Hi friend! I’m Rachel, Eloise’s mom. A former teacher. A true midwesterner. I am married to the love of my life Zach, and we became parents in the fall of 2019 to our baby girl Eloise. At twenty-one weeks, Eloise was diagnosed with a rare brain anomaly called holoprosencephaly. You can find more details about what this means here. 

After receiving her diagnosis, I researched and researched the facts and data, but I desired to learn about someone’s personal experience. I suddenly found myself to be part of a club that I never wanted to be a member of — the club of women whose babies have been diagnosed as incompatible with life. I googled blogs and found a few helpful resources, but I didn’t find the raw content I was hoping would bring me some kind of camaraderie with other women. So, here I am sharing my experience more than two years after first learning about Eloise’s diagnosis. 

I am thankful you’re here, and I hope to put to words some of the emotions motherhood stirs up. Being Eloise’s mom brings the highest highs and lowest lows, and I’m here to be transparent about 

• the day to day
• the expectations
• the changes
• the grief
• the advocacy
• the other parts of life 

My pregnancy was filled with many unknowns. Even now, over three years into it, Eloise’s life is still filled with many unknowns. The unknown scared me. Not only did I question if I would get to meet my child, but if I did, what would life look like? While I don’t have all the answers, I’m here to share what I’ve learned and offer my support. 

I’m here for you, mama. 

Love, Rachel

Email me at eloisesmomblog@gmail.com for inquiries, speaking engagements, or collaborations.

Please note I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own. All medical information, tips, and tricks are those that I’ve learned from Eloise’s medical team. You and your child’s medical team know what is best for your child.