Birth Trauma Stories(formerly The Twinky Chronicles)

Mark is a single dad to a wonderful 10-year-old daughter and they live in St. Augustine, Florida. Mark is a research manager for the University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville in the  Office of Research Affairs. He is also the founder and managing director of My Needs Network. He has a bachelor's degree in anthropology and history and a master's in public health.  He's currently a boa...

Ashley O’Neil, CRNP, is a writer and speaker who channels her experiences into healing, having navigated the challenges of being a NICU/Preemie mother, a widow, and a loss mom. During the midst of her healing journey, she found her calling: to uplift NICU families by offering hope, encouragement, and essential resources. With over a decade of nursing experience and five years as a family nurse pra...

 In today's episode I am joined by Jordan Arogeti. Jordan wants to change how supporters show up for friends and families in tough times. She's doing just that as the CEO and co founder of Support Now; an all in one place to raise money, schedule meals, coordinate volunteers, and send updates. Tune in to here more about this amazing company! Support Now's Website Support Now's Instagram Support No...

Today I am joined by Jamie Agunsday. Jamie is a Master’s prepared Registered Nurse who has spent the last decade serving women and birthing families in New Jersey. As a Labor and Delivery nurse in one of NJ’s busiest birthing hospitals, Jamie was deeply impacted by seeing women and people giving birth experience serious pregnancy related complications. For the last 4.5 years, Jamie has worked to s...

Brooke Shapiro is the mom of Jace (2018) and Rayna (2020). Her husband and children all suffer from Charcot Marie Tooth which is a degenerative nerve disease. Their son is twice exceptional which means he is 5 and cognitively a 10 year old yet emotional regulation of a 4 year old. The past 10 years she spent in Corporate America Marketing to moms and thought she knew every data point, every produc...

Today we are joined by Ashley Martin! She is a 34-year-old mom of one. She and her husband, Matt, and I have been together for almost 17 years. The were married in October last year. Their daughter was born in 2020 at 24 weeks 4 days andturned four years old in late August. They live in a rural town with about 2,000 people in Southern Missouri, right on the Arkansas state line. Ashley's Website As...

Today, we are joined by Dae Hayes, a wife and mother but probably one of the biggest—as she calls it, "Mom’s Mom!" I have ever met. As a faith entrepreneur, podcaster, and vlogger, she runs The Mom Bar, LLC. Tune in to hear more from this amazing momma!  Dae's Website Follow Dae on Instagram Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Birth Trauma Stories on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

For the last four years, Andrea and her family have lived in Miami, Florida, , returning after an 11-year stint in NYC, where both their daughters are born. Andrea is also the host and founder of the NICU alumni podcast and currently holds a position with the Florida families leader network. Follow Andrea on Instagram Follow Andrea on Facebook Cathy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Follow Birth Trauma Stories o...

Today, we are joined by Dr. Yameika Head. She is a dedicated pediatrician but also wanted to support parents raising children with unexpected diagnoses. Enter her coaching business. Heads Up! Parenting, LLC. Dr. Head's business is a full-service parent coaching business. As a parent coach, she specializes in supporting professional parents navigating the complexities of raising children with unexp...

Onesa Anozie is a wife, mother of 3, and author. She also exhibits an unwavering dedication to NICU mothers. Onesa's own journey spans 290 days spent in the hospital alongside her son. With a Master's degree in Social Work and over a decade devoted to nonprofit work, she champions social justice and holistic family well-being. Tune in to hear more from Onesa!  Onesa's Book: She Found Peace Onesa's...

Brian resides in Orlando with his wife Diana and their two sons, Grayson and Nathan. At just 25 weeks pregnant, Diana started to feel unwell and was taken to the ER in Mexico, where they lived at the time. This would drastically change the course of their lives. Tune in to hear more!     ⁠Brian's Website⁠ ⁠Follow Brian on Instagram⁠ ⁠Follow Brian on Facebook⁠ Follow Brian on TikTok ⁠Cathy's Websit...

Today, we are joined by Marie Brock. She’s married to Ken, and they are each other's second marriage. Marie has two older sons from her previous marriage, and she and Ken have their youngest together, where they live in North Carolina. For 18 years, she struggled with chronic health complaints. She went through the conventional system; she was put on prescription after prescription, only to get wo...

