Behind the Mic: How Perinatal & Reproductive Perspectives Came to Life

In this special episode, we turn the mic toward the voice behind Perinatal & Reproductive Perspectives. Host and founder Becky Morrison Gleed, LMFT, shares the story of how this podcast came to be—rooted in her clinical work, her deep commitment to perinatal mental health, and her desire to elevate thoughtful, compassionate conversations in the reproductive space.

Becky reflects on the gaps she saw in how we talk about reproductive journeys—from fertility challenges to pregnancy, postpartum, loss, and the many emotional complexities in between. She opens up about what drives her as a clinician, what she hopes to change in the field, and how storytelling can shift the way we understand and support families.

Together, we explore:

• Becky’s path into perinatal and reproductive mental health
• The origins and mission of the Perinatal & Reproductive Perspectives podcast
• Why nuanced, evidence-informed conversations are desperately needed
• The emotional realities clinicians often witness but the public rarely hears
• What Becky envisions for the future of reproductive care and community education

Whether you’re a provider, a parent, or someone passionate about reproductive wellbeing, this episode offers an intimate look at the purpose and person behind a podcast designed to educate, validate, and connect.

Tune in to hear the story behind the mic—and the heart behind the work.

Transcript

Rebecca Gleed: 0:00

For anyone listening, I do have that personal journey on getting pregnant, staying pregnant. My journey through postpartum didn't just involve postpartum anxiety, but a whole slew of other personal experiences that were not easy, like getting to this place of being able to talk about it and share both personally and professionally, has not been easy, but what is easy is loving those girls and showing up as their mom is truly a gift and an honor to be a mom.

Lana Manikowski: 0:44

Welcome to perinatal and reproductive perspectives. This is a podcast where we empower birthing individuals, partners and health professionals with evidence based insights, holistic strategies and relatable stories, hosted by a health care expert, this podcast fosters understanding equity and growth in perinatal and reproductive health. Here's your host, Becky Morrison gleed,

Marisa Escolar: 1:16

hi everyone. My name is Marisa Escolar, and I am so excited to be here today as a special guest host for this podcast, as a really quick introduction. I am a mom of two, and I've been a writer and an editor for my whole career, and the way that I met Becky was back in 2021 and I had a little editing business, and I got a request to edit a book, and the whole thing was carried out via email, and I just had this beautiful book in front of me, and I had to do some edits, and I didn't know really anything about the author except what was in the book. And as a working mom with young kids, I was riveted by this book, and I was so excited about the assignment. I was putting in all these comments and oh, let's do this, and let's do this. And the voice on the other side was saying, Great, let's do it. And so collaborative. And I was like, Who is this person? And we're wrapping up the book, and it was time for it to go out. And I was like, well, maybe we should just have a quick talk, because this seems like a really big project, and I'd really like to know a little more about you before we kind of sign off, and we got on a call, and it was, it was just voice, I think I didn't even see a kid's face, and I had a couple questions, and my first question was, What does perinatal mean? And that's kind of embarrassing to me, because I'm pretty educated, and I had had two kids, and I had an amazing experience with the perinatal community, and I did not know that word, so I thought that was kind of striking. And Becky was very patient and explained, and I also said, and who are you, and why did you write this book? And it's both personal and it's clinical and it's wise, and it's not just please shed some light, and let's put you in this book. And so she told me a little bit about herself, and that was back in in 2021 I've been a huge fan ever since. So welcome to the podcast. Becky as a guest. And I was wondering if maybe you could start by sharing with your listeners a little bit of what you shared with me back in the day and how you got to be in this really unique spot.

