How might the experience of forming and raising a family change if we felt more able to share honestly and openly about our struggles, joys, and everything in between? Today I’m talking with Rebecca N. Thompson, MD, a family physician and public health physician who specializes in women’s and children’s health—and the author of the new book Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love.

In this episode, Rebecca shares the process of writing her book, in which she tells the stories of twenty-one mothers whose lives and experiences intersect with hers and one another’s. We discuss Rebecca’s experiences of navigating three complicated, life-threatening pregnancies and losses as a medical professional, how her bumpy path to creating a family inspired this collaborative storytelling project, and how the meanings of motherhood can evolve and change for each of us through the many seasons of our lives.

episode links

* Rebecca N. Thompson’s author website, which includes links to upcoming events

* Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love by Rebecca N. Thompson

Reminder: my book The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go And Embrace What’s Next is out May 6, and I’m offering free signed book plates for every pre-order! Email the receipt/confirmation with “Book Plate” in the subject line to [email protected], and be sure to include your mailing address and any special directions (like if you want it made out to a specific person besides yourself.) I’ll be accepting those receipts until May 15 and mailing out the book plates later this month.

And keep an eye out for an email on May 5 with my Virtual Book Tour lineup!

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