid the COVID-19 pandemic have an impact on your pregnancy experience? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Yes! Not only was I reeling from my very recent loss of Alex, coupled with the emotional upheaval of being pregnant again so quickly, but I also had to remain a recluse from any sense of normalcy in life for fear of COVID-19 harming me or my baby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesse and I did not want to take any risks with Cal after all we\u2019d been through with Alex. I didn\u2019t see my family or friends and had no face-to-face support system. I stayed home \u2014 all. the. time. I felt utterly alone and had no escape. I couldn\u2019t even have a glass of wine to try to relax! It was so, so, so hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another major downside of COVID was that none of my family or friends could come visit Cal right after he was born, for fear of getting him sick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell us more about your experience using the FREE Count the Kicks<\/em> app during your rainbow baby pregnancy.<\/h4>\n\n\n\nI used the Count the Kicks<\/em> app at least once daily starting at 26 weeks of pregnancy with Cal. At first using the app made me very nervous. I would worry if I didn\u2019t get 10 movements in around 20 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter a week or two of using the app and learning what movement patterns were normal for my baby, I grew to greatly appreciate the knowledge I gained about how Cal moved. It reassured me to know he was moving in ways that were typical for him. I felt more and more confident that he was OK, since his movement patterns were pretty reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What was your favorite feature of the Count the Kicks<\/em> app?<\/h4>\n\n\n\nBeing able to view the history of how my baby moves and share that information with my doctor is most definitely my favorite feature of the app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/countthekicks.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Erica-Aitken-kids-300x200.jpg\")
Erica Aitken’s two living children, Josie (4.5) and Cal (11 months). Photo Credit: Erica Aitken Photography <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s Rainbow Baby Day! Do you use this term, and if so, what does it mean to you to have a rainbow baby? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I understand that many people use and love the term \u201crainbow baby\u201d and I\u2019ve come to accept that most people refer to my son that way. Personally, I\u2019m not a huge fan of this term, as it implies that my beautiful precious daughter, Alex, was a storm. She is not nor will she ever be a storm to me. She is just as much a lovely rainbow as Cal is. I wish she were here with us today more than anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you want other moms to know about stillbirth, pregnancy after loss, and the Count the Kicks<\/em> campaign? <\/h4>\n\n\n\nTRUST YOUR GUT INSTINCTS, MAMA! Did I say that emphatically enough?! I wish I\u2019d listened to my internal nagging that something wasn\u2019t right with Alex. I didn\u2019t. And I will never be able to totally forgive myself for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truly, if you feel something isn\u2019t right with your pregnancy or baby, go to the doctor or hospital. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just go to the doctor right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you hope to accomplish in your role as a Count the Kicks<\/em> Ambassador in your state? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Please tell us more about your experience being pregnant after losing a baby to stillbirth. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I got pregnant again very quickly after losing Alex. She was born still on Halloween, Oct. 31, 2019, and I found out I was pregnant with Cal on New Year\u2019s Eve, Dec. 31, 2019. I recognize how fortunate I am to get pregnant so easily, however this rapid timeline did not allow me the time to properly grieve Alex and launched me into emotional turmoil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was extremely hesitant to share the news of my pregnancy with anyone, not even my own family. Honestly, I was terrified that Cal would die too and I knew I could not survive the loss of another child. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was so laid-back during my pregnancies with both of my daughters and trusted my body to do its job and protect them, and I felt I\u2019d personally failed Alex. I was riddled with anxiety during my entire pregnancy with Cal and was constantly worried about him. To sum things up, being pregnant with Cal was the hardest thing I\u2019ve ever had to do in my life. I don\u2019t think I could put myself through that again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did the COVID-19 pandemic have an impact on your pregnancy experience? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Yes! Not only was I reeling from my very recent loss of Alex, coupled with the emotional upheaval of being pregnant again so quickly, but I also had to remain a recluse from any sense of normalcy in life for fear of COVID-19 harming me or my baby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesse and I did not want to take any risks with Cal after all we\u2019d been through with Alex. I didn\u2019t see my family or friends and had no face-to-face support system. I stayed home \u2014 all. the. time. I felt utterly alone and had no escape. I couldn\u2019t even have a glass of wine to try to relax! It was so, so, so hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another major downside of COVID was that none of my family or friends could come visit Cal right after he was born, for fear of getting him sick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell us more about your experience using the FREE Count the Kicks<\/em> app during your rainbow baby pregnancy.