Rebecca Gleed: 3:26

Well, it's so fun to have you on and ever since 2021 it's amazing. The work that we've done has just been so natural and organic in terms of just having conversations and following the leads and following these incredible people, if I go back to some of the earlier years, and I think too, before we we go back into the weeds the 2021 I had started writing this book back in 2019 and so for folks following this timeline, we published, I believe, in 2020, or 2021, and then realized there was going to be a second edition very quickly as the entire globe shifted post covid. And so that was a fun second collaboration with you, Marisa, and I was so grateful to have your lens too. I don't know if we've ever talked about that, but just the synergy, mom to mom, you too are part of that book in some form or fashion, and that just having those conversations with a mom I remember, I think it was parked in some desolate part of New Mexico with one of our phone calls, and we were just, I think we were talking about one of the interviews that I had, and she was a little squirrely with putting her name out there. I was found this attorney who ended up doing a pro bono. So contract for one of the interviewee. It was a wild ride, but somehow we figured it out. So maybe we can pepper in some of those stories today with just some of the behind the scenes, fun, fun stories that folks may not know were part of it. Where should I start, where do you think?

Marisa Escolar: 5:22

Well, gosh, I think that story that you told me about how you first got into perinatal work is really, really affecting when you realize that the gap that exists, what moms in those hard moments postpartum,

Rebecca Gleed: 5:40

yeah, if I go just to tell folks listening, this has been, this hasn't been three or four years. I started my graduate program back in 2007 just to shed some light, almost been 20 years. And while a lot of the training that I've had is not directly perinatally focused. There's been moments that I've pulled this thread and this thread over here, little moments that I think had prepared me for the big game of jumping in the deep end of a highly niched, specialized arena. You know, there was a time back in I think 2010 where I was working both private practice, but also intensive in home, seeing families in their home environment, seeing pregnant moms with an older sibling who might have some behavioral needs from the lens of a systemic therapist. And while it wasn't completely perinatally focused, I've been pulling these threads since 2007 you know, I was in a domestic violence shelter in upstate New York, I was in some of these clinics, and really, really in the depth of this human experience, I have a few interns even now in 26 who are telling me, Becky, I just finished the Human Development lifespan course, and nowhere in it does it point to the perinatal period or some of the reproductive periods, such as perimenopause, menopause, there's still a gap. And so there's been small pieces where I say, here's a gap, here's an under resourced niche, and there's been some big moments. So some of the big moments I can share with the audience that I to this day will not shape were too so part of my journey of doing this perinatal work was working with families and children. I did my residency and play therapy, which then launched me into the government. Working for the government for families and children, was really a wonderful time to pull in this family lens. But then there was a need in the county, for better or for worse, that put me into the emergency department. And this was really more of a voluntold situation. And I think I was pregnant during at least half of it, or postpartum, and I saw some psychiatric presentations of bipolarity during the perinatal period and then some psychosis and severe postpartum depression. And there were two cases in particular that shook me in my boots that said, we've got a problem here, and this is an emergency, and this is back in 2015, about 10 years ago. So in one of the cases, for example, and I've shared this story before, was a severe postpartum depression, it was clear to me that this mom needed to be hospitalized. She was a nursing mom. She was in the depth of postpartum depression. She couldn't leave the clinic safely, that was clear, and so part of my role was so she was under something called an emergency custody order, where her partner had involved police to get her safely to our clinic to then see a certified pre screener. Certified pre screeners are those in the state who have the capacity to then call a magistrate to issue a psychiatric detention, which is about a 24 to 72 hour hold. Held for us to then safely get them to a hospital setting to get them treatment. Now this was a bit of a bind, because I wanted her to be safe. I also ethically wanted her to get good treatment, and so as I'm calling different hospitals and trying to find placement for her, we finally got an accepting attending physician. Was so grateful, but I something in me thought to go the extra step and just, you know, call the doctor and ask some basic questions, can we get her breast pump on the unit? What is your experience treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders? Those were really the two important questions I wanted, visitation hours I know are on the afternoons. Is the baby allowed on the ute? All of these questions were no, no and no. And I'm sitting there in this epical dilemma, knowing, yes, you know, she needs to be safe, but how are we defining safe in this context? And it really haunted me. And so that was one of a few different examples of me saying we've got to do better. And so that launched me into, I think I started training online, which was through Postpartum Support International. That's the mothership of all of the perinatal trainings. Luckily, there's a few other folks on board now doing some really good trainings and certifications. But then I flew to think it was in Dallas. Was the one of the only in person components of care training, and that was February of 2020, so I was so fortunate to have that training right before the world shut down. I took my exam, luckily passed and became what's called a pmhc, which is the perinatal mental health professional. Think I was only a handful of pmhcs in the state of New Mexico, which I've also mentioned before, but that was really one of the big experiences that launched me into the perinatal space, into my own personal experience of suffering from parent postpartum anxiety and not not having an equipped there. My therapist was wonderful, don't get me wrong, but they had no perinatal training whatsoever.

