We call ourselves the 4am Mom Club because more nights than not, our kids are awake at 4am. We both have very medical, complicated, rare, beautiful children. This is a podcast for medical and disability mamas (and the people who love them) who are facing a life they never expected. We share hope-filled stories of families, all shapes, colors, sizes and abilities, all in different phases of their medically complex or disabled caregiving journey. When Autumn Comes Podcast is a program of the A ...
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4AM: Summer Vacation to Christmas 4AM is back! The girls discuss summer vacation, straight through to Halloween and Christmas. Buckle up, this one is a wild ride! Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow Katrina: @kattymac Join the conversation: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesSociety Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnC…
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Mornings are getting cooler and the autumn leaves are on their way in the next few months. Today, the girls recap summer vacation just as the “carefree” days of summer fade away and we transition into fall. Summer vacation looks different under the lense of medical motherhood. Gone are the days of backpacking in Europe. Today’s vacations involve pa…
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Jessica: Summer book club pt 5
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Welcome back for the final episode of our summer book club with Jessica Fein. Today, we discuss writing. Jessica shares helpful advice for anyone looking to begin writing. The girls talk about the importance of sharing their stories in whichever medium is most relevant to them. They also talk about the importance of finding community in writing. “W…
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Jessica: Summer Book Club pt 4
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15:46
In today’s episode of Summer Reading with When Autumn Comes, Suz, Katrina, and Jessica discuss joy. We always discuss what gives us hope, but where is the joy in this life of medical complexity? Maybe moms of medically complex kids mope around in black and grey all day long. Maybe some do, but not these girls! The girls discuss how they create mome…
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Jessica | Summer Book Club pt 3
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Welcome back to another episode of our summer book club. We hope you are reading along with us and joining in the conversation in the When Autumn Comes Society. This week we are discussing isolation in medical motherhood. We talk about the reasons why we feel isolated and how that impacts our families. We discuss ways in which we have found communi…
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Jessica: Summer book club pt 2
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Thank you all for joining us for round 2 of our Summer Reading Series. We hope you are loving Jessica’s book! This week, she joins us again to talk about adjusting to the new normal. What we all know now is that the “new” normal is something that is ever changing. We are always adjusting. Adjusting to life after diagnosis, life after hospitalizatio…
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Jessica | Summer Book Club pt 1
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Happy summer friends! It is July in Virginia and the rainbows at the hideaway do not disappoint. So, we celebrate summer with a Summer Reading series. Please join us in welcoming back Jessica. Jessica last joined us in April of 2023, but today she returns, a newly published author! Throughout this series, we will discuss themes that run throughout …
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4AM: Retreats and Thunderstorms Today Christi joins us again to try to convince Katrina to come to America for a retreat in August. Stay tuned to see whether she was successful. Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow Katrina: @kattymac Join the conversation: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesSociety Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.…
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Christi | Shaken Baby Syndrome
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Trigger Warning: Shaken Baby Syndrome Some sources estimate that a parent makes 35,000 decisions per day for our child. Some of these are small, like what socks to wear. Others, more important, like who will care for them while we are away. We hope we make these decisions we make, both big and small, add up in ways that create a safe and healthy en…
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4AM: I see dead people 4AM is back! Today we are chatting about seeing things in our minds… or not. Welcome to the conversation! Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow Katrina: @kattymac Join the conversation: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesSociety Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast Follow us on Instagram…
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100 episodes. We have now officially recorded 100 episodes. When we started this podcast, we hoped to connect moms. Moms of children with complex needs, feeling alone in the day to day of raising children who depended upon them in ways typical parents may not understand. This podcast has given us the opportunity to share our stories, to create comm…
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This week, we chat birthday parties during heat waves, the difference between a Canadian heat wave and an American heat wave, and who punched Suz. Welcome to the conversation! Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow Katrina: @kattymac Join the conversation: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesSociety Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.co…
