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Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com Grief is not a problem with a clean solution. It arrives as a void, fear, and exhaustion, and when the people around you rush to fix it, you can end up feeling more alone than before. I’m joined by Dr. Salma Habib, a licensed psychologist and the author of Wombless: Letters to My Triplets. Salma shares the deeply personal story of learning as a teenager that she was born without a uterus, the cultural pressure and secrecy that followed, and how her path to motherhood through surrogacy ended in the devastating loss of her triplets at 26 weeks. We talk about what happens when you’re denied the chance to see your babies, name them, bury them, or mark their lives in any tangible way, and how that can complicate trauma and keep grief frozen for years. From there, we widen the lens to culture, masculinity, and the hierarchy of grief that often pushes fathers and partners to the sidelines. We dig into practical mental health tools that help when you’re afraid you’ll fall apart: psychological flexibility, journaling or audio notes, paced breathing, scheduling cry time, and finding support through therapy, faith leaders, or community. Salma also introduces the idea of “partnering grief,” choosing a team approach so couples don’t drift into isolation. If you’re navigating miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons, or baby loss of any kind, hit play, share this with someone who needs it, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. Will you leave a review and tell us what helped you feel seen? SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  PEER-SUPPORT Black Dads in Loss Support Group Dads in Loss Support Group For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here. THEME MUSIC  "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. SHOW MUSIC Paper Tide & Hollow Breath by Moments For You by Masterpiece Soundstripe

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com Grief doesn’t arrive as a single moment, and it rarely leaves in a straight line. This creative, story-driven retelling of a father’s experience living with baby loss, uses one extended metaphor to make the invisible feel real: drifting onto open waters and tides that keep changing when you least expect them. The poem, "Grief", written by Kelly Jean-Philippe, starts with the quiet drift, the subtle pull away from what used to feel familiar and safe. Then the current strengthens. Loneliness and isolation become the unseen forces that carry you farther out than you realized, until “wherever there is” stops making sense. If you’ve lived through infant loss, miscarriage, or the death of a child, you may recognize that disorientation. If you’re supporting someone who has, this story offers a clearer window into why grief can look like distance, silence, or exhaustion. Then the unexpected part: a sudden surge. Memories and emotions rise like a storm, with fear and anxiety breaking overhead and pulling you under.  This poem honors the truth that grieving can be menacing, physical, and cyclical, and that “coping” sometimes means doing whatever it takes to resurface. The ending holds a sliver of peace after the tide retreats, along with the dread of drifting out again.  If this resonates, subscribe for more episodes, share this with someone who needs language for their grief, and leave a review so more listeners can find stories like this.  What line hit you the hardest? SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  PEER-SUPPORT Black Dads in Loss Support Group Dads in Loss Support Group For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here. THEME MUSIC  "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. Sound effects from Soundstripe RELATED EPISODES Narrative pt. 1 | Narrative pt. 2 | Narrative pt. 3 | Narrative pt. 4

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com Some of the most damaging moments after baby loss don’t come from strangers, they come from people who think they’re helping. That's what my guest, Ryan Brown, and I talked about at the conclusion of a conversation that began last week. We discuss the phrases that quietly poison grief support, why autonomy and boundaries matter, and what it looks like to care for a bereaved parent without trying to fix them. Ryan walks us through the real origin story of his book, “Words That Wound, Words That Heal: What Not To Say, And What To Say Instead.” What starts as anger in therapy turns into a practical resource shaped by years of hearing the same painful lines, comparing notes with other bereaved fathers, and rewriting raw reactions into clear language people can actually use. We dig into the “at least” comments, the religious one-liners, and the silence that shows up when friends ghost because they don’t know what to do. We also get concrete about what helps: saying the child’s name, remembering birthdays and anniversaries, and showing up after the first wave of support disappears. We talk about why baby loss is a universe of its own, how grief stretches across years, and what to do when the person who says the words that wound is your spouse and you’re both grieving differently. If you want better words, better timing, and a better way to stand with someone in profound loss, press play.  Subscribe, share this with someone who wants to support well, and leave a review so more families can find this conversation. SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  PEER-SUPPORT Black Dads in Loss Support Group Dads in Loss Support Group For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here. THEME MUSIC  "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. SHOW MUSIC Together Again by CMJ Soundstripe RELATED EPISODE A Bereaved Father's Story of Birth Trauma (October 5, 2026)

