Pregnancy, Postpartum & Parenting with Rheumatoid Arthritis, with Mariah Leach episode artwork

EPISODE · May 7, 2026 · 43 MIN

Pregnancy, Postpartum & Parenting with Rheumatoid Arthritis, with Mariah Leach

from Arthritis Life · host Cheryl Crow

Cheryl and Mariah discuss everything from medication decisions during pregnancy to adapting family life, traveling with chronic illness, managing expectations, and finding “micro moments” of joy along the way.  If you’ve ever worried that chronic illness might prevent you from building the life or family you want, this episode offers compassionate, practical encouragement that you do not have to give up on your goals, even if you have to adapt the path forward.  Episode at a glance: 00:00 Welcome Mariah Leach 02:18 Mariah’s Diagnosis Story Recap 04:00 Why She Started the Mamas Facing Forward Group 13:41 Hive Mind Parenting Tips 17:51 Writing The Pregnancy Book 20:46 Medication Risk Tradeoffs 24:51 Pregnancy Remission Options 27:24 Book Research and Purpose 28:17 Parenting With Arthritis 31:43 Adapting Dreams and Grief 37:17 Tools and Book Picks Medical disclaimer:  All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Episode Sponsors Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected.  See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 7, 2026

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In this episode, Cheryl reconnects with longtime friend and patient advocate Mariah Leach to talk about the realities of parenting while living with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic illness. Mariah shares how her own experiences with pregnancy, postpartum flares, and feeling isolated inspired her to create Mamas Facing Forward, an online community supporting parents and parents-to-be with chronic illness.

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Pregnancy, Postpartum & Parenting with Rheumatoid Arthritis, with Mariah Leach

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