On today’s episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Olivia, a nurse, Navy veteran, and fellow AFE survivor, who shares her powerful and truly unique birth story.

Olivia walks us through her experience of an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) during the birth of her son, Theo, including the unimaginable reality of being awake and aware during much of her own resuscitation. Her story is both medically complex and deeply human, highlighting the layers of trauma that can exist even when lives are ultimately saved.

This is Part 1 of Olivia’s story. 🤍

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Olivia’s background as an ER nurse and Navy veteran
🌍 Deploying during COVID and the impact of repeated medical trauma exposure
🤰 A challenging pregnancy while working night shift and relocating alone
⚠️ Early warning signs like vision changes and rising blood pressure
🏥 Electing for induction at 39 weeks and questioning that decision afterward
🫁 The sudden onset of shortness of breath — a key symptom of AFE
🚨 Rapid deterioration and emergency C-section under intense circumstances
😳 Being awake and aware during her own medical emergency
🩸 Developing DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation)
🏥 Massive transfusion protocol and ongoing resuscitation efforts
⏳ A prolonged, 23-hour decline leading to ECMO
🫀 Understanding how AFE can present without full cardiac arrest
🫁 Being placed on VV ECMO for lung support
😨 Experiencing awareness while paralyzed in the ICU
👂 Hearing conversations, procedures, and care while unable to move
💬 The importance of how providers speak around patients — even when they appear sedated

Olivia’s story is a profound reminder that trauma is not just about survival — but about what is experienced during those life-threatening moments.

Her perspective as both a patient and a medical provider offers an incredibly rare and important lens into birth trauma, critical care, and the lasting impact of these experiences.

Be sure to tune in next week for Part 2, where Olivia shares her recovery, mental health journey, and what it was like to go on to have another baby after AFE — something rarely discussed. 🤍

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

March 27th marks Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) Awareness Day, a time to honor the lives affected by this rare but life-threatening complication. In this special episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, we take a deep dive into what AFE is, how it happens, and what can be done to improve survival rates.

In this episode, we discuss:
🩸 What is AFE? Understanding this sudden and unpredictable complication
⚕️ Symptoms & Diagnosis: How AFE presents and why it’s difficult to diagnose
🚨 Emergency Response & Treatment: The critical importance of rapid medical intervention
📉 Risk Factors & Research Gaps: What we know (and don’t know) about AFE prevention
💜 Support for Survivors & Families: Resources for those impacted

AFE is rare—affecting about 1 in 40,000 births—but its impact is devastating. The best way to save lives is through awareness, preparedness, and research funding.

Resources Mentioned:
🌐 AFE Foundation & Support Resources
📚 Free CEU Course for Healthcare Providers on AFE Management
📑 Simulation Toolkit & Emergency Guides for Medical Teams
📞 24/7 AFE Hotline for Medical Teams Managing Suspected Cases

AFE survivors, grieving families, and medical professionals—this episode is for you. Let’s continue to raise awareness and push for better understanding, treatment, and support.

🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform!

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On today’s episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh speaks with author and advocate Samina Ali, who shares her devastating and powerful birth story. What began as a healthy first pregnancy quickly turned into a life-threatening medical emergency when her symptoms of preeclampsia were repeatedly dismissed by providers.

Samina vulnerably shares how undiagnosed preeclampsia progressed into HELLP syndrome, seizures, stroke, and multi-organ failure, and the long road of recovery that followed. Her story highlights the dangerous consequences of not being believed in medical spaces and the systemic issues that continue to impact maternal health outcomes.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ A first pregnancy at 29 with symptoms that didn’t feel right
⚠️ Warning signs of preeclampsia that were repeatedly dismissed by providers
👁️ Experiencing visual disturbances, headaches, swelling, and severe symptoms late in pregnancy
🩺 Carrying a pregnancy to term while unknowingly experiencing multiple small strokes
💔 Feeling unheard and dismissed by the medical team during labor
🚨 Developing HELLP syndrome 
🧠 Experiencing a grand mal seizure immediately after delivery
🩸 Suffering a massive brain hemorrhage and stroke
🏥 Being rushed to the neuro ICU in a coma after multi-organ failure
💔 Her newborn son requiring NICU care after the traumatic birth
⚖️ The role of systemic bias, racism, and dismissal in maternal healthcare
🌱 Surviving the unimaginable and eventually sharing her story through writing and advocacy

Samina’s story is a powerful reminder that listening to women and especially women of color in medical spaces is life-saving care.