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com On this week's episode, Ryan Brown Jr. joins me as a fellow bereaved father and tells the story of his son Andreas, who lived for thirteen and a half hours, and what it feels like to watch your world shatter while you're powerless to stop it. We also get into the choices that came before the crisis and why they mattered. Ryan explains why he and his wife sought out a Black OB, shaped by the very real risks of Black maternal mortality and the fear of not being taken seriously in healthcare. That context makes the hospital handoff even harder, especially when communication breaks down and a parent is left trying to translate jargon while advocating for urgency. From the NICU transfer to the devastating final call, Ryan names the parts people rarely say out loud: the helplessness, the isolation, and the “comforting” phrases that actually wound. We talk about grief boundaries, family pressure, religious clichés, and what real support looks like when someone says, “I need distance.” If you’ve lived through birth trauma, infant loss, or perinatal grief, or you’re trying to support someone who has, this conversation offers language, clarity, and an honest map of what not to say. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more grieving parents and bereaved dads can find this kind of support. THE BOOK Words That Wound, Words That Heal SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  PEER-SUPPORT Black Dads in Loss Support Group Dads in Loss Support Group For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here. THEME MUSIC  "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. SHOW MUSIC First Bloom by Moments Velox by Isaac Joel RELATED EPISODES Talking Platitudes with Miscarriage Mumma Support (October 12, 2025) "Cliche-anity" - When Consolation Becomes Controversy (ft. Mary - April 8, 2024)

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com In this recap episode, we revisit the moments that capture what pregnancy and baby loss can feel like for fathers when the world looks the same but everything inside is shattered. We name the hidden weight dads carry, why emotional safety changes healing, and how support can make room for grief without trying to fix it.  KEY TAKEAWAYS: • the “womb of the imagination” and how dads begin bonding early • the shock of loss while ordinary life keeps going • why other people’s discomfort is not our burden • “provide & protect” and how loss shakes dad identity • guilt, shame, and self-blame when protection is impossible • why emotional safety matters for bereaved dads’ mental health • disenfranchised grief and what it feels like to be overlooked • how to support without minimizing, diagnosing, or forcing talk • integration after loss and keeping the option to share open ACTION STEPS: If you want to connect with me virtually, visit the Dad Always website and schedule a virtual meeting on my calendar.  You can also email me at [email protected] PEER-SUPPORT Black Dads in Loss Support Group (4th Sunday every month from 9-10:30pm EST) Dads in Loss Support Group (2nd Wednesday every month from 8-9:30pm EST) For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here. THEME MUSIC  "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. SHOW MUSIC Magic Everywhere by Semigloss Sway by Amanda Bantug Better Days by Lil Red Sky

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com Silence can feel like the “safe” choice after pregnancy or baby loss, but for many bereaved dads it becomes a cage. When people avoid the topic, minimize miscarriage, or freeze up around stillbirth, TFMR, neonatal death, or infant loss, the message lands hard: your grief doesn’t belong here.  This episode speaks directly to the friends, family, co-workers, faith leaders, and community members who want to support a grieving father but aren’t sure what to do. I talk about why so many dads want to be seen as a father even when their child isn’t here to introduce. I share what it’s like when a casual comment forces a split-second decision between honesty and protecting everyone from discomfort, and why many men choose silence. I also unpack the obstacles that keep fathers quiet: cultural expectations about masculinity, fear of judgment, the unique stigma around TFMR, and the dismissive way miscarriage is too often treated. You’ll learn what emotional and psychological safety actually looks like, why disenfranchised grief matters, what research suggests about fathers’ mental health, and how to check in without trying to fix or explain away the loss.  If you want to be the kind of supporter who makes room for grief and for life again, this one is for you. If this resonates, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who wants to show up well for a bereaved dad. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  PEER-SUPPORT Black Dads in Loss Support Group Dads in Loss Support Group For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here. THEME MUSIC  "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. SHOW MUSIC Headshot by Elevate Audio Skin by Midnight Daydream Orange Cap by Ghost Beatz RELATED EPISODES Talking Platitudes with Miscarriage Mumma Support (October 12, 2025) Suffering In Silence [part 1] (April 6, 2026)

