Held Together: Fertility Loss, Motherhoo...

In this deeply moving episode of The Sensitivity Doctor, Dr. Amelia Kelley sits down with physician and author Rebecca N. Thompson, MD, to explore the often-unspoken realities of fertility loss, complicated motherhood journeys, and the healing power of shared stories. Rebecca shares the inspiration behind her book Held Together, a collaborative memoir weaving her own experiences with those of 21 women navigating pregnancy loss, molar pregnancy, adoption, infertility, and nontraditional paths to family.

Together, Amelia and Rebecca discuss how expectations around motherhood collide with lived experience, why ambiguous and disenfranchised grief can be so isolating, and how community, curiosity, and emotional expression support both nervous system regulation and long-term resilience. This conversation offers validation, language, and hope for anyone whose family-building journey didn’t follow a linear or socially recognized path.

Key takeaways:

• Fertility loss, including molar pregnancy and infertility, often creates ambiguous grief that the nervous system struggles to resolve without shared understanding.
• Motherhood and family are not defined by biology alone; chosen family, adoption, teaching, caregiving, and community all carry profound maternal meaning.
• Holding grief in isolation can intensify emotional and physical distress, while storytelling helps reduce shame and restore connection.
• Persistence, rather than perfection or “resilience,” allows people to move forward even while feeling broken or uncertain.
• Healing happens through being witnessed, supported, and held together in community, not through fixing or minimizing pain.

Connect with Rebecca N. Thompson, MD

• Website: rebeccanthompson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca.n.thompson/
• Book: Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love

Connect with Dr. Amelia Kelley: About | Dr. Kelley's Books | Instagram