Valerie: A first year of amazement, vigilance, and control | Episode 14

Today's guest is Valerie Probstfeld, MSN, FNP-BC.

Valerie is a nurse practitioner and mother of three. Valerie shares in this episode about the amazement she found in her first year, along with the vigilance and control she felt she needed to hold on to during and after her baby's NICU stay - "within the first 10 minutes of my child’s birth, the illusion of control was ripped away from me."

Valerie talks about:

• Studying for the "motherhood exam like I was going to get an A+"
• Learning to cope with fear and anxiety to be present in the moment
• The unique challenges of navigating a NICU stay as a mother AND a medical provider 
• Building new ways of thinking and reacting
• Advice to mothers to take photos to preserve memories
• Cultivating and practicing self-compassion
• Shifting ambition in motherhood and following her passion for supporting moms 

"At the end of the day, I’m an imperfect mom who loves - and that’s really all that matters."

 

About Valerie:

Valerie Probstfeld, MSN, FNP-BC is a nurse practitioner who received her bachelor's degrees from Bradley University in nursing and music. Valerie also holds a master's degree from Yale University.  Valerie has experience in pediatric neurology as well as primary care. 

 

Valerie encourages moms to love as an action while living life more authentically. You can check her out at her website: tomomistolove.com and social media: @valerie_probstfeld. 

Valerie also has a podcast available on Spotify, Apple, and Google called "To Mom with Valerie Probstfeld, NP" 

 

Resources:

Therapy for NICU Moms

 

How We Get Thru Course : Having a Baby in the NICU

(Get a free month of How We Get Thru with this link!)

Photographing the First Year: Expert Interview with Miranda Hayek