141. Motherhood Mondays with Colleen Lubin, Creator of Not Quite Knocked Up
Ali on the Run Show
Ali Feller
4.9 • 4.2K Ratings
🗓️ 13 May 2019
⏱️ 77 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"I tried to float somewhere between hopeful and hopeless."
Colleen Lubin's story is one of a tremendous amount of loss — and, ultimately, one of resiliency and strength. All her life, Colleen dreamed of becoming a mom. But, like the 6.1 million women in the United States who struggle with infertility, the road to having a baby wasn't easy for Colleen, who created the blog "Not Quite Knocked Up" to document her journey. (It's a must-read for those trying to conceive and those in the throes of new motherhood.)
In the span of three years, Colleen suffered five miscarriages (including both a chemical pregnancy and an ectopic pregnancy) and two failed IVF treatments. The sixth time she found out she was pregnant — the one that would stick — was the day after her dad died unexpectedly. Today, Colleen is mom to nine-month-old Liam, and she's been open, honest, and very candid about her road to pregnancy, what pregnancy after loss is like, and what it was like going into labor six weeks early, six hours away from home.
I am sending so much love and light to all the women out there this Mother's Day. Whether your day was celebratory or difficult, I am here for you. If I've learned anything as a new mom, it's that moms in all stages have each others' backs. I have yours.
Thank you to Sweaty Betty for sponsoring Motherhood Mondays on the Ali on the Run Show! Go to sweatybetty.com and use code ONTHERUN for 20 percent off your purchase.
What you'll get on this episode:
- Did Colleen always know she wanted to be a mom? (4:00)
- Did Colleen expect the road to motherhood to be easy? (5:50)
- Colleen opens up about her long road to having a baby (9:40)
- The emotional side of suffering multiple miscarriages (20:20)
- Colleen's take on what to say — and what not to say — to women struggling with infertility, miscarriage, and loss (24:00)
- Colleen's IVF journey (31:00)
- The toll five miscarriages and two failed rounds of IVF took on Colleen's marriage (40:00)
- Colleen's reaction when she found out she was pregnant — the day after her dad passed away unexpectedly (45:35)
- Colleen's message to women struggling with infertility, miscarriage, or loss (57:00)
- On having a baby six weeks early, six hours from home (1:00:03)
- On guilt, shame, and inadequacy (1:04:00)
What we mention on this episode:
Kristin Mallon on Episode 136 of the Ali on the Run Show
Abby Bales on Episode 139 of the Ali on the Run Show
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
Follow Colleen:
Follow Ali:
Listen & Subscribe:
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Motherhood Mondays on the Alley on the Run Show are brought to you by Sweaty Betty. |
| 0:08.4 | Welcome to the third episode in the Motherhood Monday series. |
| 0:12.5 | Two weeks ago we heard from certified nurse midwife Kristen Malland, who reminded us all to |
| 0:17.7 | embrace the imperfections of Motherhood. And then last week Dr. Abby Bales, a pelvic floor physical |
| 0:23.9 | therapist, talked about the importance of taking care of our pelvic floors before, during, and after |
| 0:29.4 | pregnancy. She also talked about her own adventures in mothering with a chronic illness. |
| 0:35.0 | This week my friend Colleen Lumen is here. I met Colleen when I was a freshman at Quinnipiac |
| 0:40.2 | University and I auditioned for and made the kickline team. So I was a freshman, Colleen was a |
| 0:46.7 | senior and from day one she was the nice one. I mean don't get me wrong, the team was stacked with |
| 0:52.4 | amazing kind women. But Colleen always looked out for me, both in the studio and when I was 19, |
| 0:59.0 | sneaking into the bars with all the upper classmen. Don't tell my parents. Since college Colleen's |
| 1:04.9 | road to motherhood has been anything but easy. I'm going to let her share her story of course, |
| 1:10.1 | but it involves struggles with infertility and devastating loss in the form of both apparent |
| 1:15.4 | and multiple miscarriages. And ultimately it ends up or begins with Liam, her baby boy. |
| 1:23.2 | Morning there is crying ahead. Get your tissues ready. Please welcome Colleen Lumen to motherhood |
| 1:29.6 | Mondays on the Alley on the Run Show. Colleen welcome to the Alley on the Run Show. It has been a while. |
| 1:39.7 | I'm really excited to catch up right now. Yeah it has been a while. Thanks for having me. |
| 1:44.8 | Something like a decade since we last saw each other. I don't actually want to do that math, |
| 1:48.8 | but it's been a while. Approximately yes. Yeah so we have lots to catch up on. We're going to focus on |
| 1:54.8 | the all the good and the messy and the everything that goes along with motherhood. So thank you for |
| 2:00.4 | being here. We're going to just start with like a couple quick fire questions to kick things off. |
| 2:05.8 | First tell everyone where you live and what you do professionally. Sure so I live in Chelmsford, |
... |
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