The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , Kayleigh is joined by Andrea Wetterau , a licensed clinical social worker, EMDRIA-certified EMDR therapist, and perinatal mental health certified provider, for an eye-opening conversation on the intersection of birth trauma, body image, and eating concerns in the perinatal period . Andrea shares her personal journey of developing an eating disorde...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , we are joined by Angel, who shares her powerful story of birth, near-death, and healing after a rare and life-threatening complication: uterine inversion. Angel describes how her labor started smoothly and seemed “perfect" until the unexpected happened. What followed was a cascade of emergencies, including massive blood loss, emergency surger...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , Kayleigh is joined by Dr. Ono Nseyo , an OB-GYN practicing in the Bay Area, for a deeply honest and inspiring conversation about patient-centered, trauma-informed care and what it means to show up as both a clinician and a human. Dr. Nseyo shares her journey from growing up as the daughter of Nigerian immigrants to becoming a physician passionate...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , Kayleigh sits down with Katelynn , a labor and delivery nurse who was at the bedside during a devastating traumatic birth, Julia’s story (Episode 137). Together, they revisit that day, but this time through the eyes of the provider. Katelynn opens up about the chaos of rushing Julia to the OR, the horror of watching her patient code, and the emoti...

Planning for birth often centers around the joyful, expected moments, skin-to-skin, golden hour, and bringing your baby home. But what about the unexpected? What happens if birth takes a catastrophic turn? In this joint episode with The BirthLounge Podcast , HeHe Stewart and I are collaborating again. Together, we unpack what it means to create a catastrophic birth plan, a tool to help families fe...

On this week's Listener Series, we are doing a special re-release. We are sharing Julia's story again and tune in next week to hear from her L&D nurse, Katlynn. This is such a special duo - honoring both the patient and the provider in a traumatic experience. A little bit about Julia's story - Julia was induced at 38 weeks due to gestational hypertension. A routine delivery turn...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , I’m joined by NICU clinical nurse educator Jessi Barnes for a powerful conversation about the intersection of professional expertise and lived experience. With 15 years of nursing experience—including time in high-risk perinatal units and the NICU—Jessi now dedicates her career to teaching and mentoring NICU nurses with a trauma-informed lens. But...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m joined by Ashley Rainey, labor and delivery nurse, educator, clinical director, and PhD candidate, whose passion for improving birth outcomes for Black women is rooted in her own experiences at the bedside and in the system. Together, we dive into the heavy reality of navigating pregnancy while carrying the weight of maternal mortality statisti...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m joined by Alyssa, who shares her story of surviving a catastrophic postpartum complication. What began as a smooth pregnancy and an unplanned C-section turned into undiagnosed sepsis, a perforated bowel, emergency surgery, and over four weeks in the hospital, two of them spent in the ICU, separated from her newborn daughter. Alyssa walks us thr...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m reflecting on six years since the day my life and my son Callahan’s changed forever. Six years since I experienced an amniotic fluid embolism that nearly took both of our lives. Six years into a healing journey that has been anything but linear. This solo episode is my most honest update yet. I talk about what recovery looks like this far out f...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m joined by Ashley for a powerful story of high-risk pregnancy, trauma, and resilience. Ashley walks us through her experience carrying monoamniotic-monochorionic (mono-mono) twins, an extremely rare and high-risk type of twin pregnancy where both babies share a placenta and amniotic sac, significantly increasing the risk of cord entanglement and...

In this re-released episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , I’m revisiting one of the most requested and tender topics in our community, birth trauma anniversaries . Whether it’s your child’s first birthday or their fifth, anniversaries of traumatic births can stir up a swirl of emotions: grief, anger, anxiety, guilt, and everything in between. In this solo Q&A-style episode, I answer your...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m joined by Sabryna for a powerful and emotional account of her first birth. Her story began with an itch in her third trimester and escalated into a life-threatening emergency for both her and her daughter. What unfolded was a series of missed diagnoses, medical dismissal, and a traumatic delivery that included an emergency C-section, undiagnose...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m joined by licensed trauma therapist, author, and speaker Kobe Campbell for an honest, and deeply vulnerable conversation about her traumatic birth experience and the lifelong impact it’s had on her, her son, and her healing journey. What began as a dreamy, hypno-birthing-fueled pregnancy quickly turned into a series of medical emergencies: pree...

