In this episode, I share a profound conversation that I had with my amazing mindset coach, where she dropped a bombshell: "Pregnancy is a trauma." This left me truly shaken and I couldn't help but resonate with this statement deeply.  In this first year with my second baby, I had to hold back from screaming in agreement.  The truth is, for most of us, pregnancy is far from the glowing, joyful experience often portrayed. It's a complex journey, often fraught with pain, fear, and challenges. What's more, it's a journey that carries the weight of systemic and statistical disparities, particularly for women of color.  This episode dives headfirst into the unspoken realities of pregnancy and postpartum experiences, highlighting the need for more support and understanding. It's a conversation that's long overdue, and I'm honored to share it with you. So, join me on this emotional rollercoaster as we explore the profound impact of motherhood, worthiness, and the career-focused world we navigate.  GEMS DROPPED “I may not be the coach for you. That's not what this is about. But if you don't have a coach, I need you to rectify that… I really do. And not just any coach obviously. I have been blessed to find the kinds of coaches that I have and to sit at their feet, and to learn about myself through them reflecting back to me and from their sage guidance and wisdoms and strategies …just having walked paths that I'm on but they're ahead of me. And it is everything.” “You cannot live in this society, and be thinking about your future, and your goals or your desires, your interests, your curiosities, and money…somewhere in the recesses of your mind…not play some meaningful role especially as women of color, people of color, or people who don't come from a long lineage of money, we have these poverty scenarios, these destitution scenarios that we have to confront because they're operating in the background.” “Pregnancy is a trauma. I know that we see these extreme cases of people who are having really, really horrible, horrible, horrible things. And so you look at that you're like, ‘well, I didn't have that happen to me.’  Or you have these women who are just like, ‘I love to be pregnant, the glow is real, I had none of that postpartum depression and anxiety.’ You're gonna hear basically, the polar opposite ends of that experience and that's it, but there's a whole swathe of us… the majority of us…in between, have had some kind of experience with pregnancy that can be categorized as trauma”. “You feeling, grounded, rooted, firm, clear and connected to your own worthiness and having an empowered relationship to your ability to create money has everything to do with what you go after in life. And so it's not just, ‘oh, I'm tired, oh, I'm emotional and hormonal,’ you have gone through something, you are going through something that is way bigger than I ever really hear in social narratives.” MENTIONS Book:The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou , Amely Greeven , et al. Book: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth August 7, 2008 by Ina May Gaskin Book: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?: A Novel by Crystal Smith Paul  STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an&nb