Birth Trauma Stories(formerly The Twinky Chronicles)

Join ⁠Atara and I for ⁠#AskAtara! This month’s question: “How to practically prepare for a NICU stay if you know you’ll have a premie?” This is a tender topic—tune in to hear our thoughts on how to prepare for a sensitive time. Tune in to hear more! ⁠Atara's Website⁠ ⁠Connect with Atara on Instagram⁠ ⁠Connect with Atara on Facebook⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Printify Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Web...

 Today I'm joined by Ashley Byram. Ashley currently lives in Homewood, Alabama, and this past August, she and her husband celebrated 20 years of marriage. They have three children, two biological boys, and one little girl who they adopted through foster care. Her faith is a foundation of her life and she's very involved with her church and her children love sports, and her husband is a bui...

This week’s podcast episode is one I’ve avoided for a long time.  Not because it wasn’t important. Not because I hadn’t thought about it. But because on some level, I think I’ve been avoiding survivor’s guilt altogether.  Don’t get me wrong—I’ve absolutely wrestled with the question: Why did I survive, and Dez didn’t?  If you’re not familiar with Dez’s story, she was a fellow mom who lived about a...

Dr Brad Montage is a veteran (4 decade) Functional Medicine doctor who has helped women through all phases of life. From infertility, through pregnancy, delivery, postpartum, nursing, and all stages of motherhood. He has delivered his own children and helped many moms through all stages of crisis and need.  He is a master at prevention, helping many moms avoid the pitfalls and traps that rob them...

 Today I'm joined by Andrea  Calvaneso. Andrea was born and raised in a suburb of Detroit. She's been married for almost 15 years and has four kiddos. She's passionate about family and her faith. Her faith is the very foundation of everything she does. When she married her husband, she converted to Catholicism, and more recently to the Lutheran Church. She's a huge Placenta Accreta advocate and ho...

  Today Gina DiMarco joins me. She is a mom of five boys and is happily married to her best friend, Chris. She's a business consultant specializing in non-profit fundraising and communication. She is passionate about sharing her genuine lived experiences as she believes that is the best way to not only cut through the polished facade of social media, but also remind others that they aren't alone i...

Today's guest is Dr. Yaya Ren. Dr. Ren is a medical and cultural anthropologist. She's passionate about bringing the science of human interactions to create mobile technology solutions that improve quality of life and health outcomes for preemies and their families. She has conducted extensive field work, capturing the social, emotional, and health disparity journeys of NICU families in the US and...

 In this week's episode, I am joined by Cristina P. Simmons. She is a speaker, author, and trauma-informed wellness coach whose path to motherhood has been marked by unimaginable loss and deep resilience. After losing three biological children (Kaelynn, Kadyn & DJ) due to a rare genetic syndrome, Cristina and her husband were blessed to adopt three incredible children—twin girls (Dani &amp...

As we journey into the fifth season of the podcast, my heart swells with gratitude. This has been an incredible journey; a journey marked by profound stories of perinatal trauma and the miraculous power of faith. This season, we delve into awe-inspiring stories, from the rare condition of Placenta Accreta to the resilience of NICU families! Each story reveals the extraordinary ways the Lord intert...

Things look a little different for this month’s  #AskAtara … But for a beautiful reason. We’re beyond excited to announce our inaugural Christian Virtual Retreat for Perinatal Trauma Survivors! Whether you’ve: 🩵 Chosen not to have more children due to health risks 🩵 Experienced permanent infertility 🩵 Survived a near miss 🩵 Faced postpartum mood disorders 🩵 Or just need a Christ-centered, saf...

Join  @atara.parkinson  and me for  #AskAtara ! This month’s question: “How can we share our birth trauma experience with someone who’s experienced a ‘more’ traumatic birth trauma?” It’s a tender topic—tune in to hear our thoughts on how to navigate these hard conversations with compassion and honesty. Drop a <3 if you’ve ever wrestled with sharing your story or navigating trauma comparisons in...

