The journey to motherhood was full of unexpected and scary moments for Megan Toman of Mandan. Four years ago, after seeing her doctor for a sharp pain in her abdomen, he told her it was a “good news, bad news” situation. 

“He congratulated me because I was pregnant,” Megan says, “and then in the same breath he said, ‘but the bad news is, you miscarried.’” 

Three years before that, the twin girls Megan and her husband, Josh, were expecting arrived seven weeks early. The infants had to spend time in the NICU before they could go home. 

Today, the Tomans are a happy, healthy family, but Megan says her miscarriage and delivering premature infants inspired her to become a doula. 

“I learned what doulas do, how they provide non-medical support to women in labor, education, resources, and support. That’s what I needed, someone who could be there with me,” Megan says. 

So, Megan launched Silver Linings Birthing Services. She specializes in high-risk pregnancies that may involve bedrest, carrying multiples, preterm labor, or prenatal diagnosis. She also provides post-pregnancy support after a woman has lost a child and after an infant has been kept in the NICU. 

Megan runs the Silver Linings Foundation, a non-profit which offers bereavement support and NICU support at no cost. It was borne from a NICU support group she began five years ago. 

“I want to work with parents I can really relate to — families who have struggled with a stillbirth, death of an infant, have miscarried, all these scary situations.” 

Learn more at SilverLiningsBirth.com or SilverLiningsBirth/Facebook.