Tiny Little Hearts Podcast: CHD and Heart Mom Life
Tiny Little Hearts Podcast is your honest, unfiltered space for the CHD (congenital heart disease / congenital heart defect) community. Whether you're a heart parent, a CHD warrior, or someone newly navigating a complex congenital heart diagnosis — this podcast was made for you.
Hosted by Katelyn McMahan, a mom of three girls whose world changed the moment she learned her youngest daughter had complex cardiac abnormalities. She searched for real stories — kids with complex CHD, single ventricle hearts, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and other congenital heart defects— not the polished highlight reels, but the honest, raw truth of what this life actually looks like. She wanted to prepare her heart for the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Each episode features conversations with heart parents, CHD adults, providers, and others navigating the deeply real world of congenital heart disease, open heart surgery, and medical complexity. You'll hear practical advice, emotional honesty, and stories that remind you that you are not alone in this journey. Because this life is hard — and you deserve a place to feel seen.
Topics covered include: CHD diagnosis, heart surgery recovery, parenting a medically complex child, grief and resilience, NICU and PCICU experiences, fontan circulation, cardiac catheterization, and life after a congenital heart defect diagnosis.
Support this show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464576/support
Tiny Little Hearts Podcast: CHD and Heart Mom Life
27. Host to Host: Two Medical Mamas on NICU Life, CHD, and Milestones
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This week on Tiny Little Hearts, Katelyn sits down with Alison Winter — host of the Trauma Mamas podcast — for a special host-to-host conversation. Both are navigating medically complex motherhood from different diagnoses (CHD and BPD), but their journeys share more in common than you'd expect.
Alison's son Donny was born at 28 weeks, weighing one pound twelve ounces, and spent nearly two years in the hospital before coming home in October 2024. Katelyn's daughter Goldie, who has CHD, is now two and a half and finally in a beautiful season of stability.
In this episode, they discuss:
- Donny's journey with BPD and the connection between IUGR and severe lung disease
- What it feels like to finally be home — and how "normal" gets redefined after years of hospital life
- The milestone comparison trap: navigating jealousy and finding peace with your child's own timeline
- How siblings of medically complex kids grow into extraordinary humans
- Medical parenting as a first-time mom vs. a parent with previous children
- What they wish they'd had during their hardest seasons — and the one thing well-meaning people say that doesn't actually help
- Why healing often begins after you're finally safe
- The power of cross-community connection for medical moms
Connect with Alison & Trauma Mamas:
- Instagram: @traumamamaspodcast
- Facebook: The.Trauma.Mamas
- Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Resources & Links:
- Informed Pregnancy Podcast with Dr. Berlin
- Facebook group: Nationwide Saved My BPD Baby
- Stronger Hearts Foundation: strongerheartsfoundation.com
- Instagram: @strongerheartsfoundation
- Support Tiny Little Hearts — 10% of listener proceeds go to Stronger Hearts Foundation
- Use the code TINYLITTLEHEARTS for 10% off Better Days Co
Let’s Connect!
- Follow me on Instagram @tinylittleheartspodcast
- Follow me on Substack at Tiny Little Hearts Substack
- This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.
Keywords: CHD, congenital heart defect, heart mom, NICU, NICU mom, NICU trauma, preemie, premature baby, BPD, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, medical mom, medically complex child, delayed milestones, NICU PTSD, pediatric heart disease, heart surgery, NICU community, IUGR, trach baby, NICU support, medical parenting, CHD awareness, NICU podcast, CHD podcast, feeding tube, g-tube, open heart surgery, PICU, heart warrior, micro preemie