218. The Story of Two Sisters: When One Lives The Life The Other Expected

Please note that this episode discusses topics such as mental health, mental illness, depression, and suicide that individuals may find difficult to listen to. In this episode, Dr. Baron sits down with sisters Miriam Gross and Esther Leah Rothman. Together, they explore where mental health and fertility meet, and what it's like when one sister builds the family the other once hoped for. Miriam shares her mental and physical health journey, including a high-risk pregnancy after major fibroid surgery, followed by severe postpartum depression and a psychiatric hospitalization as a new mother. Though making peace with not having another child has been a difficult and ongoing emotional process, rabbinic guidance gave her permission to put her own wellbeing first and focus on the family she already had. Esther Leah shares what it was like to step in during Miriam's hardest years, babysitting her nephew and helping at home so their parents could be there for her sister. She also opens up about her own history of depression and anxiety, and how overwhelming motherhood can be. Through it all, she's learned to hold two truths at once: deep gratitude for her children and the very real exhaustion of being a mother, all while staying sensitive to what her sister has lost. If you are watching a sibling live the life you wanted, or struggling with mental illness or postpartum depression, then this episode is for you.   About Miriam Gross: Miriam and Esther Leah are sisters. Originally from Los Angeles, Miriam now lives in Highland Park NJ and Esther Leah lives in Far Rockaway NY. Through their parallel pregnancy journeys, they have become closer, despite their 11 year age difference. They are here to share those journeys with you today. Email About Esther Leah Rothman: I am a 30 years old, FT working mother of 3, originally from LA , now living in Far Rockaway, NY. Email Connect with us: Website‍ ‍Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍Facebook‍ ‍TikTok‍ ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