Marisa Escolar: 12:42

So now thinking about your story in that holistic sense, your experience as a clinician, and then as a mom, and then as a mom with actual firsthand experience of perinatal anxiety,

Rebecca Gleed: 12:57

how does that 360 lens?

Marisa Escolar: 13:03

Impacts the way that you go into the community and and bring this help this underserved population really get access to what they need.

Rebecca Gleed: 13:13

Well, the biggest piece is empathy. Is remembering this is so necessary, and I'm so grateful for the struggles that I've had, because it helps me remember this is human to human work. Part of our practice is it's, it's, we're here to serve and to help. We're not here to make money or, you know, create something new. This is human to human work at its core, and then the other piece is no case is going to look the same. It's so individualized. And I remember, you know, for my postpartum anxiety, it's going to look different for each mom and we live not only as individuals, but as dyads, as mom and baby and as in systems. And as you can imagine, it's a lot of asking questions and integrating that deeply personal empathy for the person or birthing individual sitting in front of me,

Marisa Escolar: 14:32

I think now that made me think about some of the toughest conversations you and I have had while working on your book and on your workbook. And I don't know we came to a resolution, but I think the fact that we're constantly asking the question says a lot about this field, you know, talking about birthing, individuals, families, all the different possible configurations, partnered, single, single, by choice, the long infertility journey, working out. Inside the home, working inside the home, work from home. You know, it's such a diverse population. You said it's a very neat practice that you have. It is, but in a way, it's also like, I don't know what percentage of the population, but it's, it's so many different slices, and the difference really matters. You don't talk to high powered, you know, single mom who earns seven figures and, you know, has a full staff of people as the same as you talk to, you know, I don't know, maybe a teen mom or, you know, someone from a marginalized community, and you still try to serve all those different people. And we spend a lot of time talking about, how do you address an audience that's that diverse without excluding anyone and really staying present to all the differences

Rebecca Gleed: 15:44

absolutely, I think you highlight coming back to just human to human of who is this person. How did they get here, and then what do they need? How do we create this unique plate of resources and support so this person can feel better.

Marisa Escolar: 16:04

Another part of your journey from a solo practitioner all the way to having a practice, that always fascinated me was your connection with all these different geographical areas. You're Virginia based, that's where you have your in person practice. And then every once in a while, I'd get a while, I'd get a call from you, and you were in Hawaii and you were in New Mexico, and I was always like, why? And of course, you made perfect sense. And you know, it does the way that you're, you know, out there, looking for ways to fill the gaps. But if you wouldn't mind talking a little bit about your connection to these communities in Hawaii and New Mexico and how that plays into your practice.