<\/h4>\n\n\n\nI used the Count the Kicks<\/em> app at least once daily starting at 26 weeks of pregnancy with Cal. At first using the app made me very nervous. I would worry if I didn\u2019t get 10 movements in around 20 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter a week or two of using the app and learning what movement patterns were normal for my baby, I grew to greatly appreciate the knowledge I gained about how Cal moved. It reassured me to know he was moving in ways that were typical for him. I felt more and more confident that he was OK, since his movement patterns were pretty reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What was your favorite feature of the Count the Kicks<\/em> app?<\/h4>\n\n\n\nBeing able to view the history of how my baby moves and share that information with my doctor is most definitely my favorite feature of the app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Erica Aitken’s two living children, Josie (4.5) and Cal (11 months). Photo Credit: Erica Aitken Photography <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s Rainbow Baby Day! Do you use this term, and if so, what does it mean to you to have a rainbow baby? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I understand that many people use and love the term \u201crainbow baby\u201d and I\u2019ve come to accept that most people refer to my son that way. Personally, I\u2019m not a huge fan of this term, as it implies that my beautiful precious daughter, Alex, was a storm. She is not nor will she ever be a storm to me. She is just as much a lovely rainbow as Cal is. I wish she were here with us today more than anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you want other moms to know about stillbirth, pregnancy after loss, and the Count the Kicks<\/em> campaign? <\/h4>\n\n\n\nTRUST YOUR GUT INSTINCTS, MAMA! Did I say that emphatically enough?! I wish I\u2019d listened to my internal nagging that something wasn\u2019t right with Alex. I didn\u2019t. And I will never be able to totally forgive myself for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truly, if you feel something isn\u2019t right with your pregnancy or baby, go to the doctor or hospital. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just go to the doctor right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you hope to accomplish in your role as a Count the Kicks<\/em> Ambassador in your state? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
After a week or two of using the app and learning what movement patterns were normal for my baby, I grew to greatly appreciate the knowledge I gained about how Cal moved. It reassured me to know he was moving in ways that were typical for him. I felt more and more confident that he was OK, since his movement patterns were pretty reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What was your favorite feature of the Count the Kicks<\/em> app?<\/h4>\n\n\n\nBeing able to view the history of how my baby moves and share that information with my doctor is most definitely my favorite feature of the app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Erica Aitken’s two living children, Josie (4.5) and Cal (11 months). Photo Credit: Erica Aitken Photography <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s Rainbow Baby Day! Do you use this term, and if so, what does it mean to you to have a rainbow baby? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I understand that many people use and love the term \u201crainbow baby\u201d and I\u2019ve come to accept that most people refer to my son that way. Personally, I\u2019m not a huge fan of this term, as it implies that my beautiful precious daughter, Alex, was a storm. She is not nor will she ever be a storm to me. She is just as much a lovely rainbow as Cal is. I wish she were here with us today more than anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you want other moms to know about stillbirth, pregnancy after loss, and the Count the Kicks<\/em> campaign? <\/h4>\n\n\n\nTRUST YOUR GUT INSTINCTS, MAMA! Did I say that emphatically enough?! I wish I\u2019d listened to my internal nagging that something wasn\u2019t right with Alex. I didn\u2019t. And I will never be able to totally forgive myself for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truly, if you feel something isn\u2019t right with your pregnancy or baby, go to the doctor or hospital. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just go to the doctor right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you hope to accomplish in your role as a Count the Kicks<\/em> Ambassador in your state? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s Rainbow Baby Day! Do you use this term, and if so, what does it mean to you to have a rainbow baby? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I understand that many people use and love the term \u201crainbow baby\u201d and I\u2019ve come to accept that most people refer to my son that way. Personally, I\u2019m not a huge fan of this term, as it implies that my beautiful precious daughter, Alex, was a storm. She is not nor will she ever be a storm to me. She is just as much a lovely rainbow as Cal is. I wish she were here with us today more than anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n