🎧 Episode Description

In this episode, Michelle Flynn shares her deeply personal and professional insight into birth trauma, and why it’s not always about what happens, but how it’s experienced.

Drawing on her own journey through pregnancy anxiety and her work as a perinatal psychotherapist, Michelle explains how trauma can live in the nervous system, showing up long after the moment has passed. From hypervigilance and intrusive thoughts to sensory triggers that bring the body straight back into the experience, she breaks down why these reactions happen and what they actually mean.

Together, Michelle and Laura unpack the importance of feeling safe, seen and supported, both for patients and for healthcare professionals. This really comes back to understanding your body and how trauma can show up differently for each of us.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

Postnatal Depression

A type of depression that can occur after childbirth, affecting mood, energy, and ability to care for yourself or your baby.

Postnatal Anxiety

A condition involving excessive worry, fear, or intrusive thoughts during the postpartum period.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A mental health condition involving intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours, which can present during pregnancy or postpartum.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, including childbirth.

Perinatal Mental Health

Mental health during pregnancy and the early years after birth, typically up until a child is around two years old, when individuals may be more vulnerable to anxiety and mood disorders.

Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine)

A body-based trauma therapy focused on how the nervous system stores and processes traumatic experiences.

The Body Keeps the Score - Dr Bessel van der Kolk

A widely recognised book exploring how trauma is stored in the body and how it can be treated.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)

A psychotherapy approach used to help people process and recover from traumatic memories.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

A structured therapy that focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns.

MBRRACE-UK Report

A UK report examining maternal deaths and inequalities, including higher risks among Black and ethnic minority women.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 - What is birth trauma

02:00 - Michelle’s personal pregnancy experience

04:00 - Pregnancy anxiety and early fears

07:30 - Feeling dismissed and unsupported

10:30 - Who is more vulnerable to trauma

20:00 - PTSD in healthcare professionals

24:00 - Communication and consent in care

28:00 - Can trauma be prevented

36:00 - The lemon experiment and body response

45:00 - Understanding somatic therapy

50:00 - Why CBT may not work for trauma

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

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