#infertility

137: The Power of You - The Final Episode

With the technology boom, patients and clients now have access to the same information as medical professionals. As beneficial as technology can be, the drawback is that we find conflicting messages that don’t help us when we are scared and overwhelmed with caring for our child. Join me for this final episode of the Delivering Miracles podcast as we discuss stress, the nervous system, and the necessity of rest and repair. In this episode... A quote on social media about stres

136: What Women Need to Know About Pregnancy Anxiety

Statistics show that approximately 6% of women experience anxiety during pregnancy, but I suspect that the percentage is actually much higher than that. This episode covers pregnancy anxiety, which is something I see a lot in my practice. Many women have questions about this topic, especially since it’s something that is frequently waved off and disregarded by healthcare providers. It’s a topic that’s close to my heart because I see a lot of outdated tools and techniques tout

135: Parenting After Loss: How to Honor Your Grief While Caring For Your Living Children

Parenting after loss is a topic that comes up frequently in the Delivering Miracles community. People ask what they should do and how they should go on loving the child they have while still feeling the previous loss. This unique kind of grief presents a conundrum in how to handle the intricacies of parenting, and societal pressure certainly plays into how we THINK we should feel. There is most definitely not just ONE right way to navigate this grief into your role as a paren

134: Why Nervous System Regulation is Essential for Optimal Prenatal & Postpartum Health

I’m asked frequently why I like to focus on bodywork and nervous system regulation. The simple answer is that I want to know (and I want you to know) not just how to cope, but how to not be affected by the anxiety that comes with life. When you’re affected by trauma, the truth is that it does not get better with time. Many people misunderstand nervous system regulation, so let’s talk about how this works and how this information can help you in the long run. In this episode..

133: This is Trauma Live Event

The topic of trauma has hit home for me and our DM community. Stress, anxiety, and maternal mental health issues all have their roots in unresolved trauma. Trauma is simply a nervous system frozen in a state of danger, and it’s not tied to a specific event, but in how that event is encoded in your body. Let’s dive deeper! In this episode... Why it’s easy to minimize trauma, which has nothing to do with what you went through; it’s a nervous system frozen in a state of danger (

132: The Biggest Problem of Prenatal & Postpartum Care

This is the episode I didn’t want to do. I tried to avoid it, but I can’t. My feelings are prompted by what I’ve seen on social media posts and articles--and those have left an awful taste in my mouth. We have an epidemic in the US of healthcare providers not listening to women when they complain about their pain and what’s going on in their lives. People don’t listen, and they don’t trust what women say, but then they wonder why all these women’s health issues keep cropping

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

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

Fertility Challenges: Who's To Blame?

When we're experiencing fertility challenges - whether they were known or unexpected - it's easy to point our finger to ourselves and say, "It's me." "It's my fault." "I'm broken." But you and I know that's not true. You're not experiencing infertility because you're too negative, you're broken, you're unlucky, you were a terrible person in your past life, because you ate too many fries in your 20s, because you waited too long, because you don't deserve to be a mother, becaus

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

124: 5 Myths About Fertility, Pregnancy or Trauma Healing

I’ve talked to many women from many backgrounds with many complications. These women are all tied together by experiencing trauma on their family-building journey. The fact that unresolved trauma is a stress trigger fascinates me, and it led to my pursuit of training as a trauma specialist. Today’s show explores the question: What if the issues we see in maternal mental health are just results of unresolved trauma? We’re talking about common myths we hear regarding trauma hea

123: Caring for a Newborn with Dr. Robert Hamilton

Some time ago, I came across a video on Facebook in which a pediatrician was showing a hold that soothes a crying newborn. One time when my daughter was crying, and nothing seemed to help, I remembered the instructional video and gave it a try. I was amazed at the results and became an instant believer in “The Hamilton Hold.” I wondered how I could spread this message that I believe every parent needs to hear, so I’m thrilled to introduce you to today’s guest! Dr. Robert Hami

The Strength of Hope with Jennie Mo

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

How Much Do You Change After Infertility, Loss, High-Risk Pregnancy and Birth Trauma?

After having gone through infertility, a life-threatening loss, a very high-risk pregnancy, an extremely preterm delivery & months in the NICU, we were finally home. I remember one day I was watching the first episode of Quantico (is that show still on?) & I saw the lead character disoriented & confused looking at the rubble all around her from a massive explosion. That visual was the perfect representation of how I felt. I didn't know where I was or who I was anymore after

121: Body Kindness and Healing Body Image Postpartum with Rebecca Scritchfield

Body image issues are common for girls during the adolescent and teen years, but do things improve at all for women in the postpartum? It’s exhausting and demoralizing to compare yourself to what you see on TV and in magazines--and know that your body does NOT look like what you see. It’s time for us to have real conversations about what our bodies look like after giving birth. Rebecca Scritchfield is an award-winning “health at every size” dietitian and exercise physiologist

Maternal Mental Health Is More About Trauma Than Depression or Anxiety

Yesterday I saw a post by my friend and colleague that resonated so much, I knew I had to say something. We are getting maternal mental health wrong. I'll admit, that's scary to say, but I cannot sit by in silence anymore. Had it not been for my personal experience with infertility, a very high-risk pregnancy & extremely preterm delivery , I wouldn't have known to question the many years I'd spent training in clinical psychology, learning how to diagnose & treat mood/anxiety