Rebecca Gleed: 16:42

Yeah, some of it is deeply personal, and some of it has just come naturally. And I would say the two biggest pieces for New Mexico and Hawaii was there was a personal tether. And then as I really immerse myself in those states, realizing the gap for a variety of reasons, not just being under resourced, but we're missing the cultural pieces that this isn't a prescriptive approach, but having been there, realizing some of the tribal practices, or realizing, you know, pediatricians operate a little bit differently in southern New Mexico from Northern Virginia, and tapping into okay, we Know it's under resourced. We know it's under supported. So now what you can't just throw a marketing budget at this. You have to go and you have to have conversations. One of my dearest friends now is Jana Williams, out of Las Cruces, New Mexico. We've become friends because I I just opened up the conversation, Hey, how can I better serve your new Mom's coming to your pediatric clinic? And she said, No one's ever asked me that. And so we went and had lunch in a little hole in the wall in southern New Mexico, which is right on the border of Mexico. And we had a really, you know, forthcoming conversation, and it was so helpful and humbling. And then she had mentioned the Postpartum Support international coordinator, Sue Goyo, who you can point to? And as I started talking to sue, who lost her daughter to suicide, had a conversation with her. And this isn't glamorous work. This was Sue, and I sue had had a a plumbing issue, so I had we were 45 minutes late, and figured out some picnic bench that we could meet at at the side of an exit in Albuquerque. And so just to give folks an understanding this work getting to know the needs of states and the unique needs of individuals. It's not prescriptive, it's not cavernous, it's these are tiers and hand holding. And how do we create this PDF that's a little bit more approachable and palatable to this group of moms over here so and then the other piece is I have to know who I'm referring to, and you know who I'm working with. I think I told you, Marisa when I went. To Maui to really get to know some of these fertility clinics which go to their websites. They're really nice and shiny. But as I stopped in, some of these were single room offices with a small refrigerator and, oh, okay, like not that that it's not bad. It's just helps you realize, to get someone pregnant in a small town and off of Maui, this looks different than you may have preconceived and it's it's really good for us to open the curtain and see some of this. It's, it's not just in a conference center in psi in downtown DC. This is just really grassroots. And if we're going to do the work, we've got to see things and people for who they are and what they actually need.

Marisa Escolar: 20:57

Well, you already started touching on the topic of collaboration. I think you can't do this work without it, right? This necessarily an interdisciplinary field, because what does it mean to be in the perinatal period? It's not just mental health, physical health, it's so much, right? And in the book, you talk about all those dimensions of wellness, and of course, one single person can't tackle them all. Collaboration seems to be, I guess, I would say, maybe the cornerstone of what you do. So can you talk a little bit about how collaborations have, how you seek them out, how they fuel your were, what you look for in those partnerships? Absolutely.

Rebecca Gleed: 21:39

And the reason why I do more of this diversified approach with not just clinical but the book, writing, the podcast, the intern program with Syracuse, the residency program, the multi state geographic presence, it's because it's all it's a tapestry intersection between what I believe is diversified, collaboration and crossover. One example I can give you is I had done a book signing and a book promotion in this cute little bookshop in the city of Alexandria, which is, I don't know, maybe 15 miles from where I live. And I brought my books, and, you know, brought some sides and some treats. And here I am in Alex city, and in comes the Clinical Director at American University. And you know, she just happened to be stopping in with her friend, and she saw my book, and we start chatting, and she realizes I'm a therapist, and she has a need for continuing education for her American University psychologist. And so I ended up doing a training for her department, and then I ended up being on the referral source for some of the students who may have gotten pregnant or may have had medical termination, or some of the professors needed some Postpartum Support. So that's just one example of an organic collaboration that took form so beautifully. Another question I get a lot is even just from family and friends. How do you find guests for your podcast? And I'm thinking, I have known these people for years, many of them, not all of them, but I am so grateful to finally say, how do we get these folks out of the garage and out and sharing their stories and their work. And it's so energizing because it doesn't feel like work to me. I don't jump out of bed and say, off another day. I get to talk to Marisa. I get to supervise. I get to figure out, how do we create a poster that's meaningful for the psi conference next year. It is so collaborative, which is why I've tried to step out of the branding and just create it more of a group. Because this isn't about me. This is about the collaborative effort. We're all sitting together at the table, holding hands. I truly, in my heart, believe the collaboration is one of the grounding forces of this work. It's incredibly important.

