Surviving the ICU is only the beginning of the journey.

In this special bonus episode of Birth Trauma Stories, I with my friends Micheal Patrick, Cheryl Thompson, and Dr. Brian Peach share why we are joining survivors, families, and advocates to walk in honor of those impacted by Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS).

PICS can affect survivors long after they leave the ICU, impacting the body, mind, and emotions—and yet, so many people have never heard of it. As a survivor of an amniotic fluid embolism, cardiac arrest, ECMO, stroke, and a prolonged hospitalization, I know firsthand that recovery doesn't end when you leave the hospital.

This walk is about bringing those experiences out of the shadows.

It's about raising awareness.
It's about honoring survivors.
It's about remembering those we lost.
And it's about reminding survivors that they don't have to walk the road of recovery alone.

One step at a time, we can raise awareness, create community, and change the conversation around life after critical illness.

There are walks all around the world. Come walk with us.

**This recording was recorded live on Instagram. Sound quality may vary.**

Join ⁠@nicufreedom⁠ and I for April's ⁠#AskAtara⁠! This month is #CesareanAwarenessMonth. If a #VBAC is part of your birth plan, you don’t have to walk that road alone. We encourage you to connect with ICAN for support, education, and community.
Pray, seek wisdom, and advocate for the birth God has placed on your heart.

Ask Atara is recorded live on Instagram. Sound quality may vary.

ICAN's Website

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Join Megan Secrest, Liana Albers, Atara Parkinson, and I as we share the heart behind our upcoming virtual retreat.

In this episode, we walk through each session, the intention behind them, and the stories that led us into this work.

While each of our journeys looks different, one powerful theme kept rising to the surface…tune into hear more!

Sign up for the Retreat

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 This week I'm joined by Megan Seacrest. Megan is a wife, a mom to five children, one on Earth and four in heaven. She's also a licensed clinical social worker and EMDR certified therapist. She has been with her husband for 10 years and her personal experiences with ADHD and pregnancy loss deeply inform her work.

Megan specializes in walking alongside grieving parents and women navigating anxiety, trauma, emotional sensitivity, or late discovered neurodivergence. Known for her warmth, honesty, and dry humor. She brings both skill and heart to the therapy room. In her counseling practice, Gift of Grit counseling, Megan helps clients find strength in their hardest seasons and gently supports them in creating meaning from even the deepest pain.

Megan's Website

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Megan's Facebook

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Join @nicufreedom and I for March’s #AskAtara!
This month we discuss the ripple effect of #PerinatalTrauma.
March is also #AFEAwarenessMonth. I typically do not ask for donations from this beautiful community but if you feel led and want to support the @afefoundation donate below! 🩵

Ask Atara is recorded live on Instagram. Sound quality may vary.

AFE's Donation Page

⁠Atara's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 Today's episode I'm joined by Brittany Baker, mama of four work from home Mama, dear friend and the doula who supported me during the birth of my second daughter. What makes this conversation especially sacred and heavy is that Brittany was in the room when we experienced our amniotic fluid embolism. That alone carries layers of shared trauma and deep connection. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to have babies after witnessing an AFE, and how fear, faith and healing coexist; especially when her daughter Libby's birth was semi off-grid. Brittany also shares her own life-threatening story. Two years before having her daughter, Libby, she experienced an aneurysm on the main blood vessel to her spleen. Doctors later told her that if she had become pregnant before it was discovered, it could have cost both of their lives. This is a conversation about survival, God's protection, and the miracles.

Brittany's Instagram

Brittany's Facebook

The 1st Part of Brittany's First Episode

The 2nd Part of Brittany's First Episode

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Today's episode is one I truly believe is God ordained. I'm joined by my dear AFE and stroke sister Liana Albers. Our friendship began with a simple post in the Facebook, AFE support group. I was searching for someone who understood life post-stroke, and God led Liana to respond. In this episode, she shares her testimony of survival, healing, and fighting back from the brink of death, including her journey through a post AFE pregnancy, and how God met her in the midst of fear and faith. Tune in to hear more!

Liana's First Episode

#CoffeewithCathy Guest Starring with Liana

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Today’s guest has spent her career helping women improve their health and fertility outcomes. Kirsten Karchmer is the founder and CEO of Conceivable, a company using AI to personalize women’s health, fertility, and wellness care. We’ll talk about how she’s turning decades of clinical experience into an AI-powered “care team,” why tracking data alone isn’t enough, and how her team is using technology to create real, measurable improvements in women’s health.

Conceivable's Facebook

Conceivable's Instagram

Conceivable's YouTube

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 Today I'm joined by Andrea Hickson from NICU alumni. Andrea is the parent of two fierce NICU graduates. After bringing her little ones home, she recognized the sense of isolation and uncertainty that often accompanies this significant transition. This understanding is what fuels her mission to support families ensuring they no longer feel overwhelmed, but instead feel confident and hopeful as they navigate life after the NICU.

Andrea's First Episode

Connect NICU Alumni on Instagram

Connect NICU Alumni on Facebook

NICU Alumni's Website

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Ashley Hernandez’s birth story is one of resilience and survival. After conceiving through IVF, she developed gestational hypertension that progressed to preeclampsia with severe features, putting both her and her baby at risk. She was also high-risk for preterm labor. Ultimately, she required a C-section, during which placenta accreta was discovered, leading to a partial hysterectomy. Her baby spent time in the NICU, adding another layer of challenge to her postpartum recovery.

(I am not sure how, but this episode was released early. This may be a repeat episode for you.)

⁠Ashley's Instagram⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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