In this listener story episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , I’m joined by Lauren, a writer and mom of two, who shares her powerful and vulnerable story of an unexpected and traumatic birth. After a smooth pregnancy and a well-prepared plan for an unmedicated delivery, Lauren’s labor took a sudden and intense turn involving prodromal labor, a failed epidural, vacuum-assisted delivery, and ult...

In this episode we are joined by Ana Lepe Vick, a fierce advocate, educator, and bereaved mother to share her journey through loss, trauma, and relentless advocacy. Ana opens up about the stillbirth of her son, Owen, after a textbook pregnancy, and the long, heartbreaking road of unanswered questions, birth trauma, and healing that followed. She brings us into the world of advocacy she co-created...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m joined by Francine and Matt for an emotional retelling of their son’s birth, a story that began with a calm, well-planned birth center experience and ended in a series of life-threatening emergencies, including a transfer to the hospital, an emergency C-section, a postpartum hemorrhage, and an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). With honesty, heartb...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m joined by licensed marriage and family therapist, Emilee Krupa, for a deep dive into ketamine-assisted therapy.  With ketamine gaining attention for its use in treating trauma, depression, and anxiety, Emilee offers both expertise and clarity around what it really looks like when used intentionally and safely in a therapeutic setting. Together,...

In honor of Pride Month, this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast features a powerful and deeply personal conversation with Alejandra- a queer parent, birth trauma survivor, and passionate advocate for inclusive, affirming perinatal care. Alejandra shares about her family, their journey through infertility and IVF, and a traumatic birth experience involving preeclampsia, an emergency cesarean...

In this solo episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , I share a personal journey preparing for and undergoing a simple procedure after experiencing significant birth trauma. What used to feel like an impossible task, stepping into a hospital, lying on a table, and surrendering control, became a moment of grounded confidence and self-advocacy. Drawing from both clinical knowledge and lived experi...

In this week's Listener Series episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , Arianne courageously shares her story of navigating a traumatic birth, a devastating postpartum complication, and the aftermath of nearly losing her life. After an otherwise healthy pregnancy, Arianne went into labor at 34 weeks following a sudden and severe bleeding episode. What unfolded was a cascade of medical emerg...

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , Kayleigh is joined by Nicole McNelis, LPC, therapist, educator, and nationally recognized expert in maternal rage. Nicole shares how she became known as “the mom rage lady,” what maternal rage really is (and what it isn’t), and why so many perinatal trauma survivors experience it. Together, Kayleigh and Nicole unpack the systemic, emotional, and t...

In this week’s Listener Series episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast , Scarlett bravely shares her story a layered, and still-unfolding journey through birth trauma, postpartum hemorrhage, and complex pelvic floor injuries that continue to impact her life more than five years later. She speaks candidly about the realities of: 🩸 Surviving a traumatic birth and emergency postpartum care ⚕️ Navig...

In this re-release, Kayleigh revisits one of the most listened-to solo episodes of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast : a personal and validating exploration of what it means to struggle with bonding after a traumatic birth. We’re often told that the “golden hour” will be the most magical moment of our lives, that love will overflow the second our baby is placed on our chest. But for many trauma surviv...

In this powerful Listener Series episode, we sit down with Allison, a dedicated labor and delivery nurse whose own experience as a health care provider turned her world upside down. As an L&D nurse who spent her days supporting others through birth, Allison never imagined she would experience trauma firsthand on the other side of the bed. Allison's story highlights the unique challenges o...