Marisa Escolar: 24:33

Well, I think that's a great segue to start talking a little bit about more of this transformation from a solo practitioner to this group practice. I remember when you came to me and you said, this is the year of us, of we, but so let's talk about your practice. Let's talk about you're a mentor, you've got interns, you've got residents, you've got a multi state practice. It's a lot. When I first met you, you said you wanted to help as many. People as possible, and that number is growing. So let's talk about what that looks like for you, day to day. Big picture, you know, maybe in the near future, already want to go.

Rebecca Gleed: 25:15

I mean this, I can talk a little bit about 2026, and you're right. I think you had coined the term from me to we, and I thought that was so pissy and on point. It really comes down to, how do we not just serve more birthing individuals and families and couples, but how do we keep improving the quality of care and what that looks like day to day. And maybe I can even pull up my calendar, a little bit of clinical work, I don't think I will ever be able to step away from, you know, my clinical work, which is serving birthing individuals, their partners, dyadic work that's going to continue. This last year we've done a mom care Monday, which is, you know, a mom group that's group therapy focused right now it's being run by two interns, Nanami and Kate, who are just incredible mothers themselves. And then the residency program, you know, Mackenzie, for example, she's a certified music therapist, so she's writing lullabies with moms and using music incorporated in fewer practice of how do you create a healing playlist that can be part of, maybe birth trauma that you're healing from? And so these different in Dalal, for example, has that lens of the reproductive later in years, around menopause, we have these incredible clinicians doing that one on one work. But then we also, we're going to keep the podcast going in January, for example, I think we have a weekly cadence. We're going to continue the podcast and keep sharing people's stories. And then we brought on Cindy, who is offering clinical support. So while we've been pretty quiet in terms of just doing our thing day to day clinically, she is now doing more community outreach, and we are continuing to see trends. For example, how do we relate to AI, for example, in a way that doesn't feel scary, but feels we're going to use it and we're going to use it ethically. We're going to use it in ways that's helpful and useful, and we're going to keep embracing the changes evolve or dissolve. Is kind of one of the mantras we use. We have to keep up with quality care and new research that comes out so we can be better diagnosticians and clinicians, but also maintain operations. We want to stay afloat. We want to stay operational. And part of that is for me, taking the responsibility of work. I just signed a new lease for an office. We're going to pivot a little bit to a couple cities over, but that's going to allow us to reduce our cost and have, you know, three offices instead of two, and have a more comfortable waiting room so we can provide a little bit more care. We'll have a nursing chair instead of a clunky old chair. That's not the best, and so I hope that answers your question a little bit about what's to come. We will have it something called others day that we're going to support Deborah dove from one of our episodes, is going to be venturing that, and that's for whatever reason you You did not become a mother, or your mother in in different ways. We're going to have that others day, and that'll be a brunch on that Sunday or Saturday before Mother's Day to celebrate folks who didn't become mothers, and want it to be

Marisa Escolar: 29:29

well, let's talk a little bit more about the podcast, because here we are on the podcast, and I'm sure audience would be curious to hear reflections from you. We're getting close to the year anniversary of launching, which is a huge milestone. I think most podcasts really don't make it probably past the first episode. But here we are coming in on a year you've talked to, Gosh, 30 different people, so many different guests. One of the interesting things that really struck me when you just. Loved this idea of the podcast is to incorporate both clinicians and regular everyday folks, people who don't necessarily work in the perinatal world as a trained profession, but still are very tied to the community, which I think is a unique approach to a podcast. I feel like podcasts tend to be much more laser focused on one segment and you really talk to a diverse range of people. So let's talk a little bit about where you came up with this idea, this approach to podcasting, and maybe what you've been learning along the way.

