The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

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The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Kayleigh Summers

216 episodes

5 days ago

In this powerful episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Alex, a mom of two and congenital heart disease survivor, who shares her journey through two high-risk pregnancies and two traumatic births. Alex opens up about living with complex congenital heart defects, undergoing open-heart surgery as an infant, and entering pregnancy knowing she would always be medically high-risk. Despite meticulous care and expert providers, both pregnancies took sudden, life-threatening ...

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Health & Fitness,

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In this powerful episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Alex, a mom of two and congenital heart disease survivor, who shares her journey through two high-risk pregnancies and two traumatic births. Alex opens up about living with complex congenital heart defects, undergoing open-heart surgery as an infant, and entering pregnancy knowing she would always be medically high-risk. Despite meticulous care and expert providers, both pregnancies took sudden, life-threatening ...

Show more...

Health & Fitness,

Episodes (20/216)

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 214: High Risk Pregnancies, Cardioversion, & NICU Stays feat. Alex

In this powerful episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Alex, a mom of two and congenital heart disease survivor, who shares her journey through two high-risk pregnancies and two traumatic births. Alex opens up about living with complex congenital heart defects, undergoing open-heart surgery as an infant, and entering pregnancy knowing she would always be medically high-risk. Despite meticulous care and expert providers, both pregnancies took sudden, life-threatening ...

5 days ago

38 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 213: Coherence Therapy, Memory Reconsolidation, and Healing Birth Trauma

In this clinically grounded episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Kina Wolfenstein, LCSW, therapist, educator, and certified trainer in Coherence Therapy, for a deep dive into a lesser-known but incredibly powerful trauma modality. Together, they explore what coherence therapy is, how it differs from more familiar approaches like EMDR, CBT, and IFS, and why it can be especially effective for birth trauma, medical trauma, and complex attachment wounds. Kina explains h...

1 week ago

41 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 212: Triplet Loss, Twin Birth, Emergency C-Section, and The NICU feat. Bella

In this Listener Series episode, Kayleigh is joined by Bella, who courageously shares her journey through infertility, a high-risk twin pregnancy, perinatal depression, placenta previa, repeated hospitalizations, and an emergency C-section at just under 33 weeks. Bella walks us through the shock of conceiving triplets after one round of Clomid, the grief of losing one baby early in pregnancy, and the fear and uncertainty that followed as complications continued to stack. From significant blee...

3 weeks ago

31 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 211: Ethics in The Birth Room

What happens when something doesn’t feel right during labor or birth, but you don’t know what to do, who to call, or even what to name it? In this eye-opening episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Dr. Jennifer Dunatov, a healthcare ethicist with nearly 20 years of experience working inside hospital systems. Together, they unpack what ethics really looks like in labor and delivery and why it’s a vastly underutilized (but incredibly important) resource for birthing peo...

4 weeks ago

48 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 210: Eight Months Postpartum: A “Routine” Procedure Turned Traumatic

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Danielle, a therapist and mother of three, to share a story that challenges the narrow ways we often define birth and postpartum trauma. Danielle’s trauma did not occur during labor or delivery, it unfolded months postpartum, following what was supposed to be a routine surgical procedure to remove a fibroid. Instead, a cascade of medical complications led to a medical emergency, multiple surgeries, bladder injury, and a...

1 month ago

33 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 209: EMDR, Perinatal Trauma, & OCD

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Tiffany Lowther, LMHC, a certified perinatal mental health professional and EMDR therapist, for an in-depth conversation about using EMDR to treat birth trauma, postpartum anxiety, OCD-like symptoms, and other perinatal mental health challenges. Tiffany shares both her professional expertise and lived experience, offering clear explanations of what EMDR is, how it works in the brain and body, and why it can be especially ...

1 month ago

32 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 208: Rushed to the NICU: Navigating Pneumothorax, Infection Fears, and Postpartum Chaos ft. Kelsea

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Kelsea, a mom of three, to share the emotional, terrifying, and deeply transformative story of her son Oliver’s birth and NICU journey a birth she hoped would finally be a peaceful experience after two difficult deliveries, but instead became her most traumatic one yet. Scheduled for a repeat C-section at 37 weeks due to rising blood pressures and a history of preeclampsia, Kelsea entered the hospital with a pit in her ...

1 month ago

29 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 207: Surrogacy After Birth Trauma: The Feelings Beneath the Process

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Dvora Entin, LCSW, PMH-C, therapist, educator, and host of The Misconceptions Podcast, for a deeply honest and compassionate conversation about surrogacy— the hopes, complexities, grief, joy, and emotional labor that shape this path to parenthood. Dvora shares what intended parents often navigate beneath the surface: the grief of letting go of a hoped-for pregnancy, the vulnerability of trusting another person wit...

1 month ago

38 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

A Special Re-Release: Ep. 129 Navigating the Holidays After Birth Trauma

As the holiday season approaches, we’re revisiting one of the most requested and resonant solo episodes of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. In this special re-release, Kayleigh dives into the complex, emotional landscape of navigating the holidays after birth or perinatal trauma, a topic that so many in our community quietly struggle with, but one that’s rarely talked about openly. Drawing from her own experience and the countless stories shared within this community, Kayleigh unpack...

1 month ago

37 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 206: Preeclampsia, Magnesium Toxicity, & a NICU Journey feat. Rachel

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Rachel, a mom of two, to share her powerful and deeply layered story of navigating two very different pregnancies and births, both marked by moments of dismissal, fear, and intense advocacy. Rachel’s first pregnancy shifted dramatically at 30 weeks when she developed severe high blood pressure and preeclampsia, leading to weeks of confusion, mixed messages, and ultimately an induction at 34 weeks. Her experience ...

1 month ago

42 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 205: In The Eye of The Beholder: Dr. Cheryl Beck on Birth Trauma

In this powerful conversation, Kayleigh sits down with Dr. Cheryl Tatano Beck, one of the most influential researchers in postpartum mood disorders and psychological birth trauma. Dr. Beck shares how her clinical work as a nurse and nurse-midwife led her into research, how she “fell into” traumatic birth as a focus, and why listening to mothers’ own words and metaphors changed everything. Together, they explore breastfeeding after birth trauma, the role of dignity and respect in preventing tr...

1 month ago

43 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 204: How a Lived Experience Can Strengthen (but not define) a Therapist's Work feat. Lillian

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...

2 months ago

26 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 203: “I Thought I Was Here to Help”: Healing the Helpers in Birth Work

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...

2 months ago

41 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 202: Emergency C-Section & Dismissive Care feat. Betsey

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...

2 months ago

31 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Mini Series: Pregnancy After Birth Trauma

In this episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh opens a gentle and honest conversation about the journey of considering pregnancy after birth trauma and introduces her new workshop, created specifically for this season. The Pregnancy After Birth Trauma workshop was designed as a supportive, trauma-informed space for anyone exploring a subsequent pregnancy after a difficult or traumatic birth. It offers guidance, reflection prompts, and tools to help you move through this process wi...

2 months ago

15 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 200: Cervical Tear, Uterine Rupture, PPH & No Debrief feat. Christine

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,...

2 months ago

40 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 199: Social Work, Medicine, and the Heart of OB Care

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...

2 months ago

42 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 198: Placental Abruption, Stillbirth, & Honoring Max’s Legacy feat. Meghan

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...

2 months ago

49 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 197: Midwifery Care in the Hospital

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...

2 months ago

53 minutes

The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast

Ep. 196: Medical Gaslighting, Racial Bias, & Emotional Fallout in the NICU feat. Sowania

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...

2 months ago

39 minutes