On this episode we welcome Katie to share her story. Katie had a fairly textbook and healthy pregnancy and had decided that she wanted to have a midwife with her delivery. She scheduled an induction at 41 weeks and found herself having to have a C-Section due to preeclampsia and little communication from her provider.

On this episode you will hear:
- preeclampsia at 41 weeks
- rough communication from provider
- asking for a gentle C-Section (clear drape)
- missed moments and challenging recovery from C-Section with blood clot
- medical neglect from providers
- home nurse to help dress open wound
- healing journey

If you have a birth trauma story you would like to share with us, click this link and fill out the form. 

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 this solo episode, Kayleigh is discussing all things c-section. She shares a few different studies highlighting the data on c-sections and PTSD, as well as how they compare to other modes of delivery. Kayleigh also touches on TOLACs and planned cesarean sections after birth trauma. 

In this episode:
- Types of C-Sections
- C-Section and birth trauma
- Communication and Support as mitigating factors
- Delivery decisions after birth trauma (TOLAC v. planned c-section)
- C-Sections under general anesthesia

Studies Discussed:

Garthus-Niegel S, von Soest T, Knoph C, Simonsen TB, Torgersen L, Eberhard-Gran M. The influence of women's preferences and actual mode of delivery on post-traumatic stress symptoms following childbirth: a population-based, longitudinal study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014 Jun 5;14:191. doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-191. PMID: 24898436; PMCID: PMC4053555.

Orovou E, Iliadou M, Chatzopoulou MT, Dagla M, Eskitzis P, Rigas N, Antoniou E. The Relation between Birth with Cesarean Section and Posttraumatic Stress in Postpartum Women. Maedica (Bucur). 2023 Dec;18(4):615-622. doi: 10.26574/maedica.2023.18.4.615. PMID: 38348064; PMCID: PMC10859197.

Rowlands IJ, Redshaw M. Mode of birth and women's psychological and physical wellbeing in the postnatal period. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2012 Nov 28;12:138. doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-12-138. PMID: 23190575; PMCID: PMC3533875.

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 this week's episode, we welcome Carlee to share her story. Carlee and her husband received a hypoplastic left heart syndrome diagnosis for thier son, James, during Carlee's pregnancy. James passed away at 6 weeks old after being in the CICU, and Carlee has since created the James Doss Memorial Foundation to honor his life while supporting other families who have lost children to congenital heart defects.

In this episode you will hear:
- Preparing for delivery with a devastating diagnosis
- Delivery via cesarean section in a cath lab at the children's hospital
- Making heartbreaking decisions as first-time parents
- Creating the James Doss Memorial Foundation
- Advice for those who are dealing with a CHD (or other) diagnosis

If you have a birth trauma story you would like to share with us, click this link and fill out the form. 

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.

This week's episode is a very special one. To honor AFE Awareness week, Kayleigh welcome's her very own OB that handled her AFE episode. Dr. Saberin moved into action very quickly when she recognized that Kayleigh was having an AFE. Her number one priority was to get Cal out via an emergency cesarian-section to help save Cal and better the chances of Kayleigh's survival.

On this episode you will hear:
- Dr. Saberin's memory of Kayleigh's birth experience and AFE
- STAT C-Section
- mass transfusion protocol
- Kayleigh being resuscitated by cardiac care
- remembering the moment that Cal was born and him needing resuscitation
- shifting focus to Kayleigh as soon as possible to help her survive
- trauma surgeon took over
- ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation)
- embolized uterine arteries
- life-saving emergency hysterectomy
- impello?
- Dr. Saberin wishing she had taken a day off
- Kayleigh being transferred
- Kayleigh's first memories and recalling her lost memories
- gratitude as a healing and processing concept

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 this week's listener series episode, we welcome Annie. Annie and her husband live in California at the wedding venue they own and operate. A few weeks before their due date, they experienced a wildfire that damaged a large part of their wedding venue. Annie experienced a lot of stress and started to feel the effects of it in her pregnancy. Around the same time, the nurses at their hospital went on strike which brought in travel nurses and a change of normal care to her delivery. Annie's story is a prime example that trauma can occur even when there is no physical danger to the birthing parent or the baby.

What you will hear on this episode:
- environmental stressors affecting their home and business
- nurses strike
- posterior position/sunny side up baby
- epidural turned off without being asked
- daughter born with bleeding blister and bruise from friction
- postpartum with environmental stressors still at play
- long-term impact on confidence in parenting
- hope in healing

If you have a birth trauma story you would like to share with us, click this link and fill out the form. 

