The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

On this episode, we welcome Brianna Henderson, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Let's Talk PPCM and a certified patient family partner, patient advocate, doula, and a bestselling author. On this episode, you will hear: - Brianna's journey: from misdiagnosis to advocacy - understanding postpartum cardiomyopathy - the impact of family history on health - navigating healthcare challenge...

On this week's episode, we welcome friends and colleagues, the Shrink Chicks - Jennifer Chaiken LMFT and Emmalee Bierly LMFT. Jennifer and Emmalee founded The Therapy Group and cohost the Shrink Chicks Podcast. In today's episode, we dicuss how to support a friend through a traumatic perinatal experience when you don't plan to have kids yourself. Emmalee and Jen share their own expe...

On this week's Listener Series, we welcome Julia. Julia was induced at 38 weeks due to gestational hypertension. A routine delivery turned terrifying, when Julia suddenly became unresponsive. What followed was a litany of complications landing Julia and her baby in the ICU and NICU, and still to this day with an uncertain diagnosis. She shares with us the process of bringing home a NICU baby...

On Today's episode, Kayleigh shares her own journey with coming to accept their family of three over the past 5 years.  In this episode: - Positives of having an only child - Fears about having an only child - Making the decision to have an only child - Acceptance and Grief of your family looking different than you imagined.  For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and supp...

On this special listener series episode, we follow up with Erica. We shared her story over 2 years ago and have bene asked to follow up to see where she is at now. The first part of her story can be heard on these previous episodes: Part 1 & Part 2 . Erica shared her experience with loss and she happened to be pregnant again in the recording of part 2. This time around, Erica catches us up to...

On this week's episode, we welcome Erica Zaldivar - a licensed marriage and family therapist. Today, we are talking about bad therapists. I had posted a few weeks back in my Instagram stories about sharing bad comments from therapists and it received a lot of traction. Erica and I wanted to do an episode on this specifically to help you identify what is appropriate and what is not appropriate...

On this week's Listener Series episode, we welcome Alex. Alex had a scheduled c-section for her second birth experience. She had increased hemorrhages, and had an immediate D&C followed by an ICU stay within 24 hours of her delivery. Alex found herself being flown to a city hospital for specialized treatment and dialysis. She spent 38 days away from her family. Alex was discharged on dial...

On this week's episode, we welcome Dr. Kimberley Johnson - a psychologist who works with clients with a range of maternal and reproductive health concerns, including PMADs, perinatal trauma and loss, infertility, and life-impacting gynecological conditions. Her research is primarily centered on childbirth-related pelvic floor injuries and conditions and intersections with mental health. In th...

On this week’s listener series episode, we welcome Brittney. Brittney shares her 2 birth trauma experiences with us. Due to Covid procedures, she was forced to deliver her first baby without her husband and her baby went to the NICU before she had a chance to see him. Her subsequent birth experience was also traumatic due to loss and a potential diagnosis in pregnancy, as well as postpartum compli...

On this week's episode, we welcome Dr. Lawren Honken - a board certified OBGYN, certified menopause practitioner and a current integrative medicine fellow at George Washington University. this episode is all things menopause and perimenopause, specifically after an emergency hysterectomy or in birth or related to birth. We cover so many topics: different types of hysterectomies, what happens...

On this week's episode, we are rereleasing our Navigating the Holidays episode where Kayleigh talks about birth trauma and navigating the holidays. The holidays can be triggering for many whether its navigating an anniversary around the holidays or family members asking questions about your trauma or future family planning. Things you will hear on this episode:  - navigating first holidays af...

On this week's Listener Series episode, we welcome Libby to share her story with us. Libby experienced a missed miscarriage and then got pregnant again shortly after, her pregnancy seemed to be going well until she woke up about a week away from her due date and her water broke and her baby's cord fell out into her hand. Libby was experiencing a cord prolapse and happened to know exactly...