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com The hardest part of grief can be when the texts slow down, the calls fade, and you are back to routine life while everyone around you assumes you are “back to normal.”  This episode talks about that hidden stretch after pregnancy or baby loss when routine returns, but you are still trying to survive what changed inside you. I dig into a core part of fatherhood identity that loss can shake to the bone: protector and provider. When you cannot be a protector, it can trigger guilt, shame, and that relentless question underneath it all: "what do I do now?"  I share personal stories about reaching for the provider role as a way to find purpose and stability, including how going back to work can feel doable while still leaving your grief untouched. I also name the fine line between coping and avoiding. Using routine as an anchor can be healthy, but numbing out with busyness, overtime, or distraction often pushes pain into the future where it comes back heavier. You will hear practical ways to communicate, “I’m functioning, but I’m not okay,” plus concrete support options like exploring employee benefits, therapy, peer groups for bereaved dads, faith community care when it feels safe, and how partners can help without trying to fix us. If any part of this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more dads can find support. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  PEER-SUPPORT Black Dads in Loss Support Group For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here. THEME MUSIC  "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. SHOW MUSIC Jeopardy Theme  Echo by Ghost Beatz Magic Garden by Daniele Musto

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com The hardest part of grief can be how ordinary everything looks around you. One minute you’re walking out of an ultrasound room with the worst news of your life, and the next minute someone is smiling and saying “have a good day.” That clash can feel unreal, infuriating, and isolating, especially for dads navigating miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss while trying to “hold it together” at work and at home. I break down a concept that puts language to that experience: dissociative detachment. I describe it as living in two realities at once: the reality where you’ve lost your baby and your future just changed, and the reality where everyone else keeps moving as if nothing happened.  I begin with  the “womb of the imagination,” how becoming a father starts forming long before birth, and why the sudden end of that imagined future can leave you feeling numb, guilty, ashamed, or like you’re on autopilot. I also get practical. I share ways to handle those pockets of time when the gap between your grief and the outside world feels widest, why other people’s discomfort is not your burden, and when to reach out to a primary care doctor or licensed mental health professional. If you’re supporting a bereaved dad, I offer guidance on sharing your own life updates with care without forcing him to reassure you. If this resonates, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, leave a review to help other grieving fathers find the podcast, and share this with someone who needs language for what they’re carrying. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  PEER-SUPPORT Black Dads in Loss Support Group For a list of other support groups through Postpartum Support International click here. THEME MUSIC  "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. RELEVANT LITERATURE EMDR & Perinatal Mental HealthBeyond the Worry: 7 Lesser-Known Signs of Postpartum AnxietyTrauma-Related Dissociation and the Dissociative DisordersA HELPFUL VIDEO: 4 Types of Dissociation

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com Today's episode reflects on a different kind of loss: pet loss. In this experience, putting down my cat became the gateway to connecting with different aspects of baby loss. Lucky, my cat, was part of our home’s heartbeat, and the speed of his decline shook me more than I expected. From the first signs something was wrong to the vet’s clarity about kidney failure, I reflect on the moment love translates into action that still hurts. Grief gets loud in small bodies and in adult bodies too, and the goodbye at the vet, the empty carrier on the way home, and the broken routines afterward all left marks. That silence in the house became a mirror, reflecting something I've seen for years in baby loss and miscarriage grief, especially for dads trying to stay steady while their insides shift. This reflection is careful about comparisons while still taking grief seriously. It explores why “ranking” pain can be a way to avoid it, how bereavement can connect one loss to another without asking permission, and why grief does not need to be perfectly explained before it deserves attention.  If you’re a grieving father, or you love one, you’ll find language here for the quiet parts: the empty spaces, the objects that sting, and the love that stays present even when the routine is gone. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more grieving dads can find support. SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's quietly struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  Theme Music: "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. Show Music from Soundstripe God Remembers by Anthony Catacoli

