What You Didn't Expect in Fertility, Pregnancy & Birth: Real Stories & Expert Insights

Today's guest did not anticipate that pregnancy would offer a totally smooth ride to parenthood, but the ride she did encounter included a number of experiences that were nowhere near her radar. Managing a lot of challenging conditions like preeclampsia, and post partum anxiety had significant effects on her: first it encouraged her to reimagine what her family would look like and to find contentment in this family even though it wasn’t what she originally pictured; it made her really engage in caring for herself, to focus on both her mental and physical health; and lastly, this experience made her feel grateful for the life she has now.

This show is focused so far on the unexpected elements of the emotional or physical toll of pregnancy and birth. Today that story is extended to include the emotional and physical impact of a pregnancy that didn't find its footing and ended in abortion. Abortion is obviously a topic most people have strong feelings about. And unfortunately, those strong feelings tend to flatten the conversation, when in reality like all elements of reproduction, thinking and talking about abortion requires nuance. Some people may seek out first trimester abortion early in their pregnancy and feel like this choice. This procedure is like any other medical procedure. For other women. It comes with more personal or cultural or religious baggage and it's in no way easy for them to make that choice. In today's episode, my guest has a second trimester abortion and her pregnancy which many complications arose. And her experience of working through the grief of this loss is impactful to hear and very much a story that I will carry with me for a long time. 

For extended show notes, see: https://warstoriesfromthewomb.com/

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.

Today's guest, like many of us, encountered some unexpected twists and turns at the delivery that were challenging to manage in the moment. But the focus of the story she shares today is about race and identity--she gives us a sense of what it's like to live in the world both as a daughter who doesn't resemble her father, and as a mother who doesn't superficially look like her son...what assumptions people make and share and what these assumptions suggest about how we define motherhood.

for extended show notes, see: https://warstoriesfromthewomb.com/

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.

Today's guest has an interesting spin on the difference between her expectations for the pregnancy and birth and her experience. Going into pregnancy she had a number of health conditions that led to a lot of cautionary talks about the many things that could go awry...and then, when she actually was pregnant--she more or less skated through a problem free pregnancy...so she's left both feeling grateful to have outrun so many serious issues and like she didn't get to enjoy what was basically a straightforward pregnancy because she was constantly on alert.

See extended show notes at: https://warstoriesfromthewomb.com/

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.

Today's guest has a host of experiences when it comes to creating a family. She and her partner had their first child when she was 35. And when they tried to have another, things didn't quite line up. And so she and her partner looked for adoption, something she'd always been interested in exploring, as she herself was adopted. She’d anticipated that her experience would draw her closer to her daughter, but what she hadn't expected is that it also drew closer to her mother. 

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.

In today's episode, my guest is a friend of mine shares her story. She comes up against a host of extremely difficult situations and challenges in her quest to have a child. Her story has some elements that many people will relate to preterm labor and issues with her cervix, and other issues with IVF and surrogacy that I think really showcase her resilience and strength and make the birth of her daughter a triumph we can all celebrate. 

for extended show notes, see: https://warstoriesfromthewomb.com/

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.

American culture has a lot of ideas about pregnancy and motherhood baked into it. And even if you don't subscribe to most of the common tenants, pregnancy and birth can still offer unexpected twists and turns. Today's guest got pregnant relatively easily and for the better part of nine months had a smooth experience. She meticulously researched every aspect of birth, pulling the traditions that spoke to her from all over the world and setting out to have a very specific type of home birth. She couldn't have been more prepared. You'll hear she had her eyelash curler packed in her hospital go back just in case and then the wheels came off, as they often do.

for more detailed show notes, see: https://warstoriesfromthewomb.com/

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.

If, in your attempts to start a family, you run into trouble getting pregnant you quickly learn about a thousand elements involved in the process of getting pregnant: hCG and estrogen and the uterine lining and if you are making use of IVF technology to get pregnant, a whole other set of elements enter the equation: the quality of eggs and sperm and if you are lucky embryos, and then, again, if you are lucky, the quality of the embryo after a few days of cell division, the blastocyst…and the list goes on and on. What today’s guest contends with, which I’m guessing is a common issue for most people who use IVF, is the question of what to do with the remaining frozen embryos. The power of their potential keeps her and her husband uncertain about their appropriate fate.   I also include the insights of Dr. Tanya Glenn, a reproductive endocrinologist from Yale 

for more detailed show notes, see: https://warstoriesfromthewomb.com/

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.

Pregnancy, both physically and emotionally,  is a personally transformative event no matter what else is going on in the pregnant person’s life. The context in which you are experiencing this pregnancy, be it calm or dramatic, can add to the challenge. Today’s guest experienced flux in both her extended family, her immediate family, and the medical community she was a part of. While she successfully had six children, five of the births involved emergencies, and her third pregnancy, the focus of today’s conversation, was seeded with issues from the very start. Despite the many tricky elements of this pregnancy and birth, my guest (and eventually her daughter) persevere and create something beautiful: a beautiful baby who grows up to have a beautiful life.

For extended show notes, see https://warstoriesfromthewomb.com/

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.

Pregnancy involves massive changes and for some of us, one of the first hurdles is overcoming  issues that have developed in our bodies that make getting pregnant and being pregnant difficult. On the road to becoming pregnant, today's guest learned that she had endometriosis, an issue that she'd painfully lived with for years without a diagnosis, and which required surgery before a pregnancy could develop...and after the first child, the number of physical obstacles seemed to grow more numerous--more endo, a bit older, a shorter menstrual cycle, a medical community that was suggesting that pregnancy was unlikely again...but today's guest's story should remind us to never bet against mother nature.. I also include the insights of CEO of integrative Women’s Health Institute on our show, Dr. Jessica Drummond.

for extended show notes, see: https://warstoriesfromthewomb.com/

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.