JWK: And your first son son is studying to be a commercial pilot, correct?

NS: That’s right! He’s 24-years-old. He himself has already graduated college and now he’s just finishing up flight school to be commercial pilot.

JWK: So that must give you a sense of success – to have raised your son from that beginning and now to see him literally flying out of the nest.

NS: He was at my high school graduation, my college graduation and medical school graduation. He has been my constant my entire adult life. So, to watch him now have his own success and drive and become the man he was meant to become has really been encouraging.

JWK: Has your experience affected your views on abortion and, perhaps, how it should be handled in the public sphere?

NS: What I can say about the whole pro-life/pro-choice debate is that I wish there was as much support for people who are considering wanting to choose life as there is for people who do not want to choose life. Unfortunately, I see the majority of financial funds and advocacy for pro-abortion stances and less for those who want to choose life. I think that there are a lot of young women – or women in general – who choose abortion because they don’t believe that there is anyone there to help them and they don’t believe that they are able to have their child. If they actually had a stronger support system around them – whether it’s their actual friends and family or if it’s something in the community – they may choose life. If they could choose life, it could be a beautiful one.

JWK: Sometimes it seems the pro-choice side is a bit too focused on only one choice.

NS: You can go to a clinic right now and choose to get an abortion. You don’t necessarily have to pay for it because there are ample government and state funds for choosing abortion but, often times, there are not as many accessible options for people who are choosing life.

JWK: You have two successful careers – as a doctor and as a Fox News commentator – plus a family. Is that a challenge?

NS: Well, you know, I’d say I’m much better when I’m busy. I find that I’m a better mother, a better wife and a better doctor when I am keeping myself busy. I like to be challenged. I like to make sure that I am reaching as many people as I possibly can whether it’s seeing patients in the hospital, working on health policy legislation or just speaking to people directly over media – radio and national television. That gives me fulfillment. So, if I am fulfilled – and working on myself – then I am a much better mother, wife and doctor to those around me.

JWK: As you mentioned, you have stories in your book other than your own – many from Fox News on-air talent. Rachel Campos-Duffy has quite an amazing story – nine children, one with Down syndrome. I don’t know how she does it.

NS: That’s right. This book is not just my story. It’s a collection of many motherhood journeys, many Fox people (including) Rachel Duffy, Kayleigh McEnany, Ainsley Earhardt and more – but also some non-Fox people. One is a patient of mine and so many others that people don’t know.

Rachel-Campos Duffy is actually one of my very closest friends. We’re neighbors. We actually live close by. She is an incredible woman. In her chapter, specifically, she talks about how important faith is – and has been for her entire life – and really how it guides her as a mother. She even talks about mom-guilt and how there was a moment where – if you have nine children, imagine this – she accidentally lost one of her children in a public space. You can imagine the emotions that went with that. She was traumatized from it. She leaned on her faith to forgive herself – and let go of some of that mom-guilt.

JWK: I mean those things happen. You look away for a second and it’s like what happened?! It’s scary.

NS: Rachel also is one of the strongest pro-life advocates that I have every met. We have had many conversations out of the public eye about it and about her beliefs. She questions. She really tries to understand other people’s viewpoints as to why they wouldn’t be pro-life. I  think that’s so important – the fact that she wants to understand it but, ultimately, her beliefs are very strong and rooted in faith. She has nine children. Her youngest, Valentina, has Down syndrome. When she found out that she had Down syndrome – when she was a few months pregnant – there was not even a question in her mind that she wouldn’t continue on with the pregnancy. In fact, she saw it as a blessing to be given this child.

JWK: I know you don’t want to play favorites but are there any other stories in the book that really stand out as being emblematic of what it is about?

NS: We were able to break down the stories in different groups, faith being one of them. Rachel Duffy is in faith. Kayleigh McEnany and Ainsley Earhardt are also in faith. They really talk about – both of them – leaning on their faith through various situations in their life. Ainsley, specifically, decided to discuss the fact that she got divorced and how hard that was – getting divorced in the public eye, having a strong faith, facing potential judgement from those around her and how she has moved on (by) focusing on her daughter…I also have many other stories in their that touch on a lot of real-life scenarios. We talk about Medicare, cancer diagnoses, depression, adoption and so many other things. Writing this book made me laugh, it made my cry – but, at the end of it, I just had such a warm fulfillment of my heart that I am so excited to share this book with others.

JWK: Is there a correlation between a strong mother-child relationship – as well as a strong father-child relationship – to the positive development of a child?

NS: Absolutely! I think we see that in a lot in what’s going on. In a lot of lower-income areas, a lot of high-crime areas, if you look to some of the children who are struggling, often times they don’t have the intact family unit – whether the father’s not there, whether there are dysfunctional relationships within that family unit, ultimately something has unraveled in their home life. So, while we seem to focus on so many external things right now, I think we have to refocus our thinking and to remind ourselves how important family is.

Actually, before the book Love, Mom came out, I wrote a children’s book with my middle son that’s called That What Family’s for. It talks all about this little monkey who gets a bad diagnosis from his doctor and he realizes as long as he has his family around him that things will be okay. What does that “okay” look like? It doesn’t mean that there are not going to be challenges in the future – but, if somebody has their family by their side, that really matters.  I wish we as a community, we as a society, could kind of get back to the basics and cherish that family unit.

JWK: Is the breakdown of the family part of why we are seeing such high rates of depression in young people?

NS: I certainly think that the breakdown of the family unit plays a large part in things that are going on and all of the conflict and turmoil that we are seeing throughout our country and even throughout the world. I also think the rise of the digital era and social media largely contributes to it. While people are starting to point fingers – saying social media companies need to be restricting children – I think ultimately it comes down to the family life, the parents making sure that their children are instilled with values and limiting (their exposure) to negative external forces.

JWK: Is there anything else you’d like to say as we wrap-up?

NS: One of the most important and beautiful things about this book is the audio book which I’m extremely proud of. Many people are busy running around and don’t necessarily have time to sit and read a book. That’s why we decided to put even extra effort into the audio book. You’ll hear my voice – but it’s not just my voice. I was actually able to convince a lot of these moms to record their own chapter. So, the audio book is just a beautiful compilation of these stories.

Again, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but I really think that, after reading this book, people will feel like maybe they’re not alone. Maybe they’re gonna take some pieces of advice from the book. In the center of it we actually have a color pamphlet full of Scripture and little pieces of advice from all the moms that were submitted. It’s truly just a beautiful collection.

JWK: Do you have more books in you?

NS: That’s a great question! You know what? I would love continue to tell more stories on motherhood because since this book has come out I have had so many people reach out and tell me even more incredible stories. So, there may be a part two. I don’t know.
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Coming Attraction: Sony Pictures’ Affirm Films, Provident Films and the Kendrick Brothers just dropped their official trailer for The Forge due to premiere exclusively in theaters nationwide August 23rd.