High Risk Birth Stories: Recent Episodes
High Risk Birth Stories
Dr. Fox updates listeners on High Risk Birth Stories’ merge with the Healthful Woman podcast. High Risk Birth Stories will be published through Healthful Woman, so be sure to subscribe to stay up to date with new episodes.
Dr. Fox updates listeners on High Risk Birth Stories’ merge with the Healthful Woman podcast. High Risk Birth Stories will be published through Healthful Woman, so be sure to subscribe to stay up to date with new episodes.
Dr. Fox updates listeners on High Risk Birth Stories’ merge with the Healthful Woman podcast. Starting next Monday, High Risk Birth Stories will be published through Healthful Woman, so be sure to subscribe to stay up to date with new episodes.
Bailey’s second pregnancy, which coincided with lockdown during the spring of 2020. Bailey was very sick during the pregnancy, and describes how her husband helped her with their older daughter while working from home. After she delivered her baby, she then had to return to her obstetrician’s office to have the placenta removed through a D & C.
On this episode of High Risk Birth Stories, Bailey shares her story of choosing to take fertility medication, struggling with bleeding due to issues with her cervix, and being induced at 39 weeks with her first baby. She also shares why her delivery required an episiotomy and her experience recovering.
Dr. Fox interviews Carrie Creed, a motivational speaker and Healthful Woman listener who reached out with her own story. Carrie discusses the power of positivity and her story with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and placenta previa.
Adrienne Van Ardsall joins Dr. Fox to discuss her experience as a gestational carrier. Adrienne was the carrier for Simon and Adina Brief, who told their side of the story in a previous episode. She explains why she chose to be a gestational carrier, advice for women who are interested, and how she felt about the experience.
Dr. Fox welcomes Adina and Simon Brief, who had their third child with the help of a gestational carrier. Adina and Simon tell their story, including why they chose a gestational carrier (or surrogate), their advice for other parents, and explaining the process to friends and family.
In this episode of High Risk Birth Stories, Devorah shares her experience delivering twins. During her eighth pregnancy, Devorah chose care from a midwife and didn’t find out she was having twins until 32 weeks. She then delivered baby A vaginally after a long labor, but had to be rushed into a C-section for baby B.
In part two of her High Risk Birth Story, Penina shares her experience with IVF and delivering her son after previously choosing to terminate a pregnancy due to an abnormality. She also explains being proactive about mental health and her story of postpartum depression.
In part one of Penina’s High Risk Birth Story, she shares the difficulty she faced getting pregnant due to PCOS and the struggle of watching friends and family members getting pregnant while she faced infertility. After finding success with IVF, a 12-week scan showed significant defects including gastroschisis and omphalocele.
In part two of Kayla’s story, she shares more about the postpartum experience. After giving birth to her son, Kayla experienced postpartum anxiety. She describes her symptoms, working with a therapist to overcome them, and how anxiety affected her second pregnancy.
Kayla, whose sister was featured on a previous episode, shares her High Risk Birth Story. During Kayla’s first pregnancy, she was living in Florida away from family with her husband, a naval officer. She describes her experience finding a support system of new friends, developing preeclampsia and delivering her baby at 36 weeks, and undergoing treatment for HELLP Syndrome.
In part 2 of this episode, Brianna Barclay shares how her pregnancy experience helped relieve some of her fear of seeing doctors and the impact that mental health struggles have had on her life. She also explains why she and her doctor chose to proactively treat postpartum depression, her birth experience, and what being a new mother has been like.
Brianna Barclay tells part one of her pregnancy story. Brianna suffers from clinical OCD and an intense fear of medical procedures. During her pregnancy, she also dealt with hyperemesis, which ultimately caused her to lose 35-40 pounds before she delivered her baby.
In this episode, Malkie Marrus shares that at 42 weeks into her pregnancy she passed out at home and had to be rushed to the hospital by an ambulance, where they discover that her baby has no heartbeat. She then describes the recovery process, both physically and emotionally, and how building a mikvah in her community was part of her healing journey.
High Risk Birth Stories listener Vani shares the story of her own pregnancy. At 12 weeks, Vani learned that her amnion and chorion membranes had not fused. Later tests then showed high risk for structural anomalies and heart defects, and anatomy scans confirmed these concerning signs. Vani explains how she ultimately made the decision to terminate, and the process of healing both physically and emotionally from this experience.
In part two of this episode, Nechama describes delivering her baby without her husband at the hospital due to being COVID positive. After being induced, Nechama struggles with intense contractions and a difficult relationship with her nurse. A uterine rupture then forces an emergency C-section. Nechama explains the steps she later took to heal, physically and emotionally, after this traumatic birth experience.
