#MindBodyHealth

The Power Of Silence

For many, being part of conversations about infertility, loss and miscarriage , high risk pregnancy, preterm delivery, life in the NICU, or parenting a child with medical needs can be uncomfortable. It's hard to hear about our favorite people struggling to grow their family. It's heartbreaking to hear about an innocent child's life threatened or gone too soon. So, we fill our discomfort with words. Advice, encouragement or stories we think will help. Sometimes they do. But mo

131: Comparing and Justifying Prevent Healing

Do you feel that you deserve to heal and feel better on your fertility journey? Do you feel like you deserve to be a mother and experience a healthier pregnancy? Do you feel like you deserve to grieve your losses and bring a baby home from the hospital? Of course, we say that we deserve these things, but the problem is that we battle an underlying feeling of unworthiness. In this episode... The qualifications we use to call ourselves “infertile” [3:20] How we, as women, allow

130: How to Prepare for a Preterm Delivery

November is Prematurity Awareness Month, so it’s a good time for us to discuss the basics. In today’s show, we’re talking about risk factors for preterm delivery and other information you need to know about this frightening experience. In this episode... Prematurity is the leading cause of death for children under five across the world---and the rate in the US keeps rising. [1:47] A history of preterm delivery is the #1 risk factor for another preterm delivery. [6:51] Many me

Psychosomatic Symptoms During Fertility Treatments, Pregnancy and Postpartum: What They Are and Are

"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

129: Listener Q and A

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

128: Healing After Pregnancy & Infant Loss

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

127: When You Feel Lost After Having a Baby in the NICU

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

126: How to Prepare for Pregnancy after Preemie

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

125: The Truth About Fertility Trauma When You're Trying to Conceive

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

122: How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty with Brigid Dineen

Why does saying NO feel so hard to do sometimes? The reason is that we want to be people-pleasers, well-liked, and the one who says YES to everything, but that’s just not possible in every situation. When I was on bed rest, I had to learn to say NO to many events and activities, and I felt like a terrible person. Maybe this is a lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way, too. Let’s dive into the subject with today’s guest! Brigid Dineen is here to teach us about her superpower:

116: Personal Experience of PPROM

Many acronyms that come along with learning the new language of infertility and high-risk pregnancy. One experience that not many go through is PPROM, preterm premature rupture of membranes. We’re hearing a story of success and triumph over PPROM from today’s guest. Abbe Turman is a full-time working mother of three and author of the lifestyle blog, Abigailius, which focuses on design, home organization, and living life with intention. Having experienced both an uncomplicated

115: How Mindset Affects Fertility

One of the most frustrating aspects of building a family is when it takes a struggle to get pregnant. It’s especially exasperating when no one has a WHY. It can make you feel scared, overwhelmed, and basically out of control. A’ndrea Reiter is a holistic fertility expert, Reiki Master, and the author of How to Get Pregnant Even When You’ve Tried Everything: A Mind-Body Guide to Fertility. She uses a combination of Reiki, intuition, and mindset coaching to move women through t

Anxiety About Miscarrying Is Not In Your Head

A while back, an OBGYN reached out to me to ask about resources to cope with miscarriage anxiety during pregnancy. With miscarriage rates as high as 1 in 4, so many women are afraid of experiencing that life-altering heartbreak again. It reminded me a woman I worked with a while back while on hospital bed rest. Her nurse had advised her to stop working with her therapist after noticing preterm contractions spiked every time she had a session. This woman contacted me inst

113: The Health Benefits of Control

The worst advice anyone can give a woman (or couple) going through infertility, fertility treatment or a high-risk pregnancy is, "You have no control". It is unhelpful and it is just plain wrong. Decades of research have shown the importance of believing in and maintaining control especially when it comes to health. Not only does it help you feel better emotionally, it creates physiological changes in the body, that during infertilty and a high-risk pregnancy, can increase yo

110: What Pediatricians Want New Parents to Know with Dr. Jen Trachtenberg

Are you considering which pediatrician you should choose for your child? From personal experience, I know the importance of finding the right pediatrician who will not listen to the outside noise, but who will listen to you and make the best decisions for your child. Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Listen on iHeartRadio Episode highlights... Dr. Jen discusses the importance of finding a pediatrician who will help educate and advise parents in addition to

108: How Stress and the Mind-Body Connection Impact Pregnancy Health

The term "mind-body connection" can mean a variety of things to so many people. Some take it to mean mental health, others take it to mean nutrition therapy, others take it to mean something about the stars or hanging crystals by your bed. But most of us can agree that it relates somehow to stress. But does it have any impact on the health of your pregnancy? Absolutely. On this episode I share with you how. Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Listen on iHear

What to Know When Facing Infertility Before the Age of 35

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

106: When Your Body Needs You to Slow Down But You Like to Go Fast

When you're a Type-A, go-getter person who loves to be busy, it hard to accept when your body needs you to go slow. You feel unproductive, helpless and useless, none of which are good for your mental or physical health. On this episode, we talk about how to listen to your body when you need to go slow and how to slow down without feeling like you're stopping your life. Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Listen on iHeartRadio Episode highlights... Why bed res

104: Ending Avoidance

We all know avoiding important tasks isn't helpful. And yet we all do it, because, let's face it, it's easier than making that doctor's appointment, returning that phone call or doing the bloodwork. Did you know, avoidance builds up anxiety and ends up leaving you more stressed than the actual thing you're avoiding? On this episode I share with you how to end avoidance once and for all so you can get the health care and suppor that you need and deserve. Listen on iTunes |

101: When You Got What You Wished But You're Still Angry

Ever feel angry to the point when you get a baby shower invitation or hear about a birth announcement? Feel that anger bubbling up when you see perfect families with their perfect babies. Ever feel ridiculous that you still feel that way even though you're pregnant or have babies of your own? On this episode, I share with you why getting rid of that anger isn't the answer and what to do instead. Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Listen on iHeartRadio Epi