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com This episode, released in 2023 on The Miscarriage Dad's Podcast, is reappropriated from another podcast I hosted called "Welcome To Fatherhood".  SHOW NOTES A doctor shrugs after telling a couple they’re going to lose their twins, and that single moment becomes a scar you can feel years later. Brandon Byrnes joins me to share the full story: the shock of finding out they were expecting twins, the joy of watching them move on an ultrasound, weeks of bed rest and fear, and then the frantic drive to the hospital as the pregnancy ends. We don’t sensationalize miscarriage and pregnancy loss, but we also don’t soften what it can do to a marriage, a nervous system, and a parent’s sense of safety. We talk about the part that often goes unspoken: fatherhood grief. Brandon describes how military training helped him function in chaos and how the real emotional impact landed later, like a constant noise in the background of his life. We dig into medical trauma, anger, and the helpless “solve it” instinct many men feel when there’s nothing left to fix. If you’ve ever searched for support after miscarriage, coping with infant loss, or how to help your spouse through pregnancy loss, you’ll hear language you can actually use. We also make room for meaning. Brandon shares how they honored their twins through remembrance, why naming Taylor and Jaden mattered, and how listening without advice can become a form of healing for dads who don’t have many places to put this kind of pain.  If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more parents and partners can find it. SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's quietly struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information. Show Music from Soundstripe European Sunrise & God Remembers by Anthony Catacoli Among The Stars (Stripped) by Violet Mourning Drift by Bobo Renthlei

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com Grief doesn’t end when the world stops checking on you. Sometimes it waits, quiet and contained, until another loss cracks the container and everything rushes back. This week concludes my conversation rich conversation with Azher Rubanni, a dad who has lived with infant loss for two decades, and he shares the moment he realized that staying in “loss” wasn’t serving him and that growth can live in giving, purpose, and remembering his son, Hashim, as a gift. We explore what resurfaced grief for Azher years later: business collapse, identity loss, divorce, and the shock of losing a parent. The conversation gets painfully specific about triggers that many grieving fathers recognize but rarely say out loud: birthdays that line up with the day your baby was born, pregnancies in the family, and watching kids grow into the age your child would have been. We also name a stigma that keeps dads isolated and then flip it with one clear reframe: grief is love. Tears are not proof you’re failing. They’re proof your bond is still real. Then we get practical. Azher shares the benefits of expressive writing for grief and trauma. You’ll hear a structured letter-writing framework built for dads who want a purposeful process: name the loss, name what you want, decide who walks with you, choose a next step, and write directly to your child. We close by discussing the STILL method, a method developed by Azher, and a set of resources for those interested in learning more.  You can find these gifts here. If you’re carrying miscarriage grief, stillbirth grief, or infant loss grief, come listen, share this with another dad, and leave a review so more fathers can find a way to move with grief rather than trying to move on. SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's quietly struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  Theme Music: "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. Show Music from Soundstripe Ocean Blue & Belvedere by Cody Martin

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com How do you live after your baby dies without feeling like you’re betraying them by surviving? That question sits at the center of my conversation with Azher Rubanni, a father who lost his son Hashim in a full-term stillbirth 20 years ago. We get honest about what many dads feel but rarely say: the pressure to be the “strong one,” the instinct to suppress emotion to protect your partner and kids, and the quiet fear that if the pain ever dulls, you’ll be forgetting your child. Azher walks us through the day everything changed, including the moment he decided, in a hospital car park, that he would become the supporter no matter what it cost him inside. We talk about telling his three sons their brother would not be coming home, the cultural forces that tried to keep children away from grief, and why inviting kids into the truth can build trust for life. We also explore how different grieving styles inside a marriage can create distance, and why the workplace can become both a refuge and a trap, especially for fathers who feel they must “perform” competence while falling apart. Then we shift to what helps over the long term. Azher offers a powerful alternative to the language of “healing” and “moving on”: reconciliation. He breaks it into three parts:  reconciling with yourself reconciling with your child’s memory and reconciling with the relationships you still have. If you’re navigating stillbirth, miscarriage, baby loss, or parenting after loss, this one is a grounded, candid conversation for fathers and the people who love them.  Subscribe, share with a dad who needs it, and leave a review telling us what part hit home. SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's quietly struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  Theme Music: "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. Show Music from Soundstripe Sunfrost by Cody Martin First Bloom by Moments Farewells by Shimmer

