In this episode, Danielle hosts Dr. Deborah Simmons, a mother of two premature babies, a fertility counsellor, and author of the book 'We are always with you'.
Dr. Deborah shares her experiences as a parent to two prematurely born babies and how this inspired her to transition from being a lobbyist to getting a Ph.D. in specialised counselling for infertility, all aspects of fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, and traumatic deliveries and starting her practice, Partners in Fertility.
She discusses the emotional trauma experienced by parents of premature babies and the importance of seeking professional help for it.
Dr. Debra showcases the need to share both the good and bad parts of our journeys without any shame or fear of judgment.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Debra Simmons
00:59 Dr. Debra's Personal Journey with Preemies
02:11 The NICU Experience: A Mother's Perspective
06:04 Finding Humor in the Midst of Struggle
07:51 The Power of Laughter and Positivity
08:00 Changing Careers for a Cause
09:12 The Importance of Seeking Counseling
09:28 The Impact of Counseling on NICU Parents
18:58 The Journey of 'We Are Always With You'
24:10 Advice for Parents in the NICU
26:38 Connecting with Dr. Debra Simmons
27:23 Conclusion and Farewell
Keywords:
preemie, preemie parents, NICU, counseling, fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, traumatic deliveries, premature delivery, Dr. Deborah Silver, Tiny Tots Defying the Odds, Daniel Bison, We Are Always With You, counseling for parents, NICU journey, resilience, trauma, support, counseling work, trauma work, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), shame, guilt, comparison, We Are Always With You book, joys, successes, milestones