Heather Midgley is a mental health specialist, she recognized that there was a gap in supporting women when they were experiencing difficulty with conception, during pregnancy, infant loss, and postpartum issues. This became more important to her when she experienced her own struggles with recurrent miscarriages and navigated through IVF. She believes that through her own struggles and losses, it led her to what she calls her "dream career" where she is able to fulfill her passion in helping others navigate through the difficult perinatal period.
On the episode, she talked about never having trouble getting pregnant which she thought would be the hard part. She held the first pregnancy, although there were many times that she became anxious after ultrasounds were showing possible complications. She delivered a little girl to only have her taken to a children's hospital for immediate care due to her being born with birth abnormalities. The NICU stay was a very traumatic experience which continued to give her trouble when she experienced secondary infertility and 4 miscarriages. She had a lot of trauma that she was holding onto and experienced triggers from the memories, the smells, the lights and sounds of the NICU and the fear and anxiety of talking about wanting more children. They then decided to try intervention to have children and with her fear of needles, IVF and the infertility clinic became yet another trigger of anxiety. Heather and her husband did complete their family with a son born from a successful IVF and then a surprise pregnancy that ended with a second son.
Heather's words of advice and encouragement: It is so important to communicate. I was in a place feeling paralyzed and expecting answers. Know that you are not alone, there is no shame, there are people that want to help, and we also have to allow them to do just that. Also, I find that when you are healing yourself that giving can really facilitate a further and deeper healthy process. It's an amazing empathy that giving can be for a deeper healing when you are ready for it.
Connect with Heather: https://bloomstlcounseling.com/ Instagram: Heathermhelps
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EMAIL teresa@livingaftergrief.com
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