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com Today I conclude my conversation with Ross Knight, a pastor and husband, who learns, painfully and honestly, that trying to be “the strong one” can become a way of disappearing from your own grief. We talk about miscarriage from a father’s perspective, the invisible pressure to keep functioning, and the moment he realizes he has been so focused on his wife’s trauma that he never stopped to ask himself a basic question: how am I doing? We walk through the realities of IVF and male infertility, including genetic testing and a chromosomal translocation that makes the odds of a healthy pregnancy brutally small. Alongside the science is the emotional fallout: guilt, shame, and the craving to regain control by fixing everything fast. We also get into why so many couples suffer in silence after pregnancy loss, especially when you’re trying to protect your partner, your privacy, or your community role. When he finally shares publicly, the flood of responses becomes proof of something many grieving dads need to hear: you are not alone, and connection is not weakness. Faith is part of this story too, not as a neat explanation, but as wrestling, surrender, and the long work of relinquishing what you cannot control. The turning point comes with a hard, hopeful pivot toward adoption, and he shares why adoption is not a consolation prize but a real path into parenthood, love, and purpose. If you know someone navigating miscarriage, infertility, IVF loss, or adoption after baby loss, share this conversation with them.  Subscribe to Dad Always, leave a review, and tell us: what helped you most when you finally stopped suffering in silence? SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's quietly struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  Theme Music: "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. Show Music from Soundstripe Nowhere Left To Turn by Ghost Beatz

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com The part of baby loss we don’t hear enough is what happens to dads when everyone assumes we’re “fine.” This week I speak with my friend, Ross Knight, for a raw conversation about infertility, IVF, miscarriage, and the quiet ways grief shows up in men who are trying to hold everything together. Ross shares the road from early marriage hopes to the shock of a male factor infertility diagnosis and the stigma that can come with it. We talk about the pressure of fertility treatment, the real cost of IVF, and the painful imbalance many couples face when the wife’s body carries the medical burden even when the fertility issue isn’t hers. Ross also reflects on being a pastor during all of this, managing public responsibilities while suffering in silence at home. Then hope arrives fast: a positive pregnancy test, early ultrasounds, telling family, and finally letting themselves picture a future. Under COVID restrictions, appointments become harder and lonelier, and one day a string of texts signals that something is wrong. What follows is the moment no parent is prepared for: walking into a room and learning there is no heartbeat. We unpack the aftermath, the DNC decision, the clash of grieving styles in marriage, and the line that changes Ross’s internal world weeks later: “How are you doing with all this?” If you’ve faced miscarriage, pregnancy loss, infertility, or IVF, this story offers language for what you may not have named yet and a reminder to check on both parents.  Subscribe for more conversations about fatherhood after loss, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help other dads find the support they’ve been missing. SUPPORT PATHWAY If you are a bereaved dad who's quietly struggling to cope with baby loss and you'd like to talk one-on-one, let's have a FREE private 30-minute conversation.  Go to dadalways.com for more information.  Theme Music: "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. Show Music from Soundstripe "Those Were The Days" & "Young Love" by Nu Alkemi$t

Learn more about Grief Coaching by visiting www.dadalways.com Silence can be louder than any sound you’ve ever heard, and for parents facing stillbirth, that silence doesn’t end when you leave the hospital. Today we hear from David Ryall, a bereaved father living in Australia, sharing the story of his son Daniel (Danya), born in Bali, and the surprising way love can show up right beside shock, grief, and disbelief. David walks me through the day everything changed at 36 weeks, the moment a home Doppler revealed nothing but quiet, and the rush to a hospital confirmation that no parent is ready for. We talk about the real decisions that come next: induction, pain, recovery, and how to stay present with your partner when your own heart is breaking. He also shares what helped them meet their baby with care, including friends who brought music, midwives who created space, mantras that rose naturally in the room, and the choice to capture photos and videos as memory making after pregnancy loss. Because this is Dad Always, we name something that often goes unspoken: support for dads after stillbirth. David explains why practical action felt grounding rather than traumatic, how cultural rituals in Bali shaped his acceptance, and why the work of “taking care of my son” didn’t stop after birth. We also explore how sound and silence shape grief, including a nearby newborn they nicknamed the “baby duck,” and how hope for future children can return even in the middle of loss. If you’re navigating baby loss, supporting a grieving partner, or looking for bereaved father resources, this conversation offers honest companionship and concrete perspective.  Subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more parents can find Dad Always. You can also visit the Dad Always website to explore support options and download the SURVIVE guide, a free resource for dad's navigating baby loss. Theme Music: "Love Letter” was created using AI as a creative tool, with lyrics and direction shaped by the personal experiences and emotional intent of the host. Little Star - the actual rendition on the day of Danya's cremation ceremony in  Bali, sung by his parents and those who love him (obtained with permission from David Ryall, Danya's dad). Show Music from Soundstripe If We Could Let Go by Kurtis Parks Never Let You Go by Emorie Related Episode: Parenting Through The Silence (part 1)