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 this week's episode, we are joined by Jen Atkisson, a labor and delivery nurse, clinical educator, speaker, patient and nurse advocate, and a consultant on standard of care. Buckle up for this wild ride of an episode as we take on so many topics that Jen has expertise on.

What you will hear on this episode:
- misconceptions and fear of lawsuits
- prevention strategies for nurses
- common preventable issues
- challenges with Pitocin usage
- navigating trauma-informed care
- power dynamics and provider trauma
- challenges in changing practices
- empowering patients with knowledge
- Team Birth concept

Guest Bio:

Jen Atkisson is a Labor and Delivery Nurse, Clinical Educator, Speaker, Patient and Nurse Advocate, Consultant on Standard of Care. With over 17 years of unique experiences in nursing and consulting, she's seen the same patient safety & legal themes come up over and over again. Jen serves as an expert witness, a national and regional conference speaker, a AWHONN fetal monitoring instructor trainer, a hospital consultant, a clinical educator, a staff nurse and a mom.

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 this week's listener story series episode, we welcome Andrea. Andrea and her husband planned for a home birth, but at 42 weeks, she was still not in labor, so they elected for a non-emergent transfer to the hospital. Andrea shares about  processing her unmet birth expectations and validating her own traumatic experience .

On this episode you will hear:
- Choosing a home birth
- Home birth transfer to hospital
- Cesarian section and recovery
- the impact of a birth trauma and unmet expectations

If you have a birth trauma story you would like to share with us, click this link and fill out the form. 

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 this week's episode, Kayleigh dives into the topic of friendship after birth trauma covering big questions like: How do we navigate and protect our friendships after birth trauma? How can we still support those around us while also honoring our needs in healing after birth trauma? We hope that this episode leaves you with some nuggets and encouragements as you navigate friendship after birth trauma. 

What you will hear in this episode:
- how birth/perinatal trauma can impact friendships
- the importance of connecting with others who have experienced birth/perinatal trauma
- navigating friendships during others’ pregnancies/births
- jealousy  after birth trauma 
- grieving lost friendships
- setting boundaries to protect your friendships

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 this week's episode, Stephanie DeFilippis joins Kayleigh. Stephanie is a licensed therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health and is also the founder and owner of Crescent Moon Therapy. In this episode Kayleigh and Stephanie talk about the pros and cons of having a therapist with a shared lived experience or not. The conversation continues into the ways one who has never experienced birth trauma can support someone who has.

On this episode you will hear:
- the role of a lived experience in therapy
- the importance of therapists working through their own traumas for best practices
- one's therapeutic needs changing over time
- supporting someone who has experienced birth trauma as someone who hasn't had a shared experience
- practical ways to support someone in birth trauma

Guest Bio:
Stephanie DeFilippis is a perinatal mental health clinician as well as the Founder of Crescent Moon Therapy.  She has more than seven years of clinical experience providing psychotherapy to adults. She works with individuals with a wide range of challenges: life transitions (college, young adulthood), transitions related to parenthood, preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, as well as ADHD, depression, anxiety, significant trauma, sexual abuse, and domestic violence (also known as IPV).  Stephanie previously worked at Northwestern Medicine in a nationally-renowned program that specializes in maternal mental health. She provided mental health services and coordinated care with OBGYN's and other mental health providers for pregnant and postpartum individuals. She's had the privilege of working with leaders in the perinatal space and attribute a lot of her clinical knowledge and expertise to her time at NM.  

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 this week's listener episode, we welcome Kayla. Kayla starts off by sharing about her preceding endometriosis and PCOS diagnoses and treatments before her and her husband, Michael, got pregnant with their daughter Ellie. They were pleasantly surprised to not need any fertility treatments or assistance getting pregnant with Kayla's diagnoses. Kayla shares about how the pregnancy progressed and the delivery experience as it took a quick turn when she needed an emergency hysterectomy. She vulnerably shares about the recovery process and healing.

What you will hear on this episode:
- Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome diagnoses and preceding treatments
- high blood pressure at end of pregnancy
- induction with complications eventually led to a c-section
- hemorrhage resulting in an emergency hysterectomy with one remaining ovary
- recovery in the ICU
- Tachycardia and Hypertension diagnoses
- postpartum recovery and support

If you have a birth trauma story you would like to share with us, click this link and fill out the form. 

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.