Sometimes the greatest trauma comes AFTER the long-awaited positive pregnancy test

I struggled for years to get pregnant.  Little did I know that some of the greatest trauma of my motherhood journey would come AFTER that long-awaited positive pregnancy test.

I lost my daughter Rachel during pregnancy.  My son Brandon died at just 19 days old from an undiagnosed genetic defect carried by my then-husband.

My daughter Lauren was born six weeks premature.  We spent 40 agonizing days in the NICU wondering whether she would survive.

And even after we brought her home, her prematurity brought developmental delays and years of additional worry.

Turns out, birth trauma is far more prevalent than we realize.

Consider these statistics:

😢 1 in 5 women experience psychological birth trauma.

😢 1 in 8 mothers experience significant post-traumatic stress symptoms following childbirth, and 1 in 21 develops childbirth-related PTSD.

😢 Nearly 40% of parents whose babies require neonatal care experience post-traumatic stress symptoms during the first month after birth. More than a year later, over one-quarter of parents in the studies still report symptoms.

😢 1 in 8 women with a recent live birth in the U.S. report symptoms of postpartum depression.

😢 Approximately 50,000–60,000 American women experience severe maternal morbidity or other life-threatening complications each year.

And, according to the CDC, 53% of pregnancy-related deaths (both physical and emotional) occur between seven days and one year after pregnancy. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable. 😢

We don’t talk enough about birth and postpartum-related trauma. 

That’s why I sat down with Chelsea Myers, host of the Quiet Connection Podcast to share my story and discuss what women can do to heal from these traumatic experiences.

I sought help and was able to heal from much of my pain and trauma.  Many women are still suffering…often in silence.

Listen to the full conversation here.