206: Healing After Miscarriage, Birth, and Postpartum Anxiety

Today’s show marks five years of this podcast. It’s been an unbelievable journey speaking to guests who share their stories and experiences so we can all work to raise the volume on these perinatal mental health conditions. Five years, 206 episodes---and we’re still going strong! Heidi McBain shares her story of birth trauma, miscarriage, and anxiety to shed light on the importance of talking about these experiences, allowing time to grieve for loss, and getting the help you need. Heidi has been married for almost 19 years and has two kids, ages 12 and 15. She's also a dog mom to a high-energy Labrador Retriever. Her family spent six years living in Lima, Peru, when their kids were young, and they have been in Flower Mound, Texas (outside of Dallas) for the last four years. After being a stay-at-home mom when her kids were little, Heidi now works full-time as a therapist. She is licensed in the state of Texas and sees moms during pregnancy, postpartum, and throughout motherhood. Show Highlights: Heidi’s story of her first pregnancy with her daughter and how it was normal until things went downhill and became terrifying and traumatizing How the birth of her son three years later brought the realization of what she had been through during her daughter’s labor and delivery How a 12-week miscarriage between her daughter and son left her feeling guilty, upset, and like she should have been referred to a therapist Why you must create space to grieve for a loss in order to move forward How Heidi’s therapist helped her realize she was experiencing anxiety as umbilical cord concerns cropped up with her pregnancy with her son How Heidi coped with anxiety by going to therapy, meditating, journaling, and spending time outdoors Why Heidi regrets not going back to therapy after her son’s birth How Heidi and her husband worked together as sleep-deprived partners to deal with their son’s reflux problems What Heidi wishes she had known sooner How Heidi’s experiences spurred her to work more in the field of perinatal mental health to help others Resources: Heidi Mcbain  Facebook and Instagram: @mentalwellnessformoms