The former reality star opened up about her physical and mental struggles after the death of her baby boy.
Sarah Herron is opening up about physical and mental struggles in her postpartum life after the tragic loss of her son, Oliver, who was born prematurely on Jan. 28 and later died.
The Bachelor Nation star snapped a bathroom selfie while wearing disposable underwear with her countertop covered in supplies.
"Postpartum after pregnancy loss is still postpartum," she wrote on Instagram. "I hadn’t gotten to the chapters on perinatal care yet, or lactation support. I jumped from second trimester to fourth trimester overnight."
The former reality star shared that despite not being able to bring home her son from the hospital, her body was still reacting as if she had a newborn.
"I didn’t know my milk was going to come in. Or that I would need my bathroom stocked with adult diapers, witch hazel and ice packs at 24 weeks pregnant," she continued. "I haven’t unboxed my breast bump yet, or learned how to hand express my boobs with one hand. But suddenly my days that should be spent sampling belly oils and rubbing my bump are spent taking a crash course in postpartum relief through streaming tears. I don’t want relief, I want my baby."
She called all of these adjustments a "haunting reminder of what was supposed to be."
She added that being able to partake in things that were taboo during pregnancy like eating deli meat or having a glass of wine "feels jarringly wrong."
"I never prepared for this, and no mother should have to. I understand why no doctor or book briefs you on the possibility of this torture & I don’t have a positive way to wrap this post up," she concluded. "It’s probably the second to saddest thing I’ve ever shared. But my wish is that if you have a friend who lets you in on her loss, show up to her bathroom with pads, diapers, and ice packs so that she doesn’t have to figure it out alone. Fill her fridge with broths, casseroles and beverage options so she doesn’t have to think about the mundane yet painful decisions in front of her. LMK if you have any ideas."
Earlier this month, Herron shared that she and her fiancé, Dylan Brown, had suffered an unimaginable tragedy when their son Oliver died after his birth.
"On January 28th, at 24 weeks old, our beautiful son Oliver Brown was born. He passed away in his dad’s arms shortly after," Herron previously wrote. "There are no words for the magnitude of loss and pain we’re experiencing."
On Saturday, Herron took to her Instagram Stories to thank other "loss moms" who have shared their own stories.
"It's unfair how many of us there are," she wrote. "I apologize if I haven't been able to respond to your comment, but just know that your shares are helping other loss moms who might be reading. I'm so sorry for all of us. I wish there was something I could do or say."
She then shared more photos from the birth of her baby boy, choosing to cover his face with a heart emoji.
Herron and Brown, who got engaged in May 2021 after four years of dating, had been trying to get pregnant for two years. They announced their pregnancy news in September.
Fans first met Herron on Sean Lowe's season of The Bachelor, which aired in 2013. She went on to appear on the first season of Bachelor in Paradise in 2014 and returned to the beach for season 3 in 2016.
RELATED CONTENT:
News
