315: Premature Births, Trauma Healing, and “Cards for Hope” with Savannah Jane O’Malley

Hearing the stories of others helps us to know that we are not alone. So many families face premature births, NICU stays, and traumatic birth experiences. As always, our message is that there is support and hope. Join us for Savannah’s story. Savannah Jane O’Malley is a wife and working mother of three former preemies. She works full-time, pursues her artistic passions part-time, and she “moms” all the time. When her twin boys were born 3.5 months early, everything she thought her life was supposed to be was shattered. The one-pound warriors spent their first three months fighting for a chance at life despite many devastating diagnoses, countless ups and downs, and finally achieving incredible triumphs. Going through these experiences helped Savannah discover her true role as a mother, and it set her on a brand-new trajectory.  Through social media, public speaking, writing, and painting, she is a voice of hope for families going through similar trials, and she is an advocate for those with disabilities, especially for those who have cerebral palsy, like her son. She is a cheerleader for families during their NICU experiences, a mental health advocate for mothers, and a self-proclaimed spreader of reckless hope. In this episode, Savannah shares her birth stories, what her post-NICU mental health was like, her son’s cerebral palsy diagnosis, and how her Cards of Hope campaign helps mothers after traumatic births.  Show Highlights: How Savannah’s daughter’s birth at 36 weeks was much different than what she experienced when her twin sons were born two years later at 24 weeks How Savannah’s healing journey began when she started blogging during her 101-day NICU stint How her sons both suffered brain bleeds, major heart and brain surgeries, and a cerebral palsy diagnosis for Lachlan How the twins’ birth was traumatizing in many ways but especially because no one told her what was happening or what to expect What it was like to see her one-pound babies for the first time in the NICU–and feel herself physically and emotionally shut down How her recovery was complicated by bladder repair surgery and wearing a catheter for two weeks How she finally began to connect with her babies almost a week after their birth and understood their fight for life How Savannah and her husband navigated time in the NICU and time with their two-year-old daughter What it was like to go through the twins’ very serious diagnoses and surgeries How Savannah learned to hyperfunction when the twins came home until all the traumas came crashing down on her Why she is passionate about helping people understand birth trauma How therapy has helped Savannah begin to heal Why she began “Cards of Hope” to help mothers of birth trauma How she is healing while grieving the loss of what she thought her life would be Resources: Connect with Savannah and sign up for Cards of Hope: Website Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!  Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.   Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!