List of the most popular hashtags for theme #BIRTHTRAUMA

When your preemie is in the NICU the ONE THING you want most is them in your arms and to take them home.⠀ ⠀ My birth plan went nothing as expected (which they rarely do) but spending every chance I got in the NICU begging to hold my own child was def not on the agenda. He couldn’t nurse because of his breathing mask and CPAPP so after countless attempts of nursing and pumping my body just shut down. After a ton of research I learned so many Mother’s go through this as well, but I was determined to pump his entire NICU stay and have the nurses feed him breast milk. This was HARD but we did it! ⠀ ⠀ Nutrition is so important in the NICU. Preemies miss out on all the growth that happens in the last trimester so they need a lot of extra calories and protein to catch up on what they missed in-utero. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends adding a nutritional “fortifier” to moms or donors breast milk to ensure that preemies get the added nutrition they need to support brain and body development for babies weighing less than 3 lb 5 oz. ⠀ ⠀ Here’s the catch 22 mamas! Most “fortifiers”- even if labeled “human milk fortifier” are actually made from cows milk. Cow milk based fortifiers have been shown to increase the risk of serious complications in preemies. But there is an alternative: Prolacta Bioscience makes the first and only nutritional fortifier from 100% donor breast milk instead of cow milk. It is clinically proven to reduce complications compared to cow milk fortifier. Studies also show that Prolacta’s 100% donor breast milk fortifier improves preemie health, supports brain development and reduces the number of days in the NICU compared to preemies fed cow milk fortifier.⠀ ⠀ That’s why I’m partnering with Prolacta Bioscience [tag @prolacta_bioscience] to encourage moms to ask about the brand of fortifier being used. NICUs nationwide are changing the standard of care for extremely premature infants by making Prolacta’s 100% donor breast milk fortifier available as part of an exclusive human milk diet.⠀ ⠀ Knowledge is power and I hope that you will join me in raising awareness for 100% breast milk nutrition in the NICU. Link in bio

Posted @withrepost • @addyess POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. . Feelings of inadequacy. Intrusive thoughts. Inescapable fear. Shame. Resentment. Constant irritability. Uncontrollable anger. Lack of control. Period. Paralyzing anxiety. Relentless fatigue. Body dysmorphia. Self-hatred. Inability to enjoy life. Crippling guilt. So. Much. Guilt. . . POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. . Is not a choice. Is not a sin issue. Does not mean you're weak. Does not make you unrepentant. Does not make you a bad mother. Or spouse. Or person. It doesn't mean you don't love your kids. It doesn't mean you hate being a mom. It doesn't mean you're suicidal. Or homicidal. (Although that may be a reality for some.) It doesn't mean you should stop having children. It doesn't discriminate. But ... It. Does. NOT. Define. You. . AND YOUR STORY DOESN'T HAVE TO END HERE. . Friends, listen up. We need to break the silence and bring awareness to something that's very real and very scary for women all around you. I am just one of the MANY faces of PPD/PPA, and I've found that this is not a one-size-fits-all type of thing. It's a beast that presents itself in so many different ways and we need to know that we aren't alone. YOU aren't alone! . I love Jesus with my WHOLE heart, and yet I need medication to combat ppd. I'm certainly not saying that is the answer for everyone, but whole heartedly believe that is the right thing for ME. And I refuse to be ashamed of taking care of my mental health for the sake of my babies, my husband, myself. The need for medication does not mean I'm not a strong believer, it doesn't mean my faith is small or my prayer life is lacking. It doesn't mean I'm taking the easy way out. It just means that my body has been through a whole heck of a lot in the past 5 years, and I've got a little hormonal imbalance to show for it. . If you or anyone you know is struggling, please swallow your pride, stand up to your fears, and get help. You don't have to live in those dark spaces any longer. We are all in this motherhood thing together. . You are loved more than you can imagine, and stronger than you may think. But above all, and please hear me on this ... YOU ARE WORTH IT.

