Welcome to the final episode of season one of Teaching STEM #4Real! Today, I am issuing a trigger warning as I will be talking about a very personal experience with pregnancy loss. However, I am so grateful to be in the hands of Parijat! Parijat Deshpande is the leading integrative high-risk pregnancy specialist, somatic trauma professional, and speaker and author who guides women to improve their pregnancy complications so they can reduce their risk of preterm birth. Her unique neurobiological approach has served hundreds of women to manage pregnancy complications and reclaim a safety and trust in their bodies that they thought was eroded forever. Parijat is the author of the bestselling book, Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy. She is also the host of the popular podcast, Delivering Miracles®️, that discusses the real, raw side of family-building including infertility, loss, high-risk pregnancy, bed rest, prematurity and healing once the baby comes home. In this episode, we’ll talk about the need for the teaching profession to be family centered specifically when it comes to pregnancy, Parijat’s challenges with her children and the education system, and the need for a system that is much more flexible. Besides this, we’ll chat about the ineffective way in which health is taught in schools, the need for more basic health education, and how we can better talk about genetic disorders. Last but not least, Parijat and I will ponder how we can better support pregnant teachers and the importance of embracing emotions. Keep listening to hear more! Learn more about Parijat Deshpande and her work at www.parijatdeshpande.com. Rate, Review, & Follow on Spotify & Apple Podcasts “This is a great show for educators in STEM! Love Leena’s perspective on creating equitable classroom environments for STEM and the guests are always spot on!” <– If that sounds like you, ⁠⁠please consider rating and reviewing our show⁠⁠! This helps us support more people — just like you — move toward creating access and equity in STEM, #4Real. ⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! You can also rate the show on Spotify here: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7CsBVUpmzwgvNsSYkWcJ4C⁠⁠  Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast here: ⁠⁠Follow now⁠⁠! Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to #4Real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction looks like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit,⁠⁠ STEM4Real⁠⁠. Please visit our⁠⁠ website⁠⁠ for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM, #4Real.