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Many people experience some kind of mental health condition through pregnancy and postpartum. The reproductive journey brings many challenges, and today\u2019s guest gives us a glimpse into her story of recurrent loss, pregnancy, postpartum, and how she came to self-advocacy and empowerment through her challenges. Join us to hear Megan\u2019s story!\nMegan Monds fills many roles in life, none more important to her than mother to her two small children, ages 5 and 3. She is a highly-sensitive person who works as a mental health therapist for children, adults, and families. Her passion is working with children and adults with complex trauma histories, and she has her own lived experience with anxiety, depression, and trauma. By sharing her story, she hopes to empower and validate others who are facing a challenging journey to parenthood.\xa0\n\nShow Highlights:\n\nHow Megan\u2019s story includes three miscarriages before giving birth to her first child\n\nHow Megan coped with her first miscarriage by using avoidance\u2013and carried on with her very busy life\n\nHow two more miscarriages occurred during the next two years, and they didn\u2019t seem as emotionally jarring as the first one even though childhood trauma reappeared\n\nHow her first full-term pregnancy was hard, making it difficult to connect to her baby\n\nHow her induction and all the medical interventions did not follow her birth plan at all\u2013again, feeling like it was all happening TO her and beyond her control\n\nHow Megan saw a therapist and did the work on herself after her daughter was born\n\nHow she felt more whole, healthy, and understanding during her next pregnancy with her son\u2013much different than her pregnancy with her daughter\n\nHow her son\u2019s birth played out in a much more peaceful way than the raw and intense birth of her daughter\n\nHow Megan\u2019s sensitivity and anxiety contributed to her trauma response and impacted every aspect of her emotional experience\n\nHow Megan realized with her second birth that she could have more control over her environment and her mental state\n\nWhat Megan wants others to know about mental health and getting support\n\nWhy it is empowering to realize that your experience is more important than what any expert or provider might say, especially when \u201cthere isn\u2019t research to support your experience\u201d\n\nWhy it\u2019s OK if your needs and preferences don\u2019t make sense to others\n\nWhy it\u2019s important to come at your challenges from a place of curiosity instead of rigid expectations\n\n\nResources:\nConnect with Megan: Instagram\nVisit www.postpartum.net for resources! I\u2019d love to hear from you!\nVisit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.\xa0\xa0\nVisit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!