Rebecca Gleed: 30:33

I like the balance of providing the provider perspective, and often these providers in the perinatal space have their own story, and so even with the provider episodes, I ask them to share their personal lens of what either inspired them or brought them into the space. So even with the provider perspectives, we are capturing some type of a story or human experience, and really highlighting the empathy that they bring, not just their expertise. And then these personal stories are so powerful. And you and I know statistically, I think they are more listened to and resonated with for good reason, because I've heard more than once. I thought I was the only person who went through this, or the uferectomy. I have so many web searches asking about that and then finding that episode directly and so just to help individuals and listeners, first and foremost, know there's a place for you you're not alone. And highlighting the human experience during the perinatal period and reproductive experience, that's really so important, and there are endless topics I this podcast will keep we will keep sharing stories, because it just keeps unfolding. This person over here has this story and has this perspective, and as you've listened to Marisa, there's no single story about infertility, there's no same story about birth trauma, there's no same story about gestational carriers or embryos or postpartum depression. It's these stories are so resonant, I

Marisa Escolar: 32:42

think what I find interesting is, if there is one common thread, it is that so many people felt alone, so many people thought it wouldn't happen to them, especially providers, yeah, people who had clinical training, so Many people, when they started their journey hit dead ends, and, you know, wrong solutions, and maybe not the right match of a therapist, or maybe a wrong diagnosis, or maybe just confusion about how they were supposed to get better. And what I love about all the stories is that all these people kept persevering. And I remember, I think it was Celeste story, who had the neighbor who saw her and accepted her when she was vulnerable. Or, I feel like there was another story about somebody who got that great advice to I think it was maybe the Diana. And she talks about someone said, Why don't you exercise? Why don't you Oh, maybe I should just get out of my house. You know, maybe being isolated in my house all the time is and that helps her get on the road to recovery, and those sort of serendipitous moments that help people change the trajectory of their path. It's so beautiful. And I say serendipity because it really does feel like that. But I feel like the good work that you're doing, and all the guests are doing is trying to make sure that it's less serendipitous and more programmatic that someone like Lynn talking about screening and getting screening into every office. It shouldn't be serendipitous that you get diagnosed. I mean, thank God you got diagnosed, however you got diagnosed. But what if we got the diagnosis as part of the standard of care? Or Dr Jill zekowy, when she talks about, well, there are things you can do to prevent it, right? And good sleep, I mean. And it doesn't have to be a shot in the dark, oops, you might get this. Well, there are things you can protective factors, absolutely. So listening to the podcast that way is something that I take a lot of comfort from because sometimes it does really feel big and scary, like anyone can be affected by these conditions and challenges. But also, there is a way out. It was one podcast you said, you know, moms do get better. That's what I love about this work. They do get better. And I think that is probably the overall takeaway you can get. I'm listening across all the episodes, so

Rebecca Gleed: 35:03

I think that's something to highlight that you bring up, is the commitment to evidence based education, and that's one of the things that I think we do well, and that is unique to us, that we offer. We are bringing on some of the best players and champions in this space. I think Ruchi Garg her oncology, gynecological experience, Wendy Davis has been in this field for years and years, and we are catching her at the end of her career. What a gift, not just with personal wisdom, but she's immersed in the research. She knows what's up and coming. She knows what's evidence based in terms of treatment. For pmads, we bring such a gift in terms of the best of the best. And you highlight that our commitment to evidence based education. So you can come here and know your host is not just someone interested in the perinatal sphere, but this is someone who's trained, who's licensed by a regulatory board, who practices this, who holds personal experience that's something that we were committed to.

Marisa Escolar: 36:23

I think another thing that I feel like is very special about your podcast, and it's sort of a niche within a niche, is the way that you bring on the clinicians with personal experience, because we all talk about caregiver or healthcare burnout and how challenging that profession is. And then there's the subset of that population that are parent in that perinatal period, and where are their stories, and how do they keep doing the good work that they want to do? And they're fueled by that passion, you know, and some of it comes from their personal experience. So they're in that really delicate and vulnerable period, and they're in a career that is rife with burnout, and where's the space for those people to really acknowledge? Yes, this can happen to me. Yes, I need a plan to pump and operate and make sure I have lunch. And I think that, I mean, that is something I just never thought of, you know, as someone who's not a clinician, but I, I love those clinicians, and some of them were pregnant, and it never even crossed my mind that the special care that they might need. And so I really love when you have those folks on the podcast, because I feel like they deserve a space, because they really are double heroes in my mind.

