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‘I almost died’: Alberta psychologist shares traumatic birth story to help others
🇨🇦 Canada /Culture & Society

‘I almost died’: Alberta psychologist shares traumatic birth story to help others

From Global News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Psychologist Teela Tomassetti experienced a traumatic birth in 2021, including a hemorrhage and retained placenta, which led to infection.
  • After struggling with the experience, she founded Canada's first Reproductive and Perinatal Trauma Centre to support others.
  • Research indicates one in three women find their birth experience psychologically traumatic, with causes ranging from emergencies to provider mistreatment.

Teela Tomassetti, an Edmonton-area psychologist, endured a harrowing birth experience in 2021 that left her questioning her expectations of childbirth. Despite meticulous preparation, her planned home birth devolved into a medical emergency. She recounts being denied hospital transfer when she sensed something was wrong, only being taken to Royal Alexandra Hospital after hours of pleading.

Being my first pregnancy and my first childbirth experience, I had no idea what was going on with my body.

— Teela TomassettiTomassetti describes her initial confusion and lack of control during her difficult birth.

Once at the hospital, Tomassetti experienced an excessive hemorrhage requiring blood transfusions and a week-long stay. Her ordeal continued six weeks later with a second hemorrhage due to a retained placenta, necessitating a dilation and curettage procedure. This was followed by an infection, leaving her feeling "shattered" 12 weeks postpartum.

I had an excessive hemorrhage requiring blood transfusions and a week in hospital.

— Teela TomassettiTomassetti details the immediate aftermath of her birth complications.

Seeking community and understanding, Tomassetti launched an Instagram account, @theteaonbirthtrauma, which quickly fostered a supportive network. This led her to establish the Reproductive and Perinatal Trauma Centre, Canada's first facility dedicated to birth trauma and other reproductive mental health issues. The center now employs eight counselors and offers support for infertility, pregnancy loss, and paternal mental health.

Twelve weeks postpartum, I was just shattered from the experience.

— Teela TomassettiTomassetti reflects on the prolonged emotional and physical toll of her birth experience.

Tomassetti's initiative addresses a significant issue, as research suggests one in three women consider their birth experience psychologically traumatic. The RPTC defines birth trauma as any event exceeding the nervous system's coping capacity before, during, or after childbirth. These experiences are deeply personal and can stem from various factors, including emergency situations or mistreatment by providers, impacting individuals and their partners for months or years.

It’s such a beautiful community and really needed in terms of the advocacy.

— Teela TomassettiTomassetti speaks about the online community she found and helped build around birth trauma.
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Originally published by Global News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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