PTSD and An Empowering Planned Cesarean — 057

May 14th, 2018 · 1 hr 42 mins

About this Episode

Today’s guest, Rebecca Fraser, openly shares about the heartbreaking loss she felt when she was denied the initial bonding period with her first son, after being moved to the OR to repair a severe vaginal laceration. She recounts the physical and emotional agony of her PTSD and her difficult quest to find support and healing. She also shares the contrasting pure joy and connectedness she felt when holding her second born immediately after having a planned Cesarean birth.

Struggling with the length and complexity of her recovery, both physically and emotionally, Rebecca found talking about her unique experience and attending a perinatal mental health class integral to her recovery. As she considered her options for birth when she became pregnant again, she decided it didn’t make any sense to relive the experience that had caused her so much pain. Opting for a planned cesarean, she immediately felt relief and empowerment - bolstered by the support she received from her caring birth team and community both during and after her birth.

Any woman who needs or wants to plan a cesarean birth (or even just wants to prepare emotionally for the possibility) should listen to Rebecca’s story - it is such an important reminder that trauma doesn’t always look like we think it does, and that support and respect can allow ANY birth experience to be positive and empowering.

Expectful is a guided meditation app for each stage of the motherhood journey — you can sign up for an exclusive one-month free trial here!

In This Episode:
● Having a midwife present at a hospital delivery
● The difference in U.S. birthing procedures versus international care
● The intense pain of back labor
● Her complicated recovery after surgery to repair the third-degree laceration
● How birth trauma creates physical and emotional pain
● How follow-up examinations and therapies triggered her PTSD
● Getting pregnant again after a traumatic first birth
● The decision to plan a cesarean and the empowering and positive experience she had
● A prenatal course that focuses on post-traumatic stress
● Recovery after a Cesarean and how it compared to her first recovery
● Finding comfort in a birthing community
● How to get a free one-month trial of guided meditations through Expectful

Show Notes: