Held Together: Motherhood, Medicine & Authentic Hope with Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson

This Mother's Day, we're sitting with the hard and the hopeful. Dr. Erica Bove welcomes Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson — family medicine and public health physician, and author of Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love — for a conversation that is equal parts raw, wise, and deeply affirming.Dr. Thompson shares the deeply personal journey behind her collaborative memoir, including her own life-threatening pregnancy complications, three losses, and the decade-long process of weaving her story together with those of 21 patients, colleagues, and friends — half of them healthcare professionals. What emerged is a book that doesn't just document struggle, but transforms it into community.In this episode, we explore:Why stories are always harder to tell in the present tense — and why that's okayThe isolating experience of pregnancy loss as a physician and what "the knowledge didn't protect me" really meansWhat Mother's Day can feel like when you're in the thick of fertility challenges — and how to navigate it with self-compassionThe difference between false optimism and authentic hope — and why "everything happens for a reason" may not serve usHow channeling sadness into strength isn't toxic positivity — it's agencyThe power of ordinary things (a hike, a pet, a phone call) when the world feels performativeCommunity as a place to both lend strength and borrow itWhy "the suffering is in the gap between expectations and reality"Friendships across different seasons of life — and how they can fracture and repairHow medicine must make room for the humanity of its healersQuote from this episode:"We aren't unique in our struggles. Others have prevailed over hardships before us, and we too can find joy in the most trying of times." — Dr. Rebecca N. ThompsonResources:Held Together by Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson: rebeccanthompson.comOrder via the affiliate link on her site to support Postpartum Support InternationalBook club discussion questions and speaking/teaching resources also available on her websiteProceeds support: Resolve, Planned Parenthood, Children's Literacy Foundation, and the Trevor ProjectIf this episode resonated with you, you are not alone. You are held.  Support the showAs always, please keep in mind that this is my perspective and nothing in this podcast is medical advice.If you found this conversation valuable, book a consult call with me using this link:https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/private-fertility-consultFollow us on social media:IG: www.instagram.com/loveandsciencefertilityFB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692167183Please don’t let infertility have the final word. We are here to take the burden from you so that you can achieve your goal of building your family with confidence and compassion. I’m rooting for you always.In Gratitude,Dr. Erica Bove