Her experience sheds light on the realities of maternal morbidity in the United States and the urgent need for systemic change in how pregnant patients are heard, believed, and treated.

We are incredibly grateful to Samina for sharing her story and continuing to advocate for safer maternal healthcare. 🤍

You can find Samina's books through her website HERE.

Guest Bio:

Samina Ali is an award-winning author, curator, and popular speaker. Her debut novel, MADRAS ON RAINY DAYS, won France’s prestigious Prix Premier Roman Etranger and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award in fiction. Her latest memoir, PIECES YOU'LL NEVER GET BACK, is a harrowing and redemptive memoir, in which a new mother must reconstruct her shattered mind, her relationship to her religious upbringing, and her life’s purpose. Named a "Most Anticipated Book of 2025" by multiple outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Pieces You’ll Never Get Back was an April pick by the celebrity book club, Belletrist, and has been optioned for the screen.

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On today’s episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh answers one of the most common questions she hears from both clients and her online community: “Was my birth actually traumatic?”

In this mini episode, she breaks down the truth about trauma, reminding listeners that trauma is not defined by how something “looked” on paper, but by how it was experienced in the body and nervous system. This conversation invites you to release comparison, validate your own experience, and understand that you are worthy of support.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ The question so many parents ask: “Was it bad enough to be trauma?”
🧠 Why trauma is subjective and based on your nervous system response
⚡ How trauma is a survival response not a choice
🤍 Letting go of the idea that trauma needs to meet a certain “threshold.”
🔍 Getting curious about why you’re asking if your birth was traumatic
💬 The desire for validation and feeling “worthy” of support
⚖️ The harmful impact of comparing your experience to others
🌱 Why you don’t need a label to seek help or healing
🫶 Giving yourself permission to acknowledge your experience as it was
💡 Understanding that if it felt traumatic, it was traumatic

Kayleigh gently challenges the belief that we need to justify our pain in order to receive care and reminds listeners that healing starts with validating your own experience, not minimizing it.

If you’ve ever questioned whether your birth “counts” as trauma or felt unsure if you deserve support, this episode is for you. 🤍

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On today’s episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh welcomes Anya to share the story of her first birth — a pregnancy that was completely uncomplicated until a cascade of unexpected events in labor led to a traumatic emergency C-section experience.

Anya opens up about feeling pressured into surgery, a frightening complication with anesthesia in the operating room, and the terror of feeling unable to breathe while fully conscious. Her story highlights how quickly birth can shift and how important communication, consent, and emotional support are during labor and delivery. 

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ An uncomplicated pregnancy that suddenly shifted during labor
💧 An accidental rupture of membranes during a membrane sweep
🏥 Induction with a Cook catheter and Pitocin
💉 Receiving a very heavy epidural and not realizing something was unusual
⚠️ A new on-call OB pushing for a C-section despite earlier progress
😔 Feeling confused, pressured, and unheard during labor decisions
🚨 Being rushed toward surgery without clear explanations
🩺 A frightening complication when anesthesia didn’t work as expected
😨 Experiencing panic and terror after suddenly losing the ability to breathe in the OR
🫁 The moment monitors alarmed and the team realized something was wrong
🤍 The emotional impact of feeling powerless and alone during a medical crisis

Anya shares vulnerably about the fear, confusion, and loss of control she experienced in those moments — and how deeply those experiences can shape the way we process birth afterward.

Her story is a powerful reminder that trauma in birth isn’t only about what happens medically, but how supported, informed, and safe a birthing person feels throughout the process.