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Suz and Katrina | Benji is FIVE
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31:18
Five…Five feels like a milestone birthday, from when a little kid turns into, well…not a big kid, but a kid kid. Five is also creeping closer and closer to the age Benji’s sister, Lorelei, was when she gained her angel wings. Birthdays are bittersweet when your child has a terminal diagnosis. For Benji, for Mamma, this birthday is worthy of celebra…
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4AM: Celebration and Rage 4AM is back! Today we are chatting about celebrations, rage, and child proofing AirBnB’s. Welcome to the conversation! Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow Katrina: @kattymac Join the conversation: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesSociety Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast Follow…
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Medical motherhood can take its toll on you. The ups, the downs, the trauma, the lack of time for yourself…It is ok not to be ok. Even better, it is ok to ask for help. Today, Susan and Katrina sit down to discuss therapy. The hard, the good, their reasons for going. If you have ever been scared to ask for help, we hope this episode gives you the n…
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As we approach Father’s Day, we welcome back Daniel for what has now become his annual holiday visit to the podcast. Daniel first spoke with us in 2022. Check out the link below to give the original interview a listen, I promise it’s a good one. Since we last spoke, Daniel has been busy sharing his own story and helping other parent’s to do the sam…
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Elena: Codependency in Caregiving
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Most parents can relate to the sense of losing themselves at least a little bit to parenthood. We leave behind our hobbies and dedicate ourselves to caring for these tiny humans who have taken up residence in our lives. Medical and special needs parenthood takes that to a different level. How do we maintain ourselves in the midst of this defining t…
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For those of you who listened in on Season 5, I know you have been at the edge of your seats waiting for Season 6 to start! Season 5 sure was a nail biter, filled with exciting content. Can you sense the sarcasm? I had wonderful guests and lofty plans, but the weight of medical motherhood, running a nonprofit, and life in general certainly kept me …
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Amanda and Suz are talking about the latest encounter they have had with their amazing girls from Heaven. Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Join the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/245467847367923 Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast Follow us on Instagram: @WhenAutumnComesPodcast WAC is a progra…
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Amanda: Grief and Celebration | Navigating New Chapters
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43:58
The internet is an interesting place. A place of connections, for both good and bad. A place for sharing knowledge, and a place for following people you have never met. Every now and again a creepy internet stalker turns out to be an actual really wonderful person. Every now and again, that really wonderful person turns into a friend. Enter Amanda.…
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When “they” say this journey is a rollercoaster, guys, whoever “they” are, they aren’t kidding. These past few months have brought struggles and hardship, along with moments of joy, and glimpses, twinklings, little birdies of hope. Suz is back for an update on life these days and why she has been radio silent on the podcast. In this episode, we hea…
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Katrina | Navigating Repeat Hospitalizations
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You’ve heard it before…medical parenting is not for the faint of heart, medical parenting is a roller coaster. With hospitalizations come tests, and fear, and pain. After discharge, the family processes everything that just happened, the “new normal”. For some, this happens frequently. How do you manage the in-between hospital time, waiting for the…
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Welcome Back: We definitely ghosted you
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Welcome back everyone! We are so excited for Season FIVE of When Autumn Comes! It has been a summer and we have a lot to catch up on. Today, Susan fesses up about what happened at the end of season four. Season four ended? Why yes it did, but not in the way we intended. You see, Susan has been a busy bee outside of When Autumn Comes, working on som…
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Kim Mallon | Children's Therapy Concepts: Reaching Goals
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51:48
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You and your child have what probably feels like a million appointments scheduled. Medical specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists. All of these people are members of your team. Your child’s team. They are supposed to work with you and your child toward a common goal. But who decides what that goal is? And who d…
