One million. That's how many pregnancies end in miscarriage every year. But what happens after the loss? What happens between mourning and returning to everyday life?
"How difficult it is to just adjust to their new norm with being a woman without a baby and wanting a baby so desperately," says Tamira Dunn, maternal health advocate.
Tamira Dunn falls in that in-between.
For the past 7 years, she's worked as a maternal interviewer for the fetal infant mortality review under the Baltimore City Health Department.
"They become frustrated also frustrated with the health care system and feeling like they didn't get the services or the support that they needed," Dunn says.
She reads testimonies to the board. From there, they develop strategies to improve care and identify any gaps in the system.
"We're getting all of the evidence from their medical records, but it's nothing like hearing from the mom's voice what happened," says Dunn.
"Now we have rack cards."
Using the feedback, they created these cards with signs and symptoms of preterm labor so moms at clinics and hospitals know what to pay attention to.
"Just be the support that you know I wish that I would have had when I was going through that time," says Dunn.
Tamira miscarried at 15 weeks.
"I always wanted to be a mom, so to have that ripped from me, um, it was hard. It was hard," she says.
After the loss, she created Elijah's Hope Foundation, which holds an annual infant loss walk.
Their fund supports grieving women and doctoral students studying reproductive health.
Tamira also started an outpatient mental health clinic, helping mothers going through postpartum depression.
"We need somebody to listen to us. We're so used to trying to be the strong one," Dunn says.
For over a decade, Tamira has worked closely with mothers all while hoping to become one herself.
"Reagan is 8, Aaliyah is 9, and they are my entire world," says Dunn.
Through adoption and rounds of IVF treatment, Tamira now has a full house with her two beautiful girls.
"They're the motivation behind me continuing to do the work that I do," Dunn says.
She keeps memories of Elijah close by.
"As a reminder that this is why you do what you do. There's another woman that still needs to talk to you, that still needs to support, and you still need to keep going."