Nechama, a High Risk Birth Stories listener, wrote in to share her story after “searching for healing” and finding the podcast. Nechama is a mother of nine. She first briefly recounts her first seven pregnancies, including the delivery of her twins. She also shares the first half of the story of her eighth pregnancy, during which she tested positive for COVID.
Sarah Roer Bendheim, who previously joined the Healthful Woman podcast to discuss eating disorders, now joins High Risk Birth Stories to tell the story of delivering her twins. After four “uneventful” pregnancies, Sarah had two miscarriages and decided to pursue fertility treatments, including IUI and IVF. Later, she went into labor with her twins at 31 weeks.
In part two of this episode, Shira Billet talks about her process of working through grief and common grief experiences after losing a pregnancy. She and Dr. Fox touch on difficult topics like anxiety in subsequent pregnancies, stillbirth, and more.
Shira Billet shares her story of losing a twin pregnancy in 2015. Since this loss, Shira has become a resource for women and families going through the same thing. She explains how she found that “if I could do something that would make the world better, or help other people… that felt like some kind of alternative version of being a mother.”
In this episode, Ashley shares the story of her pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum complications. Aside from nausea and other typical symptoms, Ashley shares that her pregnancy and delivery went very smoothly. However, she suffered a hemorrhage shortly after the birth. As a psychotherapist, Ashley explains the emotional as well as the physical tolls of this experience.
Tammy Balaban shares the stories of her two pregnancies, including monitoring high fluid in her first pregnancy, laboring for 24 hours before having a C-section, and preeclampsia after giving birth. She also also describes pregnancy and delivery through Covid with her second baby.
Kristin shares her High Risk Birth Story. Her son Max was born premature at just 25 weeks and 5 days. An anatomy scan found that Kristin’s cervix was short, but closed. She explains the treatment she underwent as part of a study at Northwestern, her water breaking unexpectedly, and her son’s 97-day stay in the NICU.
Raquel shares her story of having two children in her mid-forties with a donor egg. Raquel’s High Risk Birth Story begins with a chemical pregnancy miscarriage shortly after getting married at 39 and includes multiple miscarriages and rounds of IUI and IVF. She shares her stories so others will feel supported and like they are not alone.
Brooke tells her High Risk Birth Story of receiving a confined placental mosaicism diagnosis in her second pregnancy. Brooke explains that an early NIPT showed markers for trisomy 13, but an ultrasound didn’t show any signs of abnormality. Further testing and genetic counseling later showed confined placental mosaicism, or an abnormal number of chromosomes in the placenta while her baby had no genetic abnormalities.
Debbie and Mike Goldstein return to High Risk Birth Stories after sharing their story of IVF and fertility treatments. In this episode, they share more about their second pregnancy and the births of their sons.
Debbie and Mike Goldstein join High Risk Birth Stories to discuss their fertility journey. The couple started trying to get pregnant when Debbie was 33, and eventually began IVF treatment. After multiple miscarriages and failed IVF cycles, Debbie eventually went through multiple treatments including laparoscopic surgery to remove cysts and treat endometriosis, seeing an immune specialist, and more. They also discuss joining a Facebook support group and the many sacrifices they made before eventually having their son.
Jaime and Aaron Harris join Dr. Fox to discuss the births of their three children, who were born about 18 months apart each. They explain the process of a hypnobirth, which is a sort of mindfulness practice to remain calm, relaxed, and positive, as well as their experience having two of their children during COVID.
Charlotte tells her High Risk Birth Story about her son Matthew, who was born in 2014. An early anatomy scan at 16 weeks showed that Matthew had omphalocele, which is a condition where the digestive organs develop in the umbilical cord outside of the body. Charlotte shares her experience with genetic testing, developing preeclampsia, and her son’s surgery after birth.
In this episode of High Risk Birth Stories, Brittany and Kyle Schueckler tell the story of their twins, Ryan and Owen. After struggling with health issues including Lupus and Factor V Leiden, Brittany found out she was pregnant with twins, but baby B was significantly smaller. Through her pregnancy, she and Kyle had to make difficult decisions including having an amniocentesis test, planning a cesarean delivery, and more.
In part two of Chanie’s High Risk Birth Story, she tells Dr. Fox about her second pregnancy. After years of struggling with fertility treatments to have a second child, an IUI cycle unexpectedly resulted in a quintuple pregnancy. Chanie explains making the difficult decision to reduce the pregnancy, including seeking advice from a rabbi, the procedure, and delivering her twins.
Chanie, who has two interesting birth stories. In this episode, Chanie shares the story of her first pregnancy and birth, which includes water breaking at 32 weeks, a week-long stay in the hospital before giving birth, and her baby’s brain hemorrhage. As a listener of the podcast, Chanie found strength in hearing other people’s stories, and hopes that “my story can give somebody else some strength as well.”