On this week's episode, we welcome HeHe from Tranquility by Hehe, a doula and content creator in the birth education space. In this episode, we tackle the nuance of birth education, including how we approach conversations around birth education that support empowerment and autonomy while also leaving room for the unexpected - this is a complicated and sometimes messy conversation but we reall...

On this week's episode, we welcome Sarah to our Listener Series. Sarah has shared part of her story on our blog before. Today she tells us about her three separate birth traumas. Her first son was born at 30 weeks and had a NICU stay, her second son she had during COVID and she experienced postpartum preeclampsia and a stroke, and her third birth trauma she experienced shoulder dystocia and p...

On this week's episode, we welcome back Dr. Frankie Harrison, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Miracle Moon UK. We talk all things NICU and health anxiety. Frankie and her co-founder also run an incredible community called The NICU Space, providing all things support for NICU parents and really facilitating that connection that so many people are craving after a NICU experience and bir...

On this week's episode, we are changing things up and rereleasing one of our Listener Series episodes that we feel is critical to consider on the eve of the presidential election. We welcome Kayla to share her story with us. Her first pregnancy and delivery with their daughter was traumatic after developing severe preeclampsia. On Mother's Day 2022, Kayla found out she was pregnant with...

On this week's episode, we welcome Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN. Dr. Dekker is the founder and CEO of Evidenced Based Birth. We discuss evidence-based birth and why we have such a gap between the research and actual practice in obstetrics. On this episode, you will hear: - what is evidence-based birth - personal experiences shaping evidence-based birth - researches and practices in labor and deliv...

On this week's listener episode, we welcome Kate. After a relatively uncomplicated IVF pregnancy, Kate went into spontaneous labor at full term and experienced a peaceful labor and delivery at the hospital. After her daughter was born, she suffered a postpartum hemorrhage and 3rd-degree uterine inversion. Kate shares with us her experience of waking up under paralytics and processing her feel...

On this week's episode, we have another mini series episode! We are talking all things medical records and debriefs. On this episode you will hear: - understanding medical records - process of requesting medical records - the importance of debriefs - empowering patients through effective communication For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram...

On this week's episode of our Listener Series, we are joined by Lynn. Lynn shares with us about her infertility journey and fertility treatments during COVID and her long extensive labor with high blood pressure. She had some extended recovery but found herself being readmitted twice during the first week and then had a cardiology consult and was diagnosed with PPCM. Lynn reminds us about the...

On this episode, we are joined by Kara Kushnir, LCSW, PMH-C. Kara is a psychotherapist and founder and clinical director of her private practice - A Work of Heart Counseling in New Jersey. We talk about all things OCD and perinatal trauma, but we also highlight Kara's new book "Mama's Thoughts". We hope you enjoy today's episode and that these nuggets of info are helpful f...

On this week's Listener Series episode, we welcome Megan. She shares with us about her first birth experience where she had a very unexpected crash c-section under general anesthesia. She was officially diagnosed with PPTSD and went through months of therapy and EMDR. She shares how her trauma ultimately led to two scheduled gentle c-sections that were very redemptive for her. On this episode...

On this week's episode, we welcome Dr. Nikki Pensak - a licensed clinical psychologist certified in perinatal mental health. Dr. Pensak is the author of "RATTLED" which discusses how to calm new mom anxiety with the power of the postpartum brain.  On this episode, you will hear: - perinatal anxiety - addressing mom guilt and shame - managing anxiety and detaching from constant monit...

This week's Listener Series episode, we welcome Claire. Claire is an LCSW and a Medical Social Worker in the oncology field. She shares with us her infertility journey, and her blissful pregnancy, and the quick turn of events into a traumatic birth. She shares vulnerably about her healing process and how important communication and accountability is in the recovery journey. On this episode, y...

On our first episode of the mini-series, we will be tackling a commonly asked about topic- How to find a new OBGYN after birth trauma.  What you'll hear: - Where to search for new OBGYN practices - How to decide on which practice OBGYN to choose - What questions to ask For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama . Learn...