Today, we are back with Rebekah Cook from @motherhoodonhold. Rebekah works as a physical therapy assistant and has been married to her husband, Thomas, for seven years. They live in the suburbs of Atlanta and have been trying to conceive for several years. I wanted to share her story this month after she experienced multiple pregnancy losses and the stillbirth of her son, Walker Lee. Tune in to he...

Today we are joined by Dr. Shad Deering. He currently works at Baylor as the Associate Dean, the System Medical Director, at the CHRISTUS Simulation Institute, and is a Professor at Baylor College of Medicine.  We met at the Mommas Voices conference where Dr. Deering was the keynote speaker.  After hearing his speech about simulation, I knew I wanted to have him on the podcast. Tune in to hear mor...

In today’s episode, we are joined by Roger Peters. Roger is a husband, dad, gamer, and business owner. After many hours of labor with their first daughter, he and his wife felt mixed emotions when the decision to have a cesarean was made. Tune in to hear the male perspective of perinatal trauma!  Roger's Website:https://www.epicsages.com/ https://www.epicsages.com/ Cathy's Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www....

In the season 4 premiere, I discuss how to grapple with the fact that your life may have turned out differently than you expected after your perinatal trauma. Maybe you have a child with special needs. Maybe you have a disability yourself. Maybe you experienced or still experience PPMDs. Maybe your family is grieving during your perinatal period. Maybe you ever expected to be a mom. How do you gra...

Recently I had the privilege to share my ECMO story on ECMO Resource. Tune in to hear more about my ECMO story in particular! Follow Nicole on Instagram Nicole's Website Cathy's Website: ⁠⁠https://www.birthtraumastories.com/home⁠⁠ Follow Birth Trauma Stories on Instagram:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/birthtraumastoriespodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Birth Trauma Stor...

Join Ms. Nay and I for a special episode of  #CoffeewithCathy  to raise awareness for  #PreeclampsiaAwarenessMonth . Follow Shavnay on Instagram . Follow Shavnay on Facebook . Email Shavnay . Cathy's Website: ⁠⁠https://www.birthtraumastories.com/home⁠⁠ Follow Birth Trauma Stories on Instagram:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/birthtraumastoriespodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow...

For the season finale, I share some real and raw thoughts about self-worth after perinatal trauma.  I imagine I am not the only person to struggle with self-worth after perinatal trauma; really any trauma. Trauma, whether physical or mental, has a huge impact on the often blindsided recipient. Tune in to this week's episode to hear more! Cathy's Website: ⁠⁠https://www.birthtraumastories.com/home⁠⁠...

In today's episode, I welcome Petra Cruz to the podcast. Petra is a wife, mom of 4, birth doula, birth educator, and advocate for VBAC. She is passionate about sharing the raw and real side of motherhood that nobody likes to talk about so they know they are not alone. While in labor with her first child, Petra was told that her baby could die due to decels (a drop in the baby's heart rate)...

In this week's episode, we are joined by Kelila Green Siciliano. After having 3 children of her own, Kelila and her husband decided to pursue surrogacy. She went on to have one healthy baby for a lovely family and expressed her desire to do it again while laboring with that baby! After a couple of years of rest and healing, Kelila started the process again. Things were going well until 16 week...

In today's episode, we are back with Amber Tice for part 2 of her episode. Tune in to hear more of her story, more about how her faith has helped her heal from her perinatal trauma and potential plans! Follow Amber on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambershomeorganization/ Follow Birth Trauma Stories on Instagram:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/birthtraumastoriespodca...

Today we are joined by Amber Tice for part 1 of her story. After experiencing Hyperemesis gravidarum with all three of her pregnancies, Amber experienced more perinatal trauma when her youngest was just 2 weeks old. After waking up one morning at 4 am to nurse him, she hemorrhaged and ultimately went into DIC, a rare blood clotting disorder that can cause organ damage and uncontrollable bleeding....

Today we are joined by Christina Gagnon, an adult preemie. Christina’s story is unique in that many babies born in the 80s with the challenges she faced did not make it, BUT Christina was a fighter from day one. One of her nurses even joked that she would have run out of the incubator if they opened it! Tune in to hear more of her harrowing story. Follow Christina on Instagram: https://www.instagr...

This week Adriana is back with for part 2 of her story. Tune in to hear more about her daughter's NICU journey, her daughter's upcoming surgeries, and how Adriana’s faith has helped her work through her perinatal trauma.  Follow Abigail's Journey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abigailgrace_story/ Follow Abigail's Journey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1408846...