Today's conversation explores the emotional and medical complexities of motherhood, particularly for professional women. Dr. Denise Millstine hosts Dr. Rebecca Thompson, author of Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love, and Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Molly Kraus. We discuss the diversity of paths to motherhood — including adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy and fertility challenges. Dr. Kraus reflects on her own experiences and advocacy for reproductive planning among women physicians. Together, they emphasize the importance of storytelling, listening and community in navigating grief, resilience, and the unpredictable nature of family-building.

This episode was made possible through the generous support of Ken Stevens.

We talked with:

• Rebecca N. Thompson, M.D., is a family medicine and public health physician who specializes in women’s and children’s health. Throughout her career, she has sought opportunities to use written and spoken words to make complex medical topics accessible to a wide range of audiences. Dr. Thompson trained at Harvard, Stanford, and Oregon Health & Science University and now lives in Portland, Oregon, where she spends her free time wandering through green spaces, reading in cozy nooks, playing unreasonably complicated board games, repurposing found objects, and accompanying her husband and children on all-weather adventures near and far. 
• Molly Kraus, M.D., is a consultant in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Kraus is an assistant professor of anesthesiology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and is an advocate for women in medicine across their reproductive lives.

Purchase a copy of Held Together with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit Postpartum Support International and their work in maternal and family mental health:

• From Bookshop.org
• From Amazon

Purchase a signed copy of Held Together for shipping anywhere in the US (please specify SIGNED on checkout page notes):

• From indie bookstore Annie Bloom's

Visit Dr. Thompson's website, where you can explore in-person gathering opportunities and recorded media, find reviews and endorsements, read the full introduction and other excerpts from Held Together, and get in touch if you'd like to talk about ideas for collaboration: www.rebeccanthompson.com

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