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With a heavy, yet resilient, heart Suz shares a letter on behalf of the Apricity Hope Project. She is explaining a recent “pivot” they are being forced to make. You can read the entire letter on our website: https://apricityhope.org/apricity-place-update/ Catch up with Suz: Instagram When Autumn Comes: WAC Instagram WAC Facebook Page WAC Society Fa…
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I know what you are doing as a caregiver is hard. So let’s take five minutes alone, in a quiet place, to just sit. Feel free to cry. Feel free to smile. Do whatever feels right for the next five minutes. Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast Follow us on Instagram: @WhenAutumnC…
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Jessica (Part 2) | Defining Grief as a Medical Mom
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Merriam-Webster defines grief as “deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement” or “trouble, annoyance”. The American Psychological Association goes further to include, “Grief often includes physiological distress, separation anxiety, confusion, yearning, obsessive dwelling on the past, and apprehension about the future. Intense gri…
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Jessica (Part 1) | Finding the Cure: Navigating Rare Disease and Research
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Every family with medically complex children is impacted in some way by advances in medicine and therapy. Some have the benefit of recent developments. Others hope for cures and treatments on the horizon, yet just out of reach when they are needed most. At some point, do we all believe we will be the ones to finally beat the diagnosis? In this epis…
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Diane | Identity as a Special Needs Mom
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35:09
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35:09
Who knew that the moment you became a mother, your whole world would change? I suppose we all did. “They” tell you about the sleepless nights, the infinite love you will have for this new human that you are in charge of. What “they” don’t warn you about is the change in your identity. Of course, the day to day routine looks different. You have a ne…
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Welcome back. Sorry I missed you the last couple of weeks. Things got a bit hectic and I know y’all get it. So today… let’s take a mental vacation and getaway for a five minute mental break. Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast Follow us on Instagram: @WhenAutumnComesPodcast W…
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Jen | Embracing the Magic with Intuitive Parenting
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Do you ever have that feeling deep in your gut that you need to check on your kid, and then they are doing something they shouldn’t be doing? Have you ever thought of someone and then the phone rang? Is this just intuition or something more? Today, we sit down with Jen. Jen shares with us her daughter Teal, and the magic within her. We discuss thei…
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With Valentine’s Day tomorrow, let’s take 5 minutes together to reflect on how amazing YOU are. As parents and caregivers of medically complex and disabled children, we are often forgotten. We spend our days telling our little loves how much they mean to us - but often no one says it back. So today, let's focus on how loved you are and how incredib…
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As caregivers we are facing waves all the time. Waves of hope. Waves of grief. Waves of joy. Waves of sadness. Today we are taking five minutes of calm together to ride the waves. Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast Follow us on Instagram: @WhenAutumnComesPodcast WAC is a pro…
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Rita | Loving Bobby: Special Needs Parenting in the 1950s
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44:05
We can all agree that medicine has come a long way in recent decades. Parents can now receive some diagnoses before their child is even born and receive treatments that didn’t exist prior. Within our society, though there is still a lot of work to do, there have been changes as well. In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was signe…
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Let’s take five calming minutes together this monday. You are exactly who your child needs. But it’s also okay to take five minutes for you. Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast Follow us on Instagram: @WhenAutumnComesPodcast WAC is a program of the Apricity Hope Project - a n…
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Claire is making a 4AM appearance this week. Suz asks about farming - since Claire proclaimed in the last episode that she knows very little about it and wants to do it the rest of her life… Then things get awkward when she informs us that she not only works a farm, runs a nonprofit where she sends care packages to people with chronic medical condi…
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Claire | Chronically Beautiful: Connection in Caregiving
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Hey there friend! I have a question. What would it mean to you to know that there is someone out there who understands firsthand what it means to live with a chronic illness? Not only understands, but has created a project with the sole purpose of spreading joy and hope to others living with similar life long illnesses. That would be pretty awesome…
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Take 5: It's time for you to take five minutes...
