Held Together: Motherhood, Medicine, Loss, and the Power of Shared Stories with Dr. Rebecca Thompson
What if the stories we struggle to share are the very ones that could help someone else feel less alone?
In this deeply moving episode of the Modern Mommy Doc Podcast, Dr. Whitney sits down with physician and author Dr. Rebecca Thompson to talk about her powerful collaborative memoir, Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love. The book weaves together the real-life stories of 22 women navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, adoption, medical trauma, foster care, grief, and the countless unexpected turns that shape family life.
Dr. Thompson shares the origin of the book—born from her own life-threatening pregnancy complications—and why preserving women’s stories felt essential in a culture that often pushes these experiences into silence. Together, Whitney and Rebecca explore themes of isolation, vulnerability, grief, flexibility, and the emotional complexity of becoming—and being—a parent.
Throughout the conversation, they unpack what it means to:
- Feel deeply alone in motherhood, even when surrounded by others
- Let go of rigid expectations and grieve the family life you thought you would have
- Navigate identity when medical knowledge doesn’t protect you from fear or uncertainty
- Face the guilt and self-blame that often show up when our children struggle
- Redefine family beyond biology through adoption, fostering, step-parenthood, and chosen family
- Hold grief and joy at the same time, especially when honoring lost parents and imperfect relationships
Purchase the book here.
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