On this episode of High Risk Birth Stories, Megan Hofbauer tells her story of choosing to terminate a pregnancy after genetic testing indicated her baby had trisomy 18. Megan explains that “it’s important to put a name and a story behind terminating for medical reasons” and shares her firsthand experience to clear up common misconceptions about this controversial subject.
Andrew Rosenstock joins High Risk Birth Stories to share the story of his wife’s second pregnancy. While they were first receiving care from a midwife, Andrew and his wife switched to maternal fetal medicine care after a subchorionic hematoma and other complications were detected. He explains their experience with CVS testing, placental mesenchymal dysplasia, and more.
Stephanie Castellano, a Healthful Woman listener, wrote in to share her story of delivering her twins. Because Stephanie has PCOS, she knew she had to undergo fertility treatment, which included both IUI and IVF. After getting pregnant with her twins, she faced complications including a short cervix and fetal fibronectin. Then, after a scheduled C-section, Stephanie experienced hemorrhaging that ultimately resulted in PTSD.
In this episode of High Risk Birth Stories, Athena Antal, a certified nurse-midwife, tells the story of delivering her first baby. Athena decided to have a home birth even though she was a labor nurse at the time, but after some difficulties, while laboring at home, her midwife drove her to the hospital for an epidural where she ultimately had a forceps delivery. She explains what this experience was like and how it changed her plan for her following pregnancies.
In the first home birth episode of High Risk Birth Stories, OB-GYN Dr. Amber Warmsley talks about her experience choosing home birth for her second child. After delivering her first baby at the hospital, an experience she says she treated “almost like a science experiment,” Dr. Warmsley began shadowing a home birth midwife. She explains why she ultimately chose home birth, how the experience met her emotional needs, and more.
Elise Nelson, a Healthful Woman listener, joins Dr. Fox to talk about her High Risk Birth Story. In this episode, she tells the story of delivering her second baby in May 2021, which includes pregnancy through COVID, postpartum hemorrhage, and adjusting to taking care of a newborn and two-year-old with help from family.
On this episode of High Risk Birth Stories, Phuong and Khanh Nguyen join Dr. Fox to talk about the birth of their twins. Phuong and Khanh are from Vietnam, and talk about navigating the US healthcare system as well as Phuong’s three week stay in the hospital before delivering her twins.
Chaya Kanarfogel tells the stories of both of her pregnancies and births. While both of her babies were born very small, her experiences delivering each of them were very different. Hear more about her first, short labor and her second C-section delivery.
Ruchie shares her story of delivering her fifth child. After two previous miscarriages, Ruchie chose a high-risk OB/GYN and took hormones through her pregnancy, but otherwise did not face complications. However, she began bleeding after the birth. She and a special guest discuss the decision not to perform a hysterectomy and what her treatment was like.
Cali, a listener of Healthful Woman and High Risk Birth Stories, volunteered to share her own story. Cali’s first baby was born unexpectedly premature. After months of nausea symptoms, Cali went into labor at 31 weeks. She shares her experience caring for her son, Jagger, in the NICU as well as her second pregnancy.
This episode of High Risk Birth Stories features Gina Hamadey, who wrote a book on gratitude including a thank-you to Dr. Fox, who delivered her second baby. She explains the different experiences between her first delivery with a midwife and no pain medications, after which she developed Strep A and sepsis, compared to her second baby delivered with MFM Associates.
Laura shares her High Risk Birth Story of delivering triplets and a complicated pregnancy that Dr. Fox says required “the kitchen sink” in terms of treatments. Laura recounts becoming pregnant through IVF, debating reduction after initially becoming pregnant with quadruplets, and complications with a short cervix.
Gila Block shares her High Risk Birth Story and the story of founding Yesh Tikva, a support group for women facing infertility. Gila’s story starts when she was married at 22 and wanted to start a family right away but faced complications from thyroiditis and infertility. She shares the traumatic experience of feeling misunderstood and judged, failed IVF cycles, and losing all of her embryos before eventually getting pregnant and having a daughter five years later.
Kerry shares the High Risk Birth Story of her first pregnancy in 2017. Kerry had pre-existing EDS and POTS, which caused hypermobility and issues with an irregular heartbeat and blood pressure. She explains how she looked for a team of doctors before getting pregnant, her plan to “labor down” during the birth, poor communication as she was giving birth, and the injury that she ultimately sustained.
In part 2 of her High Risk Birth Story, Dr. Nicoll tells Dr. Fox about her pregnancy and birth. Dr. Nicoll found out she was pregnant just before Covid-19 shut down New York, and eventually went into labor early with preeclampsia and had a C-section. She also discusses the meaning behind her son’s name and raising her baby through lockdown.
In part one of Dr. Linda Nicoll’s story, she recounts deciding to get pregnant at 40 using a sperm donor and IVF. She explains how she chose her sperm donor, the IVF process, and support from family and friends through the process of making her decision to become a mother.