“Fake it ‘til you make it.” “Surviving, not thriving.” “Choose joy.” Ben’s smile is pure joy (from the thrill of his first boat ride!) and SO IS MINE! I have been through a long season of having to CHOOSE joy, despite how I truly felt on the inside—entirely anxious. In January, I started counseling. To be honest, it was beyond time. I told my therapist, “I just want my joy back.” I did the hard work of showing up and talking through my trauma. But you know what? My body still felt overwhelmed. It was still responding to the trauma even though it was no longer threatened. Last month I was brave enough to tell my therapist I wanted to talk about meds. And then I was brave enough to call my doctor. I was brave enough to show up to the appointment, and brave enough to pick up the prescription. That night, I stared at the little green pill in my hand and I did not feel brave—I felt defeated. To add insult to injury, the first few days of side-effects were really rough. I was so ready to just feel “like myself again,” though I honestly didn’t know what that meant anymore. It’s been over a month now and that little green pill is easier to swallow because it’s working. I know it seems a little bit like I’m airing dirty laundry right now, but I want you to know that you’re not alone if you need to take that next step toward mental health. It took so much reassurance for me to acknowledge that no amount of wishing and hoping was going to restore a chemical imbalance in my brain. And friends, there are no words for how much of a relief it is to actually ENJOY life again. #anxiety #lifeafternicu #ptsd #birthtrauma #pregnancytrauma #normalizeanxiety #twinmama #twinmom #nicubaby #25weeker #postpartum #postpartumanxiety

BIRTH TRAUMA AWARENESS WEEK 2 years ago (7.7.17) was the best and worst day of my life. We welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world but I also had the most traumatic experience. I won’t go into much detail on here but you can find the link to my birth story blog in my bio. Beatrice’s birth was far from perfect - I had a placenta abruption and was rushed into theatre, I was put to sleep and I didn’t meet her until she was a few hours old. I will NEVER not feel guilty for being asleep and for Dec not being allowed in the room when she was bought into this world but after CBT, a few birth reflection sessions and doing mindfulness I have come to terms with her birth. I cried everyday for a year feeling like it was my fault I couldn’t see my child be bought into this world, why had my body failed me? Was it because I didn’t have a birth plan and I was so chilled about the whole thing? Was it because I was induced? No one knows but I do know it wasn’t my fault. I had the most amazing birth with Max - I did hypnobirthing and I had an incredible VBAC. It was so relaxing and I felt on top of the world. Dec and my mum were in the room and everything was perfect. It can be so hard to blame yourself for your traumatic birth, I would definitely recommend having a birth reflection session - you can do this by calling your hospital and asking for one. CBT also helped me a lot, don’t be afraid to ask for help! #birthtraumaawareness #birthtraumaawarenessweek #bta #birthtrauma #ptsd #cbt #birthreflections #listeningservice #xparentcom #vbac #hypnobirthing #emergencycsection #placentaabruption #csection #csectionrecovery #birthstory #ukmummyblogger #birthstoryblog

Thank you @youcandoulait for pulling this quote from my interview with @thebirthhour __ Some of the most difficult criticism to receive over the years of running this project is when folks discredit or minimize the loss of the birth experience I wanted. The notion that the *only* thing that matters is a healthy mama and babe makes me rage inside, and it is downright harmful to those who are healing from birth trauma. We survived the emergency cesarean, yes, but that fact alone did not make me “healthy.” I grieved my homebirth in a visceral, desperate way. I felt depressed and lost. The sight of pregnant bellies or photos of triumphant mamas with babes on their chest was incredibly triggering for many months. I eventually alchemized those feelings of failure into empowerment and healing, but it took a long time. __ Feel free to share your thoughts about the loss of your birth experience below. The grief is real and your feelings are valid. I love you. __ Love, @katievigos #empoweredbirthproject #birthtrauma

