The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Kim Thomas, CEO of Birth Trauma Association UK, joins me to talk about Birth Trauma Awareness Week, the assumptions society places on the birthing parent and the partner in recovery and postpartum,  the concept of healing through a both/and mentality, and that healing is still possible for those who have not been given the space to heal and process a birth trauma no matter how many years have pass...

Rachel Wright, LMFT, joins me to talk about the impact of birth and birth trauma on sex and intimacy. She answers all of your questions related to navigating intimacy and sex with a partner and yourself after birth trauma. This is a must-listen-to episode full of wonderful nuggets and concrete suggestions for approaching intimacy after birth trauma. In this episode you will hear: - Communicating n...

Casey Cattell and Dr. Ginger Breedlove, co-authers of Nobody Told Me About That: Surviving and Thriving the Early Weeks of Parenting , join me on this episode to discuss the newly released 2nd Edition of their book, as well as navigating life after birth trauma. Their 2nd Edition brings realistic examples and insight from experts. Casey and Ginger share some of their highlighted topics and the imp...

Dr. Vibha Mahendra, a board-certified Obstetric Anesthesiologist, joins me on this episode to discuss anesthesia options during labor and delivery and why they are sometimes ineffective, potentially leading to trauma for the patient. Dr. M also provides insight into how providers can problem-solve these pain relief issues and communicate with patients in a way that mitigates trauma. This was such...

Dr. Christine Noa Sterling joins me to share her unique story of birth trauma as both a survivor and physician. Dr. Sterling's story helps us understand that no matter who you are and how educated and prepared you are for birth, trauma can still happen, and it's not your fault. Dr. Sterling generously shares all three of her very different birth experiences, perfectly depicting not only...

Kate McReynolds, licensed therapist, joins me to discuss her own experience with birth trauma, particularly related to feelings of invalidation and self-blame.  Kate explains her journey of working through the feelings that her birth trauma wasn't "bad" or "scary" enough to count as trauma. She also discusses the challenge of navigating invalidation from external sources,...

Bethany Warren, LCSW joins me to talk attachment and the impact on birth trauma as well as a million other birth trauma topics, because when you get two perinatal trauma therapists talking, it becomes impossible to hold our conversation to just one subject. Join us to learn more about the impact of birth trauma and the common struggles we see among birth trauma survivors.  You can find Beth on Ins...

Jenna Overbaugh, LPC joins me to discuss all things OCD. She shares her personal experience with postpartum OCD along with her wealth of knowledge as a licensed therapist working with people who have OCD & Anxiety for 15 years. This episode is your guide to better understanding the inner process of OCD and how to get support.  In this episode you'll hear: - Similarities and differences be...

Join me as I welcome Jess Myhre to talk about the choice (or sometimes not) to be one and done, particularly after birth trauma. Jess has been a pioneer in the discussion and support of families with only children, regardless of the reason. She fiercely advocates and validates for these families in her beautiful space @onlyyoucommunity. On this episode, Jess shares her story of birth trauma along...

MaryJane joins me to discuss the option of surrogacy after birth trauma and the hope it provided for her and her family after the loss of their son Luca.  In this episode you’ll hear: MJ’s story Choosing an agency or independent surrogacy journey The potential costs of Surrogacy  Emotions that go into the choice for surrogacy  How to start a surrogacy journey You can find MaryJane on Instagram at...

Shelley Kemmerer, PA-C joins me to talk about the massive overlap between burnout and trauma. So many parents are dealing with burnout and when we add trauma and trauma recovery to that mix, it seems to just be adding kerosine to the fire, not to mention 3 years of a pandemic, increasing financial stress, lack of parental leave, and constantly worrying if your kid will return home from school. Joi...

Amanda Griffith-Atkins, LMFT joins me to share her story of navigating parenting a child with a disability after birth trauma. Amanda is a fellow therapist and has built an incredible community in this space to support other parents experiencing the challenges that come with disability parenting.  She has a beautiful way of creating space to acknowledge the struggle and the darkness, while still p...

Stephanie Arnold joins me on this episode to talk about intuition in birth trauma. Stephanie shares her story of surviving an Amnitoic Fluid Embolism and how trusting her intuition saved her life. In this episode you will hear: - Stephanie's relentless search for someone who would believe that she was going to die in labor - Stephanie's story of surviving an AFE - Stephanie's though...

