Claim OwnershipThe Birth Trauma Mama Podcast
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Birth trauma is the dark and sometimes scary side of pregnancy & postpartum that no one wants to talk about. But, we're here to change that! I'm Kayleigh, a licensed therapist and birth trauma survivor, determined to bring birth trauma out of the shadows and into the light. When we talk about birth trauma, we take away its power and leave space for healing. Your birth trauma does not need to “happen for a reason." Birth trauma sucks and it’s okay to admit that. Join us as we navigate what it means to heal from birth trauma. You’ll hear from experts in the field as well as others who have experienced birth trauma. Storytelling and education are keys to raising awareness and better understanding how we heal trauma. We don’t do toxic positivity in this space, but you’ll definitely hear some dark humor. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, but, most importantly, you’ll learn that you’re not alone and that healing is possible. Birth trauma is bullish*it, but your healing is not.
205 Episodes
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In this special listener series episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Lillian, a licensed clinical social worker to unpack both the personal and professional realities of NICU trauma, for parents, families, and the clinicians who support them. As a psychotherapist specializing in perinatal mental health, Lillian has spent years supporting women through infertility, postpartum mood disorders, and the transition to motherhood. But her work took on new meaning af...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Maggie Runyon, nurse educator, author, and co-creator of the Trauma-Informed Birth Nurse Program, for an insightful and heartfelt conversation about what it means to care — and to keep caring — in a system that so often asks too much of its helpers. Maggie’s new book, I Thought I Was Here to Help, explores the emotional and professional identity of nurses and other healthcare providers, unpacking how the “helper” mindse...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Betsey, a therapist, mother, and birth trauma survivor, to share her powerful and ongoing story of survival, advocacy, and rebuilding trust in the medical system. Betsey’s pregnancy started off routine, until her daughter Mara’s heart rate began showing signs of distress at 39 weeks. What followed was a series of events that would forever change Betsey’s experience of birth and motherhood. But Betsey’s trauma didn’t end...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Christine, a mom of four, to share her harrowing and powerful story of surviving a rare and life-threatening birth and postpartum experience. After being induced at 37 weeks for hypertension, Christine’s delivery with her fourth son, Caden, started calmly, until everything changed. What followed was a series of medical emergencies including a cervical tear, uterine rupture, hemorrhage, and emergency exploratory surgery,...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Dr. Jackie Dallaire, an OBGYN and former social work major, to explore what truly human-centered care looks like inside the world of obstetrics. Jackie’s path to medicine began with a foundation in social work, where she learned the importance of empathy, systems thinking, and seeing every person in the context of their story. Those lessons have shaped how she shows up in her practice today, as a doctor who listens deep...
In this deeply moving listener story episode, Kayleigh is joined by Meghan, who shares the heartbreaking and powerful story of her son, Max. 💛 At 33 weeks pregnant, Meghan experienced a sudden placental abruption that led to a traumatic emergency delivery and the devastating loss of her baby. Through her story, Meghan opens up about the terrifying moments of realizing something was wrong, the life-saving efforts of her care team, and the sacred time she spent with Max after his passing. She a...
In this episode, of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Caitlin, a certified nurse midwife practicing within an OB/GYN group, to talk about how midwives are redefining patient-centered care inside traditional medical settings. Together, they explore what makes the midwifery model unique, why collaboration with obstetricians matters, and how integrating both perspectives can create safer, more supported birth experiences. Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Sowania Germain, LMHC-D, PMHC, a licensed therapist and fellow birth trauma survivor, to share her powerful story of pregnancy complications, hospitalization, and healing. Sowania’s journey began with an unexpected pregnancy that led to months of antepartum bed rest, countless medical interventions, and a premature birth, followed by the heavy emotional aftermath that so many parents silently carry. As a therapist and Hai...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Alicia Rainwater, LCSW, the newest member of the Holding Hope Perinatal therapy team. Alicia brings nearly a decade of experience as a medical social worker and shares how both her professional and personal journeys have shaped her approach to perinatal trauma and grief work. From walking alongside families in hospitals during some of their hardest days to navigating her own motherhood journey after losing her mom, Alic...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Rachael to share her powerful story of surviving placenta accreta, not once, but twice, and the far-reaching impact it had on her body, her family, and her healing. Rachael, an IVF mom and nurse, opens up about her traumatic birth experiences: the emergency surgeries, hemorrhage, ICU stay, and the devastating loss of her ability to breastfeed after a pituitary rupture. She also shares her second accreta journey, which e...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Dr. Arianna Cassidy, maternal-fetal medicine physician at UCSF, to unpack one of the most complex and high-risk conditions in pregnancy: placenta accreta. Placenta accreta spectrum disorders have been rising alongside C-section rates, yet remain widely misunderstood. Dr. Cassidy shares her personal journey into medicine, her role in building UCSF’s multidisciplinary accreta center, and why the care for these patients mu...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I’m joined by Diane for a powerful and emotional retelling of her son Tommy’s birth and the long, complicated postpartum recovery that followed. What began as a smooth induction and quick delivery turned into a life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage, a diagnosis of placenta accreta, and an eventual hysterectomy, weeks after birth. Diane walks us through the cascade of events, from being dismissed when she sensed something was wrong to advocati...
In this debrief episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast and The Misconceptions Podcast, Kayleigh and Dvora reflect on their powerful conversation with Dr. Heather Nixon, an OB anesthesiologist working to transform how pain is managed and communicated during C-sections. While the first conversation laid the groundwork, this follow-up goes deeper into the emotional, psychological, and systemic layers of what it means when patients feel pain and aren’t believed. Kayleigh and Dvora unpack: 💔 How...
In this special crossover episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast and The Misconceptions Podcast, Kayleigh and Dvora sit down with Dr. Heather Nixon, an obstetric anesthesiologist, to unpack one of the most overlooked aspects of birth trauma: pain during C-sections and failed anesthesia. Inspired by Season 2 of The Retrievals podcast, this conversation dives into what happens when patients are told, “you’re not feeling pain,” even when they clearly are. Dr. Nixon shares her professional jour...
In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Lindsey, who shares her harrowing story of developing acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) and HELLP syndrome at 37 weeks. What began as a healthy, joyful pregnancy quickly spiraled into a medical emergency involving liver failure, internal bleeding, intubation, dialysis, and a two-week ICU stay. Lindsey walks us through her fragmented memories, the video of meeting her daughter that went viral, and the hidden layers of ...
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 disorder as a teen, choosing recovery every day, and later facing the resurfacing of old struggles after ex...
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 surgery, a hysterectomy, and days in critical care. Angel walks us through the terrifying moments of saying g...
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 about addressing health disparities and providing care that honors dignity and autonomy. Together, ...
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 emotional toll that followed. What unfolds is a powerful conversation about the very real trauma healthc...
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 feel informed and empowered even in rare, life-threatening situations. I share my personal experienc...
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