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To kick off Apricity Hope Project’s Take Five program, we are bringing it to the When Autumn Comes Podcast. Our goal is to give you five minutes, once a week, where you can just “be”. Whether you are hiding in your bathroom, listening in the car, or laying in bed pretending to be asleep… try to take five minutes for yourself this week. Links and re…
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Diane joins Suz for the kick off 4AM of Season FOUR! And it’s as random as usual. Sidenote: Do you wash your new clothes before wearing them? Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Join the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/245467847367923 Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast Follow us on Instagram: @Wh…
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We’ve heard the rumors…Susan and Diane had a massive fight. Diane secretly quit the podcast. They aren’t speaking and blocked each other on social media. Are the rumors true? Have Susan and Diane had a massive breakup? Surely there is some tea to be spilled here. So what’s the deal? Today, Diane is back. It is time to dispel some rumors and catch u…
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Daniel | Pain Points + Updates
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As we wrap up a year, one of my favorite guests is back for a visit. Daniel Defabio is back on the show to catch up and tell us about his newest project - a “late night style” show for those who are part of our medically complex, disabled community. Additionally, I realized that I did not explain the changed that When Autumn Comes has faced - so I …
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We are not sponsored by Starbucks but we would be thrilled if they were interested in partnering with two exhausted medical, rare disease mamas who trive on peppermint mochas and survive on caffiene. Suz and Brittany bond over coffee during this 4AM bonus content. Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan @evie.thing.setd5 on instagram Join th…
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Brittany | Fixers + People Pleasing Mamas: Finding Community in Rarity
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Every one of us is special. Every one of us needs connection. When we connect with people who are “like us,” how do we find connection in rarity? Where do we go for support when we are one of a very few who share a similar story? Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Brittany. Brittany’s daughter Everleigh has a rare disease called SetD5…
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Tracy | Accept the Love: A foster turned adoptive mom navigating mental health
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46:44
Hey mama. Motherhood is really really hard. Medical motherhood, foster motherhood, adoptive motherhood…motherhood in all of its many forms is hard. Regardless, every journey to motherhood is unique, and yet so very similar. What do medical motherhood and foster/adoptive motherhood have in common? We’re so glad you asked. This week’s guest, Tracy sh…
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Tia | To Trach or Not to Trach: Making Medical Decisions for our Children
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41:30
We know that it is scary to learn that your child(ren) may need extra pieces of medical equipment to survive. Medical technology should never be positioned to us as a “last resort” when in reality it is often life saving game changers for our kids. Tia is here, sharing her family’s story. I met Tia and Hendrix when Benji and I were in the NICU and …
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Meredith | Welcome to Germany: A 2X NICU Mom’s Tips for NICU Awareness Month
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Hey mama. A NICU hospital stay is like stepping into another world – one where there are a whole lot of questions. What do these medical terms mean? What are these numbers? How do you advocate for yourself and your baby? In the midst of worrying about your child's health and wellbeing, you’re wondering about all of this. It’s a lot. That’s why this…
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If you need a good chuckle, you will love today’s 4AM with my guest Olivia. We talk about a legit 4AM boob graze, strategies for wearing a bra while in the hospital, and a new nonprofit she is starting one day. Links and resources: Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan Join the conversation: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesSociety Follow us on Facebook: www.fa…
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Olivia: Dumping The Bucket | Pivoting as a Rare Disease Family
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48:49
Meet Olivia and her beautiful family. Her youngest son, Archer, was born with a slew of medical complications and was later diagnosed with not one, but two rare diseases: Kabuki Syndrome and RYR1. This family has had to make some logistical decisions, including career and geographic moves, to make sure their entire family is balancing the best way …
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We are kicking off season three just as everyone is kicking off a brand new school year! With that, our first guest is Beth Liesenfeld from the Parent IEP Lab. She is an incredible resource for parents who are navigating the school system for our medical and special needs kids. Today she breaks down a lot of information but she also invites you to …
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Thank you all so much for your patience as Suz navigated life without a computer for weeks and weeks. We are BACK and we are thrilled to be here for our third season! We have amazing, exciting, semi-terrifiying (if you’re Suz) BIG NEWS to share in this preview episode so give it a listen. Lastly we are sharing details about the upcoming (free) Pare…
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