Dominique Weiss tells her High Risk Birth Story of pregnancy and delivery of twins. Dominique is a labor nurse and found out she was pregnant with twins a few months after a miscarriage. She shares her story with early ultrasound mishaps, delivering her twins vaginally, and more.
Shaindy wrote in to Dr. Fox to share her High Risk Birth Story and her experiences with pregnancy in both Israel and New York City, plus some of the differences in the medical systems between these two places. She tells the story of delivering and losing her first baby in Israel and, later, having a cerclage and high-risk pregnancy in New York through Covid.
Caroline, an FOM (Friend of Melka) joins High Risk Birth Stories to talk about her difficult experience with pregnancy. Caroline has type 1 diabetes, and had to manage this condition as well as nausea until 26 weeks and placenta previa at 18 weeks through her pregnancy.
Leah Stern emailed Dr. Fox to share her High Risk Birth Story because “my story was really miraculous, I am extremely grateful for our happy ending.” In this episode, she describes a subchorionic hematoma, preterm labor at 25 weeks, and eventually delivering her son at 30 weeks.
Simi Hersko, who was previously a Healthful Woman guest to talk about ATime, joins High Risk Birth Stories to talk about her own experience. Simi’s story includes struggling with infertility, miscarrying twins after IVF, and choosing not to resuscitate her twins born at 23 weeks.
Laura Lane, co-host of the “This is Why” podcast, joins Dr. Fox to discuss her pregnancies. After learning that she only has half of a uterus, Laura learned more about fertility and her best options for having children. She explains her struggles with miscarriage and later the birth of her son, Rilo, in 2018.
Aviva Breda tells her High Risk Birth Story, which includes complications from a short cervix, contractions at 24 weeks, and weeks of bed rest.
Dr. Aimee Baron is the founder of “I Was Supposed to Have a Baby,” an online space for everyone in the Jewish community struggling with infertility and miscarriage. In this episode, Dr. Baron shares her own story of secondary infertility, multiple second trimester losses, and moving away from her job as a pediatrician while grieving.
TW: Miscarriage.
Melanie Kule tells her High Risk Birth Story, which involves multiple miscarriages, getting pregnant with IVF and having a healthy 10 pound baby, and later having twins with a gestational carrier.
Sara Shapiro shares her High Risk Birth Story of getting pregnant with her first child three years after a liver transplant. After planning to carry to full term and have a vaginal delivery, Sara was induced at 37 weeks and had an emergency C-section despite concerns about scar tissue from her transplant. Learn more about her story in this episode.
In part two of Jamie’s High Risk Birth Story, she covers her experience with a lumpectomy and C-section recovery, followed by chemotherapy, and the struggles of being a new mother while going through cancer treatment.
In this episode of High Risk Birth Stories, Jamie tells her story of receiving a breast cancer diagnosis late in her pregnancy and complications from preeclampsia. After her diagnosis, Jamie explains how she and her medical team planned for a lumpectomy, delivery, and egg freezing, and her experience learning she couldn’t carry more children after treatment.
TW: Miscarriage.
Elizabeth Savetsky, an influencer, shares her story of infertility, difficult pregnancies, and miscarriages. Elizabeth’s story includes complications from hypothalamic amenorrhea, medications that made her feel like “a hormonal train wreck,” and both IUI and IVF. During her second pregnancy, she began blogging about fashion, leading her to eventually share her story to help others and start the Real Love, Real Loss movement.
TW: Infant death. Fortune Faham, a mother of eight, tells her High Risk Birth Story, which includes complications from a short cervix, cerclage, and having twins after losing her newborn daughter to heart disease.
Julie Weiss Mafouda tells her High Risk Birth Story about pregnancy with a bleeding disorder, pain management without an epidural, and giving birth at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.
Dr. Melka tells her story of her own high risk pregnancy, explaining how she chose her own OB/GYN, bonding with patients who were pregnant at the same time, and working as an OB/GYN through her pregnancy.
On this High Risk Birth Stories episode, Andrew Cromer shares his story of identical twins born at 24 weeks, including his wife’s emergency C-section, his sons’ stay in the NICU, and the support they received from family. While telling his story, Andrew shares advice for couples in similar situations: take one day at a time, don’t despair, and be cautiously optimistic.
Dr. Deena Blanchard shares her story with postpartum anxiety for the first episode of High Risk Birth Stories. A pediatrician, Dr. Blanchard shares her story to show that postpartum anxiety “can happen to anyone” and that “there’s no shame in having a postpartum mood disorder.”
Introducing High Risk Birth Stories! This Healthful Woman spin-off features women and parents telling their real, unfiltered stories of fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. As host Dr. Fox says, “the stories are about pregnancy, but in reality, they’re much bigger. They’re really about life.” Check in with our first High Risk Birth Story on Thursday, February 18th!