On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Chani Melamed joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-our last conversation, around Mother's day, where she shared her fervent belief that she would one day be a mother...even after 14 years of marriage

-how 5 months ago, her daughter was born! (I sobbed when she told me). And I knew, that when she was ready, I wanted her to share the story of her pregnancy

-the years of infertility, this time with the lens of what kinds of things they did to try to have a child

-numerous medical procedures, doctor appointments, looking into adoption, waiting, waiting, and more waiting, and davening (praying)

-the anxiety of finally being pregnant, parenting after infertility and some of the comments that people (still) make to her. Sigh.

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-Follow her on Instagram

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On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Shira Collings joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-her medical trauma, and she never thought she would get to a place where she would feel comfortable having a baby

-how she and her husband pursued adoption, but soon discovered that there were all kinds of issues that arose with that path to parenthood as well

-returning to trying to get pregnant naturally, but becoming plagued with recurrent loss and Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)

-her complicated feelings during all parts of the process, what kinds of support she needed to get through each stage, and where she is now in the process (she’s 30 weeks pregnant)

Books mentioned “The Baby Decision” and “Motherhood- Is it for me?”

More about Shira:

Shira Collings, MS, NCC, LPC (she/they) is a psychotherapist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She primarily specializes in eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image, and is especially passionate about providing LGBTQ+-affirming, neurodiversity-affirming, and fat-affirming eating disorder care. Shira’s personal experience with pregnancy loss sparked their passion for supporting those who are struggling to build their families as well.

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-Send her an email

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On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Michelle (Malka) Grunstein, LMFT CATC-IV, joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-the beginning of her journey to becoming a SMBC

-how she is finally pregnant again (after three early losses) and gives us a window into the process

-how she needed to do IVF and use a sperm donor, which were both completely new experiences for her

-dealing with some complications which forced her on bed rest

-the insensitive comments from IRL friends and people on the internet…sigh

More about Michelle (Malka) Grunstein:

Michelle is a licensed therapist who is multifaceted. Some of her specialties include child and adolescent development, addiction, trauma (EMDR), grief, depression, and anxiety. She is currently the Clinical Director and Executive Director of multiple dual diagnosis treatment centers, catering to those struggling with mental health and addiction. Michelle's difficult childhood lead her to become a therapist as a young adult and she has built her career with the focus of helping others. Despite attempts at dating and building a family throughout adulthood, she has been unable to do so due to a combination of infertility and not finding "the one". Michelle has chosen to fulfill her dream of becoming a mom through the use of a donor and has been on the journey of becoming a solo mom by choice for the last few years.

Connect with Michelle:

-Follow her on Instagram

Connect with us:

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-Watch our TikToks

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