What do you do when the road to parenthood spans a decade filled with grief, medical battles, and devastating loss?

In today's deeply moving episode, we sit down with Lianne Totty, who endured a 10-year battle with Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and infertility before entering motherhood through the most harrowing circumstances imaginable. Lianne gave birth to her first baby at just 27 weeks, spending six grueling months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before having to say the hardest goodbye a parent can ever face.

Yet, her journey did not end in silence. Lianne went on to deliver a second micro-preemie at 25 weeks—a miracle baby who fought through the NICU and is thriving today.

In our conversation, Lianne opens up with unfiltered honesty about the emotional toll of feeling like your body has betrayed you, the raw guilt of feeling "punished," navigating birth trauma and PTSD, and how her struggle to explain infant loss to a young child inspired her children's book, Baby Went to Heaven.

Whether you are currently in the trenches of infertility, walking through the shadows of grief, or supporting someone who is, this episode is a testament to the unyielding strength of a mother's heart and the truth that hope can outlive despair.

In this episode, we explore:

  • Battling PCOS and navigating 10 years of infertility and medical intervention.

  • The reality of micro-preemies: Delivering at 27 and 25 weeks.

  • The emotional, mental, and physical weight of extended NICU stays.

  • Coping with infant loss and confronting the toxic lie: "Did my body fail me?"

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) stemming from high-trauma births and medical environments.

  • How Lianne answered her goddaughter's hardest question and wrote Baby Went to Heaven to guide grieving families.

  • Finding renewal, joy, and resilience on the other side of an agonizing journey.

Connect with Guest & Resources:

  • Guest: Lianne Totty

  • Children's Book: Baby Went to Heaven by Lianne Totty

  • Community & Support: If this episode touches your heart, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with someone walking a difficult path to parenthood.

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