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In this very special, final (for now?) episode, Ruby, Anne, Jamie, and podcast producer Shannon Perry reflect on how difficult it can be to say goodbye. But as A.A. Milne says in the voice of Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” Given how hard this is, we’ve clearly been very lucky indeed. Then stay tuned for Jamie’s meditation on letting go so you can move forward.
In this episode, Anne and Jamie are discussing exactly this topic, as Jamie announces a big and exciting change in her life (and yes, you’ll have to listen to find out what it is, but it’s good).
One big takeaway here is that there are two coping strategies most of us tend to fall into when confronted with big change: avoidance and control. Do we duck the change that’s coming until we realize we really can’t breathe with our heads in the sand? Or do we take control (maybe a bit too much, sometimes)? Or do we vacillate between the two, making ourselves and those around us a little bonkers?
In this episode, Jaime and Anne discuss how emotions need wiggle room, they need to move. You can’t just push emotions away and expect them to stay gone. Complaining to a patient friend, writing it out in a journal, pummeling a punching bag — those things can allow you to vent rather than explode, stop catastrophizing, and get that feeling of being in control back.
In this episode Anne and Jamie Mammenga talk about how to gently, politely extricate yourself from a situation where you don’t feel safe or supported. Whether you went to get more nachos you really didn’t want, or remembered a task or meeting you urgently needed to attend to, Anne and Jamie said to give yourself permission to walk away.
One way to start feeling better is, honestly, to take a break. Take some time off from fertility treatment – it can be a few weeks, a cycle or two, whatever amount of time you need – so you can come back ready, refocused, and with more resilience in your tank.
When you’re dealing with fertility challenges, holding hope can be as prickly as hugging a (real) pineapple sometimes. When others are posting their happy announcements on social media or when someone tries to give you hope when yours has run dry, well, you might feel frustration or envy or even grief instead.
In this episode, Anne Judge and Jamie Mammenga talk about stresses — and solutions! — that come up at this time of the year. Listen in for some great tips about setting boundaries, dealing with invasive questions, recharging your energy when family and friends are burning you out, and more!
According to Jamie Mammenga, you can work to change the narrative around the pain. Know the triggers that surround the pain, understand the baggage your pain brings with it, and see if you can find another way to view the pain.
In this short snack, Anne Judge and Jamie Mammenga talk about how mindfulness and gratitude can help you move through the storm. In addition to “fluffy” shows. 😉
Mindful Moment with friend of the pod, Jamie Mammenga, who is here to share some tools to help ease the stress. She also guides us on a meditation to help reduce fear.
On today’s short snack, friend of the pod Jamie Mammenga shares some tools for navigating a fertility journey during this heightened time. Be sure to listen before heading out to family brunch. Jamie’s wise and soothing words are like a gentle breeze.
Mindful Moments with Jamie: a Guided Meditation
A little stress isn’t a bad thing: it can motivate us to do what needs to be done.
But too much stress is definitely NOT good — not for our sleep, mood, life choices, health, or fertility.
In this episode, Ruby and Anne talk with Jamie Mammenga, MS, LMHC, and mental health provider at Seattle Reproductive Medicine, about how to manage stress for better health.