Rebecca Gleed: 37:39

Yeah, I couldn't have said it better. Heroes is be the right word.

Marisa Escolar: 37:46

And I think that, I hope we hear more from those people. This is just me as a listener, you know, requesting more guests on air.

Rebecca Gleed: 37:53

Yeah, I just think even sue Goyo, who we pointed to back in New Mexico, I think that's a perfect example of someone who could have just stayed in the depths of despair. I, you and I both as moms, know, losing a child is I can't fathom. And then what she did with was he created a nonprofit. She ran for Senate. He continued,

Marisa Escolar: 38:22

you know, supporting her grandchildren. She it's just magic. It's absolute magic. And, you know, double hero is exactly what we should be calling these players, because there is such a personal lens. I mean, Dr Fisher was so gracious in sharing his own postpartum experience with his daughter having a stroke. He didn't have to share that, and yet he did, and then continues to do research internationally. We've got some incredible players in this space, and we're going to keep going. I think that's what makes it so incredible. It's so personal. And because it's so personal, it does also need to be honored and protected and space needs to be given to avoid burnout. So it may be drinking from the fire hose or thinking about drinking from the fire hose, but if you think back at the different episodes and guests and themes. Are there some things that stand out that that really changed your mind about something, surprised you about something changed the way you look at your practice, or what did all having all those perspectives come into your life? How does that change you as a clinician and as a mom?

Rebecca Gleed: 39:39

Yeah, it's first and foremost, humbling and reassuring. This work is very busy, so it's easy to stay in your very small world. And what this podcast has really illuminated is there's a. A lot of people at the table doing work that is unique to what they bring. Everybody brings a different style of green beans. Everybody brings a different flavor of pudding. It's so humbling and reassuring. As I said, I think about chasing rainbows the organization up in Pennsylvania. I had no idea that they existed until, you know, her father reached out to me and got the conversation going about, hey, there's someone doing grief work and can tap into folks in Virginia, beyond Pennsylvania. You know, I think about Casey's cause out in New Mexico, and then the presence is now in Puerto Rico. It really helps me feel this synergy. And also, you know, energy that the work is being done outside of Northern Virginia. It's being done in different ways. I think the first psi conference I attended compared to this last one in New Orleans, I mean, it's 1,000% grown, and that gives me comfort that this organization that started in the 80s is now just continuing to grow.

Marisa Escolar: 41:27

Now let's think about Becky as a mom, if that's all right, sure, sure. And you have two beautiful girls and who are growing by leaps and bounds, and so so much of this work has to do with mothering. And you know, you're out of the trenches. You're out of the baby years. They can dress themselves and feed themselves, but of course, we still have all the that vivid, lived experience. So how does being a mom of growing girls and this time of the season of your motherhood, how does that look now for you,

