"She told me my pain was psychosomatic," a client told me. "I got so angry. How dare she tell me my symptoms are in my head? I fired that doctor immediately. I don't need someone to tell me my pain isn't real!" This client was so angry even when she recounted this story to me years after this incident had taken place. I get it. The word "psychosomatic" is so misused in the health sphere, and that's especially dangerous when we already have an epidemic of providers not taking

I love to hear from you! I love to address your questions and concerns with Listener Q & A episodes, like today’s show. Join us as we cover several topics that are relevant to birth trauma, preemie development, postpartum depression, and the work of healing. In this episode... Dealing with the uncertainty of the development of a preemie when you aren’t sure what to expect [2:24] Experiencing postpartum depression with stillbirth, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy [15:48] Gett

There are many nuances to grief. The loss of a child is extremely painful grief, but you have to trust that your body knows how to heal itself. It’s important that you reach out for support when you need professional guidance. Let’s jump into this difficult topic together. In this episode... #1 We don’t speak accurately enough about the experience of pregnancy loss and saying goodbye to a life lost too soon. [9:28] #2 Grief hurts and feels awful. [11:00] #3 Our body has a bui

One of the most interesting aspects of my work in working with a wide variety of people is that every experience is so different, even if they share the same starting point. Having a baby in the NICU is a different type of trauma that shifts what you understand to be normal. It shifts everything you know to be normal and everything you expect to encounter in the way you enter parenthood. The good news is that you CAN find yourself again and return to “normal”! Let’s talk abou

I alluded to this in my stories yesterday but this week was a phenomenal week for so many of my clients. Every single one of them shared some version of, "I didn't think this was possible" as they reflected on the health and life changes that they've experienced on their fertility journey and through their pregnancy. Each and every one of my clients has experienced devastating moments on their family building journey. Some of them even found themselves at the edge of life the

September is NICU Awareness Month. If you aren’t familiar with what NICU stands for, it’s where sick or pre-term babies go for specialized care until they are well enough to (hopefully) go home. One of the most common questions I get from parents is about facing another pregnancy after going through a NICU experience. Just the thought of a repeat situation is terrifying for a parent. Today’s show dives into four important steps to take before trying to conceive again after a

Fertility trauma is happening all around us. It’s a huge part of the journey when you’re trying to conceive. Today’s show discusses why we have to address this issue and why trauma resolution should be part of fertility treatment for everyone. Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Listen on iHeartRadio Episode highlights... What is fertility trauma? Why trauma is NOT always based on a single event Examples of when and how fertility trauma may occur Why fertility t

The Strength of Hope Series is a collection of interviews sharing the strength and hope of women who have experienced infertility, loss, high-risk pregnancy, preterm birth and other similar situations. We aim to inspire and uplift you with their real life experiences and wisdom from their own journey of growing their family. Jennie Mo Early Childhood Specialist @momommies @unionsquareplay Tell us about the children in your arms and in your heart. I have a daughter, Tess, who

For some, experiencing pregnancy complications can be a traumatic event - even if you deliver a healthy, full-term baby. For others, a high-risk pregnancy can result in even scarier experiences such as health complications for baby, loss or a NICU stay. Needless to say, getting pregnant after a high-risk pregnancy can bring up strong feelings of anxiety, ambivalence and fear. You don't want to repeat the past, but you also don't feel done growing your family. What to do when

The journey to becoming a parent may bring fertility challenges, stress, and fear of the unknown. One aspect of parenthood that we don’t give much thought and attention to is the fact that bringing a baby into your family puts stress on your relationship. Many changes take place, but your marriage can survive and thrive. Today’s show is about how to strengthen your relationship so you can get through the transition together. Dr. Jennifer Lagrotte is a marriage and couples the

Biologically, we are wired to protect our children, and as many fertility patients can understand, that protectiveness can begin even in the early stages of fertility treatment. The unique challenge with traumatic events on the family-building journey (my shorthand for when you're trying to conceive, are pregnant, are healing postpartum or parenting your child[ren]) is that there are two layers to the trauma. One is the real or perceived danger to yourself and the second is t

Over the many years my husband and I went through the rings of fire of primary & secondary infertility, we had the honor of meeting so many other couples who were ahead of us on their journey, guiding us and inspiring us. We met couples who ended up with children through fertility treatments, adoption, surrogacy, and couples who decided to live child-free. While each of our journeys & paths to our current life looked different, there is one common thread amongst all of us:

Infertility has a false impression that it only affects women over the age of 35. However, fertility challenges can happen at any time. If you are under 35 and worried about your fertility, here are some things to consider:⠀ Ask yourself How exactly is my fertility compromised? Is it due to structural issues like a bicornate uterus or tubal disease, etc? Is it due to hormonal imbalance such as irregular periods? Be sure you are 100% clear on why you have fertility challenges

Recently I've been getting many questions from women who want to try and conceive again after PPROM (Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes). So I thought I'd do a quick post about what to expect.⠀ What is PPROM? Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes means your water breaks before 37 weeks and occurs in about 3% of pregnancies. I PPROM’ed at 23 weeks and it was one of the scariest days of my life. If you've read Pregnancy Brain, you know what a horrible day that was for me a

When Janet Jackson announced that she was pregnant at the age of 50, the world gasped and threw judgment in every shade at her. She was too old to have a baby, what was she thinking? But when George Clooney announced he was expecting twins with his wife Amal Clooney, when he was five years older than Janet Jackson was, no one batted an eye. There's a misconception that just because men produce sperm into late in life that means they're able to conceive a healthy child for jus

Environmental toxins are all around us in our day to day lives. From what we eat to what we breathe to what we put on our skin and hair, all of these chemicals impact reproductive health and fertility. On this episode, I speak with Dr. Lora Shahine on how to reduce environmental toxins from your life without feeling like you have to burn down your house to do it. If you are trying to conceive, this episode is a must listen. Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher |

It's hard to know who to trust when you're going through a life-altering experience like infertility, high-risk pregnancy or a baby in the NICU. Your doctors are sharing all kinds of scary statistics, Google one-ups them with even scarier stories. You might have met women in online forums or on Facebook who have been through what you're going through...but can you really trust them? Maybe yes, maybe not. But how do you know? On this episode, I share with you how to know who t

On today’s Q/A show, I am so excited to have your questions answered by one of my favorite infertility specialists, Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh.

How does it feel to watch your dreams fade away? It’s never a good feeling, but what if those dreams involve how many children to have or when to walk away and end your journey to conceive a child? Somehow, this dream cuts deeper than other dreams that may go unfulfilled in your life. Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Listen on Google Play Episode highlights... How she and her husband tried for more than 6 years, going through deep depression, anxiety, and

When it comes to making decisions about your life, family, and children, the only sure thing is to follow your gut and trust your instincts. Many times the path you envision looks nothing like the journey that reality will bring. No one else--not even your doctor--can decide what’s right for you. Today’s show is my personal story of finding and holding to that very last ray of hope, even when I thought all hope was gone. Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Liste