We have reached the end of 2024! Freedom To Know Wellness closes its year with episode 14, the final episode from season 1’s, Freedom To Know Wellness, the podcast. Thank you for subscribing, watching, listening and sharing FTKWellness content. For 2025, FKTWellness season 2 will showcase new content and continue supplying resources to aid your health, wellness and disability journey.
Birth trauma is a sensitive topic. Viewer’s Discretion is Advised.
**Video podcast available with Closed Caption ’below “What is Birth Trauma”**
Allison Wylie - Traumatic Birth and IVF Journey
As promised, the last two episodes for 2024 address female reproductive and infertility issues. Check out episode 13’s Pelvic Floor Pain - Journey to Wellness. Today's title may seem sombre— “Alive Traumatic Births…” Urgh, depressing! But do not fear. My guest, Allison Wylie, will inform and expand your understanding of their birth trauma, infertility and IVF journey while giving you some humour within their traumatic and extensive experience of attain their beautiful two children.
Allison and her partner's experience with losses during their IVF led to the inspiration and creation of Allison’s jewelry line, called Remembryo. Remebryo are hand-crafted engraved pendant emblems, to remember the embryos lost while trying to conceive. These emblems are not just for the “IVF'ers” as Allison likes to coin, but for those who have miscarried and had infant loss. Find Remembryo also on Instagram.
What is Birth Trauma
A traumatic birth is a topic often overlooked by the mainstream and medical community, usually categorized as a disappointing birth. Although some may pass off the experience as such, it is not. A traumatic birth or birth trauma happens when the baby and or the mother's life is threatened during delivery, requiring an emergency, invasive assisted delivery-- assisted deliveries such as a C-section, a vacuum delivery, or a forceps delivery- the latter delivery method is now rarely used only in emergencies due to its high risks on the baby (i.e. skull fracture, seizures, Erb’s palsy). Canada has some of the highest rates (16.3%) of Birth Traumas due to these types of assisted birth deliveries worldwide.
1 in 3 or 45% of birth mothers reported Birth Trauma that caused psychological trauma, birth-related PTSD-- also impacting the birth partner, and birth-related post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS). Many have reported inadequate support post-delivery.
According to Birth Trauma Ontario, these are the statistical impacts of birth trauma on mothers:
1 in 4 women are injured by poor instrumental technique
1 in 3 women end up with a scar on their uterus
1 in 3 are traumatised during delivery
1 in 3 suffer from postpartum depression and/or anxiety
1 in 8 have PTSD
1 in 10 have thoughts of self-harm in the first year postpartum
My personal belief is natural is better. And it is documented that births under midwifery care have lower birth trauma rates. Aiming for natural birth is optimal but is not always wanted by the birth parent(s), or for medical reasons is not an option. I wonder why there are such high rates of birth trauma whether in North America or other non-western countries. Has modern delivery methods, established for safer and speedier deliveries, contributed to higher birth traumas? These are just thoughts, but the joy and newfound responsibilities of the birth of a baby should not warrant additional psychological trauma due to a traumatic birth.
Birth Trauma Support Groups & Fertility Grants
Birth Trauma Association https://www.birthtraumaassociation.orgBirth Trauma Ontario https://birthtraumaontario.ca/Birth Trauma Resources https://pattch.org/birth-trauma-resources/Birth Trauma Support Group - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/birthtraumasupportgroup/Trio Fertility Ontario Grant https://triofertility.com/ohip-fertility-coverage/🎵 Music: Hold You
Artist: Q-Black Soundcloud
*Music rights owned by Freedom To Know Wellness*
Episode Timestamp
00:00 Intro
00:50 Subscribe & Donate
01:13 What is a Traumatic Birth
2:52 Interview- About Allison Whyllie - Life Before TTC
07:41 Understanding Our Infertility | 1st IVF Clinic in Canada
09:55 Trying to Conceive & IVF
18:06 Stress of TTC, IVF & Mental Health
28:13 The Traumatic Birth
45:18 Body in Shock | Trauma to Baby
53:54 Support for Traumatic Birth | Coping Skills
01:02:06 Second Pregnancy | International IVF Failures then FINALLY
01.22:42 Remembryos Jewelry (Remember the Lost Embryos & Infants)
01:30:04 FTKW Have your Voice Heard | FTKW Blog & Social Media
Thank you, Be Well 💜
Freedom To Know Wellness
Share this post