Held Together: Infertility, Loss, and the Stories That Carry Us with Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson

When healers become patients, the most profound transformations in care begin. Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson, a family medicine and public health physician, shares how her own harrowing journey through multiple pregnancy losses—some life-threatening—reshaped her understanding of infertility, grief, and healing. In her collaborative memoir *Held Together*, she weaves her story with those of 21 other women, including fellow healthcare professionals, to reveal a powerful truth: vulnerability is not weakness, but the foundation of connection. What emerges is a radical redefinition of care—not as help from above, but as partnership, listening, and shared humanity. The book challenges the myth of the 'perfect' fertility journey and shows how holding grief and hope together is not just possible, but essential. For Dr. Amy, the host, and listeners, this conversation becomes a mirror: when we see our own struggles reflected in others, we don’t just survive—we are carried forward by community. The episode dismantles the isolation of reproductive loss by spotlighting the universal threads in deeply personal stories. From the emotional toll of feeling like a 'body failure' to the quiet courage of showing up despite uncertainty, the message is clear: healing begins when we stop hiding. Thompson’s experience with her obstetrician, Dr. Devorah, becomes a blueprint for compassionate care—where listening, not fixing, is the act of healing.