Held Together: Infertility, Loss, and the Stories That Carry Us with Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson
Release Date: 06/03/2026
Held Together: Infertility, Loss, and the Stories That Carry Us with Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson
The Egg Whisperer Show
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson: a family medicine and public health physician specializing in women's and children's health, and the author of Held Together, a deeply personal and collaborative memoir that weaves her own fertility and pregnancy complications with the stories of 21 other women navigating infertility, loss, and complex paths to building families. Becca brings a rare dual perspective to this conversation: she has lived this journey as both a physician and a patient, surviving life-threatening pregnancy complications even as she was training to care...
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The Egg Whisperer Show
Read the full show notes: In this episode of The Egg Whisperer Show, I’m joined by Dr. Stephanie Fein, MD a board-certified weight loss physician who specializes in helping women improve their fertility through sustainable weight management. Dr. Fein shares her personal and professional journey, highlighting how achieving a healthy weight can positively impact reproductive health. We discuss the science behind weight and fertility, including how even modest weight loss can enhance ovulation and increase the chances of conception. Dr. Fein offers practical strategies for weight loss...
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The Egg Whisperer Show
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The Egg Whisperer Show
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The Egg Whisperer Show
Get the full show notes: I often tell my patients that we should rename the Trigger Shot, the super unicorn sparkle shot, the egg launcher shot, or the EGG-cellerator shot. Let's be honest, the Trigger Shot is the worst name for something that does so much good on a fertility journey.⠀ In this episode, I'm sharing all about The Trigger Shot, and giving you the 7 things you need to know about it. Should you test for ovulation afterwards, and if so, when? Do you have to have a Trigger Shot? Can you administer it at home, or does it need to be in a doctor's office? When should you...
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The Egg Whisperer Show
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At Home Insemination with Mosie Baby
The Egg Whisperer Show
Imagine an insemination kit with a syringe specifically designed for the female body that you can use with your partner or sperm donor in the comfort of your own home. I'm delighted to have Maureen Brown, co-founder of Mosie Baby joining me on the this week to talk about the home insemination kit that she and her husband designed after being faced with infertility.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ As you know, I really love innovative products and ideas that help people reach their goals. Anything that helps demystify fertility and helps women get pregnant is a win in my book. What I love about the Mosie Baby...
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How to Prevent Infertility
The Egg Whisperer Show
I’ve yet to meet someone that dreamed of the day they could become my patient. You may dream of your wedding day. Or maybe you may fantasize about your next vacation destination, or the day you buy a house or seeing your future child graduate from high school. But I’m guessing that when you think of those milestones in life, my bet is that nowhere in that world are you thinking about me — a fertility doctor? It’s just not happening. And here’s the thing: while I love my patients and have been known to tell a good joke or two, it’s my honest hope that I never have to meet...
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When it Comes to Your Fertility: What is Fact vs. Fiction?
The Egg Whisperer Show
I know there are a lot of fertility myths out there, and some can be downright perplexing if you’re trying to do everything you can to have a successful pregnancy. And, when you’ve been a fertility doctor for a while, let me tell you, you will hear it all. So in this episode, I’m tackling TWENTY of the most common fertility myths in a little thing I like to call “Fertility: Fact or Fiction.” I love talking about these types of things because once you know the truth, you also have a better idea of what may be happening in your own body. I think most people now realize...
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The Truth About Fertility Drugs
The Egg Whisperer Show
Most fertility treatment hinges on the strategic use of drugs to help the body be as fertile as possible. My goal is to give each of my patients a personalized fertility plan with custom calendars of what to do, which drug to take, and when. Today on the podcast, I’m walking through fertility calendars (keeping things confidential, of course) and talking about the drugs I commonly use to give my patients the best chance at fertility success. Do you have questions about IVF? The next live class call is on Monday, June 15, 2026 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and...
info_outlineIn this episode, I sit down with Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson: a family medicine and public health physician specializing in women's and children's health, and the author of Held Together, a deeply personal and collaborative memoir that weaves her own fertility and pregnancy complications with the stories of 21 other women navigating infertility, loss, and complex paths to building families. Becca brings a rare dual perspective to this conversation: she has lived this journey as both a physician and a patient, surviving life-threatening pregnancy complications even as she was training to care for others.
Together, we explore the raw and often unspoken emotional terrain of the fertility journey, including the shame, isolation, and identity shifts that so many of my patients experience. We talk about how storytelling and community can be profoundly healing, why healers need healing too, and how grief and hope can coexist on the path to building the family you dream of, even when that path looks nothing like you planned.
In this episode, we cover:
- How Dr. Thompson's own string of pregnancy losses shaped her both as a patient and as a physician
- Why sharing personal stories about infertility and loss is one of the most powerful antidotes to shame and isolation
- How grief and hope can coexist, and why Held Together is ultimately an empowering book
- The way infertility reshapes identity, and how women can reclaim a sense of power and agency during reproductive challenges
- What it means to "heal the healer"
- How non-traditional paths to parenthood (adoption, surrogacy, fostering, and more) expand and redefine what family truly means
- Practical guidance on finding support: from therapy and journaling to community groups and simply knowing when it's okay to sit with uncertainty
Resources:
- Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson's website (book orders, signed copies, audiobook samples, endorsements): RebeccaNThompson.com
- Held Together: available on Amazon or purchase one that supports Postpartim Support International (PSI).
- Postpartum Support International: postpartum.net
Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class.
Purchase my book, The Egg Whisperer Way.