“We Think It Won’t Happen to Us” — Dr. Jessica Zucker on Loss, Shame, and the Movement to Normalize It
Dr. Jessica Zucker joins Kristin for an honest, compassionate conversation about miscarriage, shame, and the lifelong work of normalizing women’s experiences.
Jessica opens up about her own second-trimester loss, what inspired her to write I Had a Miscarriage: A Memoir, A Movement, and how one New York Times essay became a viral campaign that changed the way we talk about reproductive loss. She also shares her journey through breast cancer, her latest book Normalize It, and the lessons she’s learned about grief, womanhood, and resilience along the way.
We talk about:
The story behind the I Had a Miscarriage movement and its impact worldwide
Why shame thrives in silence—and how storytelling helps it dissolve
The cultural discomfort around grief and why “at least” statements cause harm
How to truly show up for someone after loss (and what not to say)
Why pregnancy loss education should begin in sex ed
The ripple effect of sharing our stories and normalizing pain
The importance of acknowledging hidden griefs—from miscarriage to menopause
How Dr. Zucker continues her mission to support women after loss
This episode is a gentle invitation to move closer to the parts of our stories that hurt—and to discover how connection, compassion, and truth-telling can help us heal.
Get to Know Dr. Jessica Zucker:
Dr. Jessica Zucker is a Los Angeles–based psychologist specializing in reproductive and maternal mental health. She is the author of I Had a Miscarriage: A Memoir, a Movement and Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women’s Lives, and the creator of the viral #IHadaMiscarriage campaign. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, and more.
Website: drjessicazucker.com
Instagram: @ihadamiscarriage