We are so grateful to Anya for sharing her story and helping others feel less alone in their experiences. 🤍

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On today’s episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh shifts perspectives and shares her own therapy journey, not as a clinician, but as a client. After surviving a life-threatening birth experience and amniotic fluid embolism, Kayleigh opens up about the role therapy, medication, EMDR, and parts work have played in her healing.

This vulnerable episode explores what trauma healing can actually look like years after the initial event and how deeper layers of trauma can surface in surprising ways. 

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Kayleigh’s personal therapy journey after surviving an amniotic fluid embolism
🧠 Why she sought therapy immediately after being discharged from the ICU
🤍 The power of relational therapy and feeling deeply seen in trauma recovery
💊 Navigating postpartum anxiety, health anxiety, and starting an SSRI
🔍 The overlap between health anxiety and OCD-style intrusive thoughts
🧑‍⚕️ How becoming an EMDR therapist changed the way she understood trauma healing
🌀 What EMDR and parts work looked like from the client perspective
🧩 How childhood experiences can shape the way we experience birth trauma
🏥 A surprising connection between childhood medical experiences and feeling unheard during birth
🌙 Processing an early childhood home robbery that fueled nighttime anxiety for decades
👩‍👦 The lingering trauma of nearly leaving her son without a mother
💬 Why talk therapy alone sometimes isn’t enough for trauma healing
🌱 How EMDR helped process trauma that was stored in the nervous system

Kayleigh also shares an honest look at what healing can look like six years after trauma,  including the reality that some pieces resolve while others take longer to process.

If you’ve wondered what EMDR therapy actually feels like, why trauma responses can appear years later, or why talking about trauma doesn’t always resolve it, this episode offers a deeply personal and insightful perspective.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing is not linear — and that even therapists need support, care, and space to process their own stories. 🤍

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On today’s episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Leslie shares the story of her daughter Cora born via emergency C-section after a full-term pregnancy and the unimaginable grief of losing her shortly after birth. She also opens up about secondary infertility, pregnancy after loss, a traumatic COVID birth, and the long road of healing that followed.

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and trauma can coexist and that both deserve care. 🤍

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ A full-term pregnancy that ended in emergency C-section and stillbirth
💔 Holding, honoring, and saying goodbye to Cora Ann
📦 The impact of compassionate bereavement care and memory-making
🌈 Secondary infertility: IUIs, IVF, and multiple pregnancy losses
🩺 A high-risk pregnancy complicated by subchorionic hemorrhage and COVID
🏥 Delivering at 34 weeks alone due to hospital COVID policies
🫁 NICU separation and leaving the hospital — again — with empty arms
🧠 Postpartum anxiety, trauma triggers, and difficulty bonding after loss
💬 Finding the language for birth trauma and healing through EMDR
🤍 The power of loss-specific support groups
🎈 Honoring Cora each year with intentional remembrance traditions

Leslie vulnerably shares what it felt like to barely breathe in the thick of grief and how asking for support, finding trauma-informed therapy, and continuing to honor her daughter has shaped her healing.

If you have experienced stillbirth, infertility, NICU trauma, pregnancy after loss, or postpartum anxiety, this conversation will help you feel less alone.

We are so grateful to Leslie for honoring Cora by sharing her story with us. 💛

You can follow along with Leslie on instagram: @braving_forward

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

✨ Special Rerelease Episode ✨

In this important conversation, Kayleigh sits down with Dr. Pria Alpern to talk about EMDR therapy and its powerful role in healing birth trauma. If you’ve ever felt stuck in intrusive memories, body flashbacks, or overwhelming anxiety after your birth experience, this episode offers both education and hope. We break down what EMDR actually is, how it works, and why it can be especially effective for perinatal trauma.