Miranda Klassen, Executive Director and Founder of the AFE Foundation discusses all things Amniotic Fluid Embolism this week. She shares her story of survival, as well as her journey to starting the AFE Foundation 15 years ago. We also dive into what we know about AFE and what is still a mystery. There’s been so much progress made through the foundation in the past 15 years and there’s still so mu...

This week Annie, mom and AFE survivor, sits down to discuss her story of survival during the birth of her son.  She explains the way COVID precautions and the resulting intense isolation impacted her recovery as well as the role connection played in healing after her traumatic birth experience.  In this episode you will hear: Annie’s medical story of surviving an AFE COVID protocols and their deva...

This week I'm joined by Dr. Stephanie Martin, a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, to talk about trauma-informed care in critically-ill pregnant patients. In this episode you will hear: - Accounts of Maternal and fetal death - The importance of trauma-informed care in high-risk obstetrics - The disconnect in trauma-informed care and providers' training - Provider trauma and the lack of...

Jessica Martini, gentle parenting creator and author, joins me to talk all things parenting, and specifically parenting after perinatal trauma. Jess shares her story of pregnancy and birth trauma and how it's impacted her parenting with her third child. As Jess always says, there is no such thing as perfection in parenting. Jess is the author of the children's book " Timmy Doesn&apo...

On this episode, Chelsea Stivers from @thebalanceafterbaby joins me to discuss her postpartum experiences including postpartum depression and anxiety, as well as making the decision to have another baby.  Chelsea runs the wonderfully supportive postpartum community on Instagram @thebalanceafterbaby and is the founder of Brigid , a luxury postpartum brand you can find on Etsy! Topics covered includ...

Delayed bonding is common after a traumatic birth, but it can make us feel like we're doing something wrong, like we somehow don't know how to be a mom or parent. Join me as I dive into the topic of delayed bonding after birth trauma including ways to facilitate bonding and better understanding our feelings related to delayed bonding. For more birth trauma content and a community full of...

Rebecca, a perinatal mental health advocate, joins me to share her story of Tokophobia and Postpartum OCD. We discuss postpartum mental health, inpatient treatment, and the shortcomings of current care models in both Australia and the U.S. You can find Rebecca on Instagram at @perinatalstoriesaustralia If you or someone you know needs support in pregnancy or postpartum, please reach out to Postpar...

We’re talking all things pelvic floor physical therapy and birth trauma with Jessica London, PT, DPT.  In this episode we  cover topics including: - Vaginal v. c-section birth recovery - Scar tissue mobilization and scar desensitization - The lack of information on pelvic floor PT - The impact of both physical and psychological trauma on the body - Struggles with sexual intimacy after birth trauma...

On this week’s episode I sit down to connect with the lovely @shelbyadrift as she shares her own story of birth trauma with us. Shelby vulnerably shares the experience of her birth center to hospital transfer and the life-threatening events that followed. Shelby’s story is chock full of heartache and pain, but also hope and resilience.  *Shelby’s episode discusses details related to SA, emergency...

Krysta Dancy, licensed trauma therapist, birth doula, provider educator, and owner of Dancy Perinatal, joins me to discuss the role provider trauma can play in birth trauma, and how treatment and education for providers can have a massive impact on birth trauma. When we provide treatment and support for those who provide the care, we create a trickle-down effect that positively impacts the birth e...

Join me as I discuss all things trauma-informed care with perinatal clinical psychologist, Dr. Jenna Brough. Jenna shares her own story of miscarriage and the lack of trauma-informed care that followed. We touch on its importance as a care model, not only for those already traumatized but also as a preventative effort. Individual support after birth trauma is integral to healing, but with 45% repo...

Join us as I sit down with Pria Alpern, PhD a trauma specialist and EMDR-certified clinician and consultant, to discuss all things EMDR and birth trauma. Dr. Alpern discusses the role EMDR can play in trauma recovery, what you can expect in session, and how it works with the brain to reprocess trauma. You can find Dr. Pria Alpern and her wonderful trauma content on Instagram and Tik Tok at @drpria...