Trigger warning: this episode contains references to postpartum depression and sexual assault.
Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with the irreverent and amazing Caitlin Benson. In this episode, we delve into the details of Caitlin's emotionally charged second birth of her beautiful son Owen, who was born via cesarean during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To kick off this episode, we start our discussion around Caitlin's postpartum experience after delivering her daughter Ellie (whose birth was covered in our Part 1 interview). Caitlin gets candid about her struggles with anxiety and OCD and the painful discovery of how a former sexual assault impacted her postpartum journey. Then, we shift gears and get into her journey of ushering baby Owen onto the planet.
We keep it real and raw here because sharing our stories can be a deeply healing experience, and we aim to discover solutions to America's terrible motherhood mortality problem.
But I promise you, it's not all gloom and doom in this episode (there’s also no mortality in this episode). Caitlin always has a way of keeping things light while keeping it real.
What I love about this interview is learning how Caitlin was able to do to advocate for herself, even in the face of unexpected changes to her birth plan. There's also a hilarious anecdote about how she discovered she had scoliosis during her labor.
I hope you enjoy today’s episode, and consider recording your own birth story voicemail here.
Resources for Survivors of Sexual Violence During Childbirth
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in four birthing people experience some form of sexual violence. And when a birthing person becomes pregnant, they may experience an uptick in cues or triggers that recall painful memories because pregnancy, birth, and infant-feeding have aspects to them that the birthing person cannot control.
If you are navigating triggers during pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum, know that you are not alone. Below are a few resources for sexual violence survivors.
Read Sarah Beaulieu’s first hand account navigating birth in her article Commentary: When Sexual Violence Survivors Give Birth, Here's What You Should Know.
All 4 Birth has a list of specific strategies and tips in this piece Considerations for a positive birth after sexual violence or abuse.
Resources for Survivors
National Sexual Abuse Hotline: 1800-656-HOPE
RAINN: Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network, www.rainn.org
For Providers
Creating a Safe Birthing Experience for Survivors of Sexual Violence by The Educated Birth for midwives and doulas has some great tips. Providing Care for Survivors of Sexual Abuse During Childbirth has good information as well.
Help Women in Syria and Turkey
Featuring organizations and individuals who are fighting for reproductive justice. Support and follow these organizations if you are interested in advocating for healthcare equity for for all.
Providing crucial maternity care in the wake of massive earthquakes
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency that is actively helping pregnancy women in Syria and Türkiye. Their mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
A pair of catastrophic earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria on 6 February, killing thousands of people and injuring many more, with the numbers expected to rise as rescuers scramble to pull survivors from the rubble in freezing conditions. Among the millions of people who have been affected: tens of thousands of pregnant women who need access to maternal health services.
“UNFPA is committed to support the people of Türkiye and Syria affected by the earthquakes, including the pregnant women who are expected to give birth in the coming weeks under these difficult conditions,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, the Executive Director of UNFPA. “Their ability to access quality care before, during and after delivery must not be an afterthought.”
About this newsletter
Birthtok is a community for birth storytelling by Mani O’Brien.
We are on a mission to demystify birth, create community around resilience and discuss ideas around how we can improve birth in the U.S.
Send us your anonymous birth story voicemail in all its raw and unfiltered glory!
📞 Click here to record your story (totally anonymously if you wish).
💌 Email: mani@shoutyourbirth.com
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