In this deeply thoughtful and expansive conversation, Dr. Gertrude is joined by Rebecca Thompson, MD—family physician, writer, and author of Held Together, a shared memoir exploring motherhood, medicine, and what she calls “imperfect love.”

Rebecca’s path to this work began long before the book—rooted in a lifelong relationship with storytelling, and later shaped by her experiences both as a physician and as a patient navigating pregnancy loss and medical complexity. What emerged is a powerful body of work that weaves together her story with the voices of 21 other women, offering a rare and intimate look at how we make sense of our lives through story.

Together, Gertrude and Rebecca explore the intersection of motherhood and medicine, the role of community in times of crisis, and how we begin to redefine what it means to mother—far beyond biology or expectation.

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, to listen more deeply, and to consider how we choose to make meaning of our lives—even, and especially, when things don’t go as planned.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

(01:00) Rebecca’s lifelong connection to storytelling—and how writing became her way of making sense of the world

(03:40) The moment everything shifted: becoming a patient while training as a physician

(06:30) The deep need for community during crisis—and why we don’t have to share the same story to feel less alone

(10:00) Redefining support: how community looks different for every woman and every experience

(14:00) Growth through challenge—and how our hardest experiences shape who we become

(16:30) Inside Held Together: how Rebecca co-created 21 deeply personal stories over a decade

(20:00) Why this is not an anthology, but a truly collaborative and interwoven narrative

(24:00) “Extraordinary moments in ordinary lives”—and the power of listening to everyday stories

(28:00) Expanding the definition of motherhood beyond biology, and making space for grief and choice

(36:00) Finding meaning in the ordinary—and why awe is something we can practice

(39:00) Fear, discomfort, and curiosity: what scuba diving reveals about how we move through life

(42:00) Where to find Rebecca and how she’s bringing narrative medicine into healthcare spaces

(45:00) What it means to “rewrite the mother code”: choosing what meaning we make from our lives

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Connect with Rebecca Thompson:

Get her book Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love.
Visit Rebecca's Website

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s Website
Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s Substack
Order Dr. Gertrude’s new book “Rewrite the Mother Code”

218: Motherhood, Medicine, and Making Meaning with Dr. Rebecca Thompson