In this episode, we talk about:

🧠 What EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) actually is
🔄 How trauma gets “stuck” in the brain and nervous system
👁️ Why bilateral stimulation can help reprocess traumatic memories
🤰 How birth trauma uniquely impacts the body and identity
😔 Intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and triggers after birth
🫶 What an EMDR session looks like and how to know if it’s right for you
⏳ The difference between retelling your story and reprocessing it
💛 Why you don’t have to live in fight-or-flight forever
🌿 Finding trauma-informed support in the perinatal period

Why this episode matters:

✨ Birth trauma is real—and treatable
✨ Healing doesn’t require reliving every detail over and over
✨ Your nervous system deserves support
✨ You are not broken—your brain adapted to survive

Guest Bio: 

Dr. Alpern is the founder of Center Psychology Group. She is an EMDR clinician certified by EMDRIA, the organization dedicated to upholding the modality’s standards. She is also a graduate of the EMDR Clinical Affiliate Program at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies (NIP) Trauma Treatment Center in New York City. Dr. Alpern is an EMDRIA-approved consultant and provides individual and group consultation to EMDR therapists. She the founder of the Manhattan Center for Trauma Studies, where she oversees continuing education trainings focused on EMDR and trauma-informed psychotherapy. Dr. Alpern is an Advanced-level Somatic Experiencing practitioner (SEI). She completed specialized training in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders from Postpartum Support International, and she is a special adjunct clinical professor at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus, where she earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Rosemary Furman Counseling Center at Barnard College, where she specialized in late adolescence, early adulthood, and trauma. Dr. Alpern holds a B.A. in Psychology and Art History from Georgetown University. 

Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Alpern offers trauma-related psychoeducation through her TikTok and Instagram accounts.

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

In this episode, Kayleigh sits down with Annie to share her powerful story of birth trauma, medical complications, and the long road of postpartum healing. Annie opens up about how quickly plans changed, the fear and confusion that followed, and what it has looked like to process trauma while learning to parent. This conversation is honest, validating, and a reminder that trauma isn’t defined by one moment.

In this episode, we talk about:

🤰 A pregnancy that didn’t unfold the way she expected
🏥 Medical complications and rapid decision-making during labor
😔 Feeling dismissed, confused, or out of control in key moments
🧠 How trauma lives in the body long after birth
💔 The emotional aftermath in the early postpartum weeks
🫶 The impact birth trauma had on identity and relationships
🌪️ Anxiety, hypervigilance, and trying to make sense of what happened
🗂️ Revisiting medical records and searching for answers
✨ Finding support through therapy and safe spaces
🌿 What healing has looked like over time

This episode's artwork for the reel was done by Annie as a way of processing her experience. You can follow her art page on instagram for more: @abowlerdraws

If you’ve ever questioned whether your experience “counts” as trauma, this episode is for you. You are not dramatic. You are not weak. And you are not alone. 🤍

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

In this episode, Kayleigh talks about something that comes up again and again in our community: how, when, and whether to share your birth trauma story. From conversations with pregnant friends to posting publicly or presenting professionally, this episode explores navigating boundaries, safety, and connection, without shame. You are allowed to share your story. And you’re also allowed to protect it.

In this episode, we talk about:

🗣️ The myth of “trauma dumping” and why your story isn’t too much
🤰 How to navigate conversations with pregnant friends
💛 Offering “what I wish I had known” instead of every detail
🧠 Asking: Is this space safe for my story?
😔 The icky feeling of oversharing—and why it happens after trauma
✨ Replacing shame with self-compassion
🚧 Simple phrases to set boundaries when you don’t want to share
🌍 Sharing your story publicly in a way that feels intentional
⏱️ Why practicing different lengths/versions of your story matters
🛠️ The role of therapy and processing before public storytelling
🤍 Protecting your nervous system while raising awareness

Why this episode matters:

🌟 You are allowed to tell your story
🌟 You don’t owe anyone the details
🌟 Boundaries and advocacy can coexist
🌟 Your story deserves safety, care, and intention

Whether you’re figuring out how to talk to a pregnant friend or preparing to share your story on a bigger stage, this episode offers practical tools and gentle validation. Your story matters, and you get to decide how it’s told. 🤍

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.