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When Sarah became a mom, she imagined the typical first moments of motherhood — snuggles, milestones, and sleepless nights. Instead, she found herself in a hospital room, staring at monitors, watching her newborn daughter’s heart beat outside her tiny chest.

In this episode of Quiet Connection, Sarah opens up about discovering her daughter’s congenital heart defects just weeks before birth, enduring a whirlwind of surgeries and uncertainty, and recognizing her own undiagnosed postpartum OCD in the midst of it all. 

Key Takeaways

• Motherhood can look nothing like we expect — and still be full of purpose. Sarah’s path shifted completely after Meadow’s diagnosis.
• OCD in pregnancy and postpartum often goes undiagnosed. Recognizing symptoms and getting the right treatment can be life-changing.
• Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) can be transformative. ERP therapy helped Sarah reclaim her life after trauma and hypervigilance.
• Advocacy can come from lived experience. Sarah combines her medical background and motherhood journey to fight for children with heart defects.
• You can live with uncertainty and still find joy. Sarah’s family now lives in gratitude for the “in-between” time before the next surgery.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her website, Instagram, or Linkden account. And be sure to check out her newly released children's book: Meadow and her Four Leaf Clover Heart.

This episode discusses topics that may be triggering for some individuals. Please check the show notes for more information and be mindful of your own mental health and comfort levels.

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 Special Thanks to Steve Audy for the use of our theme song: Quiet Connection

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