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In 1977, a new mother in Santa Barbara named Jane Honikman couldn't find the support she needed after childbirth — so she built it herself, co-founding Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP). A decade later, on June 28, 1987, that grassroots work grew into something bigger: Postpartum Support International, founded at a landmark conference on women's mental health after childbirth that drew advocates from Canada, Australia, and across the U.S.

In this episode, Jane Honikman traces PSI's evolution from a single support group into a worldwide organization spanning dozens of countries. She reflects on the two decades she spent directing PSI, the stigma she fought to dismantle around postpartum depression and anxiety, and why perinatal mental health is still a fight worth having today. Jane also shares what led her to co-found the Postpartum Action Institute in 2016, and what she'd tell a new parent — or a new advocate — starting out now.

A conversation about grief, grit, and the power of one person deciding no family should go through this alone.

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Infertility conversations often center on women, but roughly half the time, male factors play a role. In this episode, Dr. Jeff Deaton joins us to break down what male factor infertility actually looks like, why it's so often overlooked, and what treatment options exist today. We talk through the emotional weight it carries for men and couples alike, and why a diagnosis isn't the end of the story. If you or someone you love is navigating this, this conversation offers both clarity and hope.

Dr. Jeff Deaton is Associate Professor and Division Director of Reproductive Medicine at Wake Forest University, where he directs the Center for Fertility and Reproductive Surgery. With over 40 years in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, he's the author of When Waiting Becomes Life, a collection of stories and compassionate guidance for couples navigating infertility.

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When a pregnancy is anything but typical, the emotional weight can be overwhelming, and yet mental health support is often the last thing families are offered. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kari Millican, PsyD, LPC-S, PMH-C, Division Manager of Mental Health Therapy at Phoenix Children's Hospital, to talk about what it means to care for the whole family when a fetus or infant is medically fragile.

Dr. Millican shares how Phoenix Children's is breaking new ground in perinatal mental health by walking alongside parents through some of the most frightening and uncertain moments of their lives, from a difficult prenatal diagnosis to the NICU and beyond. She speaks to the unique grief, fear, and love that coexist when your baby's life hangs in the balance, and why tending to a parent's mental health is not a luxury — it's a critical part of the child's care.

Whether you're a parent living this reality, a provider supporting families in crisis, or someone who loves someone navigating a medically complex pregnancy or infant journey, this episode will leave you feeling seen, informed, and reminded that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same breath.

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