Join  @atara.parkinson  and I for  #AskAtara . Today’s question is “How to support friends and/or family members walking through infertility? Tune in to hear more and drop a 🍍below to show your support! ⁠Atara's Website⁠ Cathy's Printify Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Trauma Tribe⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Birth Trauma Stories on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Join  @atara.parkinson  and I for  #AskAtara . Today’s question is a great one. It is “How to go into having more children after birth trauma?” I think this is a question many can relate to! We also discuss how to work through the feelings of having a hysterectomy after perinatal trauma. Tune in to hear more! Cathy's Printify Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Trauma Tribe⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Join  @atara.parkinson  and I for  #AskAtara . Today’s question is “How to cope with triggers from PTSD?” I think this is a question many can relate to after experiencing perinatal trauma! Tune in to hear more! Cathy's Printify Shop⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Trauma Tribe⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Birth Trauma Stories on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Jess Ronne is an author, speaker, podcast host at Coffee with Caregivers, associate producer of the Unseen Documentary, and caregiver advocate.  She is the founder and executive director of The Lucas Project, a non-profit dedicated to providing recognition, resources, and respite support for special needs families. She and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their 8 children, including their so...

In this week's episode, I have an extra special guest: my OB/GYN, Dr. Garey Patil. Dr. Patil was one of the physicians present on the day of our Amniotic Fluid Embolism. He's been married to his wife, Sunita, for over 27 years, and they have two adult children. One son is a lawyer, and the younger son is studying to become a mechanical engineer at UCF.  They are an Indian family, and he&#3...

Today I am joined by Karlonty L. Wallace, an advocate for healing and empowerment. Her journey began in the nurturing environment of a home daycare, which grew into a bustling operation. However, the demands eventually led to a health setback, prompting her to explore her true calling. She then founded Pawsative Partnerships LLC with a specific mission - to help women of faith heal from trauma. Th...

In this week's episode, I am joined by Jenny Strickland, a postpartum psychosis survivor.  She lives in Trussville, AL, and has been married for 29 years. She has a degree in Education, which flows perfectly into her role as a stay-at-home mom and homeschool educator. Over the years, she has worked part-time teaching fitness classes and in childcare. Tune into this week's episode to hear m...

 Today, I'm joined by Taylor Burdsall, the bereavement coordinator at Advent Health for Women and Children.  She supports families who have experienced pregnancy, infant, and child loss by providing follow-up care and connecting them with valuable resources during the most difficult time in their lives.  She has been in obstetrics for over five years, originally starting on the high-risk OB un...

Today I am joined by Carmen Vaughn. She is passionate about using her life experiences to help others navigate their own paths. Her faith in the Most High God is evident in everything she does. Carmen is also very creative and multi-talented. In addition to establishing an interior design business, modeling, and designing fashions, she has used her talents to brighten the lives of youth in ways th...

Today, we are back with Emilie for pt. 2 of her story. In last week’s episode, we discussed her induction and the early parts of her labor. However, things quickly turned emergent in a matter of minutes as her placenta abrupted, and she started hemorrhaging. Tune in to hear pt.2 of her story! ⁠Cathy's Printify Shop ⁠Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Birth Trauma Stories on Instagra...

This week I am joined by Emilie from Edmonton, Alberta. She is French-Canadian and grew up loving music. She plays the violin but decided on a career in data analytics. She has the perfect job as a data analyst for an Orchestra. She and her husband have been together for 9 years and recently celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary. Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) is a rare con...

Amber Tice is currently residing in Illinois, and she's been married to her husband for 16 years.  She has three children, and Amber is also a professional organizer and has been for four years, which helps with her mental health. As a family, they love to travel to the beach. Amber's Website Amber's Instagram Amber's Facebook Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Birth Trauma Stories on Instagram...

Mariah is a Digital Marketing Strategist dedicated to empowering Christian Entrepreneurs. With a scholarly background in Psychology and Business from Colorado Christian University, she blends academic rigor with Christ-centered growth. She stands with a testament to God's unwavering grace after 7 years sober from heroin. She is also blessed with a loving husband, two wonderful children, a warm hom...

In this week's episode, I dive into my mom's second birth story—her story of how she delivered twins and watched one twin fight for her life. She had a lovely pregnancy.  At 36 weeks, my mom's OB told her it was time to deliver. The doctors were concerned with my sister's weight as she was quite a bit smaller than I was; over 1 lb smaller! The doctors even discussed transferring my mom because of...