Elizabeth Stoodley

There's a saying, "You don't know what you don't know".  Never did that so accurately describe my circumstance as it did the day before my daughter was born.

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In 2019 I became pregnant with my husband's and my first child.  We were overjoyed, and began preparing in all the ways that we knew of at the time to welcome our baby in to the world.  I was working two jobs at the time, and spent almost my entire pregnancy surviving off of poutine and pizza pops because nothing else would reliably stay down.  Pregnancy, to me, was not as joy-filled as I had anticipated, and I looked forward to meeting my little girl and feeling well again.

 

At 41 weeks I was sent for an ultrasound that showed our baby as "breech".  It almost seemed like a bad word. The working Obstetrician had a talk with us about the dangers of labouring with breech presentation and I was quickly scheduled for a cesarean section.  After an unsuccessful spinal tap, and nearly without warning, I was put under general anesthetic, my husband was refused entrance to the room, and our beautiful baby girl was surgically removed from my body.

 

I woke up later that day with full-criteria post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and would go on to suffer through a full 18 months of emotional, psychological, spiritual, and physical anguish before connecting with up-to-date professionals and receiving a proper diagnosis.  It was only then that I could find the supports and strategies I needed to start becoming the mother I had always planned to be.

 

With today's research and knowledge of birth trauma, no woman needs to wait that long to find help.

I went on to explore many avenues of healing and in 2022 chose to begin studying under the founder of Birth Trauma Ontario to help give mothers the support and trauma-informed care that we all deserve!

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Since then, I have learned a great deal about many aspects of healing that are all too often neglected in our western medical model.  These parts of holistic wellness are especially important for female physiology to function as it is designed to.  Unfortunately many women are led astray by fads, diets and outdated policies that harm the ability of their body to adapt to the changes that are necessary in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery.  This often leaves them burnt out, depleted, scared, and depressed, priming them for trauma and PTSD.  Proper perinatal education and support can transform women's experiences from desperate to determined.  I am here to help that happen.