Rebecca Gleed: 42:00

I'm gonna try not to cry truly. My oldest turns 12 on Friday, so I'm gonna cry myself to sleep Thursday night. They are my world. It poof, 2023, 2024, something that a lot of folks don't know, and I won't share too much, but Marisa, you know, I've had two very major personal traumas, and it has done nothing but solidify my commitment to my kids and my deep, deep love for my kids, which then transfers to all of the birthing individuals, moms, families that I work with, the clinicians on my team, it's just has so solidified. And as I look back and think about, oh my gosh, I really so many times wanted to just press the eject button and take this practice responsibility off of my shoulders. There were times where I'm like, I don't Wendy Davis's episode. She said she almost canceled. I said I almost canceled because I neither of us had slept the night before. My mic wasn't working. My internet was tenuous. She had run out of coffee. And I just think the the show must go on, you know, with thinking about my kids, and something I'll shed light on is I've had four pregnancies, two live births, and so just to share on a more personal level, I had a loss between so my kids are four and a half years apart, and that wasn't by choice. My first day actually had my own challenges getting pregnant. I didn't with my seven year old, but I did with my 12 year old. And so I have that infertility lens, and then I had a loss, and then I had a medical termination back in 2016 and so just for anyone listening, I do have that personal journey on getting pregnant, staying pregnant. My journey through postpartum didn't just involve postpartum anxiety, but a whole slew of other personal experiences that were not easy, like getting to this place of being able to talk about it and share both personally and professionally, has not been easy, but what is easy is loving those girls and showing up as their mom is truly a gift and an honor to be a mom. As you know, Marisa, I am so grateful. I'm so honored to be their mother.

Marisa Escolar: 45:08

To wrap up, if I can just share what your podcast has meant to me and your work has meant to me. I shared a little bit at the beginning, I am a mom of two boys. My I loved my pregnancies. They were incredibly intense. There were some ups and downs, some challenges getting pregnant. I was in a car accident in my first pregnancy. Throughout I had phenomenal care, both clinical providers, massage therapy, as the acupuncturist, I was so blessed I didn't know what perinatal meant, but somehow I found all of those providers, and I forged so many deep relationships and but it was never part of my professional work. It was just me my life, until you came into my life, and then all of a sudden, this thing that I had this great passion for personally became part of my work, which, my goodness, what a blessing. And you know, ever since then, I've always been the person who loves Oh, you're pregnant, oh, your partner's expecting. Oh, share, tell me. But knowing you gives me this arsenal of resources. And the number of times I've said, Well, I don't know if you're open to this, but if you'd like to listen to a podcast episode, and I just hit that share button because I have a friend, a colleague at work, whose baby was not sleeping through the night, and she's like, Well, I'm not ready for cry it out. And I said, Well, maybe you could use a doula. And I I said, What? She found a doula, and all of a sudden she said, My baby's sleeping through the night. We didn't cry it out. And I feel like a new person, and I'm sitting here thinking, like, this is definitely the best thing I've done all week. And I had another friend come to me and talk about

Rebecca Gleed: 46:43

menopause disorder. PMD, PMC, yeah, and

Marisa Escolar: 46:47

she's been a dear friend of mine for years. And she said to me, Marisa, I know a little spotty sometimes, and I I don't call but that's because two weeks a month i i hate everybody. And I said, Oh my goodness. And all of a sudden I could relate to her better because I had heard your episode. And I just, you know, it's been, it's been five years. It feels like it's been a lifetime, and in the most beautiful way. And I just, I feel like I have this I feel so I don't want to say selfish, but I do feel, I feel like this podcast is for me to go and hand out all the people on me. It's like my treasure chest of things I hand out. So from one listener, I really can't thank you enough for all the things that you bring and the ways that you constantly surprise me. Because I really think I know a lot about this world now, but there's always something more to know and another story to hear. So thank you. Please keep belling, and I look forward to the next chapter. Yes, I think we can offer folks

Rebecca Gleed: 47:50

a an exciting stay tuned for 2026 because we have some incredible guests coming on this show. And thank you, Marisa, for being so part of it. I cannot think of anyone better to be part of the team. And don't be too humble. This is a PhD published individual. This is not just a mom of two, but you're incredible. So thank you for being part of it.

Lana Manikowski: 48:20

If you would like to learn more about how we can help, visit our website at perinatal reproductive wellness.com, and while you are there, check out the latest edition of our book, employed motherhood. We also invite you to follow us on social media at employed motherhood. Finally, if you enjoyed listening to the show, please subscribe and rate it. Thank you. I'm.