Parenting

Couple Behind Viral Sketches Opens Up About How to Support Men Through Pregnancy Loss on ‘Real Pod’

August 2, 2025

When a couple experiences pregnancy loss, the grief doesn’t split neatly down the middle. It ripples through the body, the home, the relationship, and, yes, through the men who are often told to be the “strong one.”

The latest episode of Real Pod, host Victoria Garrick Browne sits down with Alexandra Madison and Jon Bouffard, cohosts of Give It to Me Straight and the creators behind those whip-smart couples’ sketches you’ve probably scrolled past a hundred times.

This time, they’re not joking. They’re talking about the son they lost, the life they’re building, and how grief changed them—together and separately.

How to Support Men Through Pregnancy Loss on ‘Real Pod’

Why telling the story matters

Madison explains why the pair chose to speak publicly—and earlier than they originally planned—about pregnancy after loss. After creating a short film about pregnancy loss, they saw its impact on others who’d experienced loss. “I really felt, ‘Does it feel right to announce earlier, to bring the loss community or pregnancy after loss people on this journey with us?’” she says, adding that the aim was connection, not content.

She also pushes back on the silence that can swallow grief. “Loss is something I feel like we just don’t like to talk about,” she says. “It’s so uncomfortable, and you don’t know what to say. If you’re the one going through the loss, you now feel like even more isolated.”

Grieving differently, together

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If you’ve ever wondered why your partner seems to “move on” faster—or barely speaks at all—this part may hit hardest. Madison describes a breakthrough moment during a session with a grief counselor: “I was frustrated because I felt like Jon was grieving differently from me. She was like, ‘Would you be okay if he were grieving as heavily as you were?’ I realized that I needed his support… to help me come up for air.”

That reframe made room for both to grieve in their own ways. Later, when Madison could breathe again, Bouffard leaned on her: “Once I was ready, Alex then was my rock,” he says—an honest reminder that the “strong one” role can and should rotate between partners.

What support looks like for men

Bouffard’s experience mirrors what many men report after pregnancy loss: lots of check-ins, not a lot of depth. “People were checking in, but as far as my guy friends [it] was pretty surface level,” he admits. He adds that after so many conversations, he felt “exhausted talking about it,” even though he truly felt “I’m fine.”

He also sets a boundary that deserves more recognition. “I’ll talk about it when I want to,” he says. “I don’t feel the need to talk about it all the time. It doesn’t do anything for me.”

His perspective suggests that supporting men through pregnancy loss might look different than we typically imagine—less pressure to process verbally, more respect for their chosen coping methods. In practice, that looks like trading off—one person holds the air when the other is underwater. It also appears to be letting men opt into depth, rather than forcing them into it for our own reassurance.

How to talk about pregnancy loss with care

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If you’re navigating this with a partner—or supporting friends—Madison’s lens is instructive. Share when it helps you feel less alone, and refrain from sharing when it drains you. “With friends, it does connect you more. And I’m not going to apologize for that. I’m sharing my truth,” she says, while also acknowledging that not everyone needs the whole story.

On the other hand, a quiet presence might be the most supportive approach—especially with men who tend to process things privately. That can mean practical help, regular check-ins that don’t demand emotional labor, and a readiness to listen when the door opens. Bouffard underscores that he and Madison keep parts of their life private, even as content creators, and that he followed her lead about sharing “as long as the baby was okay and healthy.”

If you or someone you love is living through pregnancy loss, speak your truth when it heals you, hold space when it heals them, and build a rhythm of support that can flex as the waves change. Madison and Bouffard don’t pretend to have all the answers. What they do have is a framework—name the loss, let each person grieve in their language, and keep choosing the team you’ve already built.