The birth of our August Fox ♡. It’s taken me nearly five months to write this. At first my heart was just too heavy. I’d start to write it, the tears would flow and I’d have to stop. I’m still not sure if I’ve expressed myself in the best way, or if it will make complete sense... but here it is. A small snippet below, link in my bio If you’d like to read it in full. - And this was the point where I lost it. This was the point where I started to lose all control. I sobbed as I begged to be transferred down to the delivery ward. I didn’t even care anymore that I couldn’t go to the birth centre. I just needed to be in the place where I would have my baby. I needed to set up my space, get into my zone. I needed to feel in control, to feel safe, secure and supported. I needed a midwife to help me, to offer advice and guidance and explain to me just what was going on in my body… if I wasn’t in labour, then what was happening? I needed a professional to tell me I was doing a good job, that I was safe, that my baby was safe. And I had none if this. I couldn’t understand what was going on and throughout those hours I’ve never felt more scared in my life. If this wasn’t labour, something was wrong with either myself or my baby and I feared something was going to happen to one of us. I’ve never been scared of labour or birthing a baby… but for those hours, I honestly thought we might not make it. I felt fear in every single part of my body, a type of fear that I hope I never experience again in my lifetime. - link in bio to read the entire story. #birthstory #birthtrauma #motherhoodunplugged

See, it’s not just about intervention rates and statistics. It’s about an entire philosophy that the team is there to SERVE THE PATIENT rather than make the patient endure interruption, pain, discomfort for the benefit of the team. . Now add to that we are talking about VAGINAS, not toes or ears or elbows. We are talking about an area of the body that is LOADED with memory and sensation and very often, previous trauma. The insistence on routinely interfering with labor for something that is at the least uncomfortable and the worst traumatizing for information we could get other ways... it speaks to a system that is fundamentally misaligned with its end users. In a word, it’s misogyny. . Note I am talking about routine exams in labor, not exams that are enthusiastically consented to or requested by the laboring person, etc. . I am talking about routine exams that are pushed on and sometimes forced on people giving birth. It is so common it’s almost unremarkable. . Well, except I’m going to remark on it every damn time. It’s assault. . Thank you to #midwives for holding this knowledge and this space. Someday your contributions/philosophy will be valued on a larger scale and I can’t wait for that day. . Happy Sunday! . #birthmonopoly #consent #informedconsent #respectthevagina #respectthepersonwhoownsthevagina #respectfulmaternitycare #obstetricviolence #obviolence #birthtrauma #birthrights #feministbirth #mothermayithemovie #documentaryfilm

Your entry into this world may have been total chaos, but you my boy, are a dream. Your calm and loving nature has healed me in ways I never knew. Every day with you is a blessing my sweet boy. - Thank you all so much for your messages on August’s birth story. It honestly means so much. #birthtrauma #motherhoodunplugged

It’s C-Section Awareness Month! I am a 3 time C-Section Mom turned Doula and today on #DoulaDiaries Asma (@this_ruh) & I will be talking all about C-Sections. We will talk about the risks, medical reasons for C-sections, what actually happens in the surgery, down to the recovery. C-Sections can be a blessing but they are also not always necessary. . .Backstory to my births. My C-Sections were all unplanned after 20-52 hours of labor. My first one was the most traumatic. After a very healthy pregnancy & uneventful 20 hours of labor my son moved positions. There was ALOT of running back and forth because the nurses thought my son didn’t have a heartbeat anymore. It was after the ultrasound that they realized he moved from the head down position (0 station) to being transverse. I was mostly in the hospital bed laying down, not knowing that this would affect my chances of a vaginal birth. It was traumatic from that point on because of the nurses hysterical reactions/actions. She was so rough, and overly dramatic and made everyone in the room nervous. the nurses that made a huge deal out of what was going on and even ordered me to move onto the operating table on my own. Mind you, I was sobbing, I was still in pain from contractions and my back felt like it was breaking since I had been told to lay flat. She also exposed me in front of male technicians & nurses. I still have yet to I still have yet to heal from that & it set the tone for my next two birth experiences. This is why I am here today, wanting to support & help women have better birth experiences and feel empowered. And to also know that whatever birth you had, it is still a birth, whether it’s surgery or vaginal. It doesn’t make us any of less of a woman. You CAN have an empowering C-Section Birth too!. . .Tag a C-Section Mama, & as always if you know anyone who may benefit from this live please do share it with them. And if you have any questions please do leave them below!. . . #csection #csectionawarenessmonth #csectionrecovery #csectionawareness #csectionscar #csectionbirth #birthdoula #postpartumdoula