Quiet Connection - Postpartum Mental Health
Hosted by Chelsea Myers: Quiet Connection is a podcast where parents and caregivers share their experiences with PMADS, traumatic birth, fertility struggles, pregnancy/infant loss, and more without fear of judgment or criticism. Let's normalize the conversation and end the stigma! You are not alone. I see you. Want to be a guest on Quiet Connection - Postpartum Mental Health? Send Chelsea a message on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/quietconnectionpodcast
Episodes
In this special Q&A edition of Quiet Confessions, Chelsea is joined by their husband, Ben, to tackle a question sent in from Megann of Pondering Paretnhood Podcast. It's a situation many long-term partners face but few discuss openly: How do you prioritize your marriage during the "roommate phase"?
Having been together for 19 years and navigated everything from early-career stress to significant medica...
In this powerhouse episode, Chelsea sits down with Rachell Dumas—a registered nurse, maternal health advocate, and the founder of the nonprofit A Light After Nine.
Rachell shares her "tumultuous" four-year journey to motherhood, which was marked by five pregnancy losses and a constant battle against a healthcare system that dismissed her pain.
Rachell recounts the devastating experience of losing a baby at 15...
In this week’s Quiet Confession, Chelsea opens up the floor for some Q&A and explores the complex intersection of self-care and trauma recovery for parents.
While traditional self-care often fails for those with postpartum PTSD or medical trauma, Chelsea shares their personal evolution from identifying "maladaptive" coping habits to discovering "glimmers" that actually reset the nervous system.
T...
What does it mean to raise children while carrying the weight of despair, and to find healing in unexpected places? In this episode of Quiet Connection, Chelsea sits down with Betti Rooted Lionheart, a mother, shamanic healer, and facilitator of “The Work That Reconnects.”
Betti opens up about her early conviction never to have children, her experiences with traumatic birth and a lifelong fistula injury, and the path t...
In this intimate "flare day" confession, Chelsea records from their couch to discuss a fundamental shift in how they are approaching the new year. Moving away from traditional resolutions, Chelsea shares why their word for 2026 is "Believe"—specifically, the belief that they are worthy of good things, joy, and comfort despite the chaos of the world.
Tune in to hear why saying "yes" to your...
In this episode, I'm connecting with fellow Vermonters and parenting podcasters Mike and Meghann Oquendo, hosts of Pondering Parenthood, to talk about the journey from educators to parents, the grief and chaos of early parenthood, and the deep work of reconnecting to themselves, to each other, and to their joy.
From miscarriage and pandemic birth stories to sleepless nights, relationship strain, and rediscovering ...
*This episode discusses topics realted to Postpartum Psychosis, including delusional thinking and psychiatric hospitalization.
In this episode of Quiet Connection, Chelsea sits down with Willemijn De Bruin, a world traveler, public health researcher, and mother of two, to discuss her unexpected journey through postpartum psychosis. Willemijn opens up about her traumatic first birth, her two psychiatric hospitalizations...
In this timely solo session, Chelsea steps away from the recording studio to check in from their living room. Recorded via phone while watching for the school bus, this episode is a "solidarity session" for any parent feeling the weight of the world.
This isn't a political episode, but a human one. Chelsea explores the strange cognitive dissonance of performing "normal" tasks like laundry and ...
Motherhood rarely looks the way we imagined. For Melissa, it meant recovering from a C-section, navigating digestive issues and IBS, caring for a chronically ill husband, and raising a daughter during the COVID-19 pandemic, all while grieving the loss of her parents.
In this conversation, Melissa shares her journey of balancing caregiving with motherhood, managing her own health, and finding joy in simple practices lik...
This week, Chelsea steps away from their typical format to "try again" at a moment they’ve replayed for twenty years. At sixteen, Chelsea met their hero, Brandi Carlile, and was left stumbling over words, unable to express the profound impact of her music.
Now, in their late 30s, navigating life as a disabled, non-binary, and chronically ill parent, Chelsea uses this space to pen an open letter to the artist...
When Amy became a mom, she thought she had to “grin and bear it.” Instead, she found herself battling exhaustion, anxiety, and postpartum rage that left her terrified of her own reactions.
In this raw and compassionate conversation, Amy shares what it felt like to lose control, the turning point that led her to accept medication, and how she found her way back to herself. We also talk about cultural stigma, the import...
From missing Thanksgiving and family parties to navigating the "reentry anxiety" of the holiday season, this episode explores the intentional boundaries Chelsea and their husband have set to protect their health while raising two "neuro-sparkly" children. It is a candid look at the intersection of parenting, disability, and the profound impact of simple acts of consideration from friends and commun...
In this honest and energizing conversation, Chelsea is joined by Sarah Johnston: entrepreneur, infertility warrior, and proud parent of a rainbow-loving toddler. Sarah shares her winding path to motherhood through infertility and IVF, the mental toll of a complicated pregnancy, and the terrifying postpartum OCD symptoms that followed.
Together, they unpack everything from generational perfectionism and reparenting, to...
In this episode, Chelsea connects with Dr. Sandra Fernandes, a family physician turned burnout coach, for a candid conversation about how motherhood shattered her carefully planned life. Sandra opens up about her experience with multiple ectopic pregnancies, breastfeeding struggles, pandemic-era burnout, and the quiet expectations that nearly broke her.
As a physician, Sandra knew the risks. As a mom, she felt every lo...
Content Warning: This episode discusses sensitive topics, including suicide and psychiatric hospitalization. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help.
In this special Quiet Confessions mini-episode, Chelsea's partner, Ben, steps behind the mic to share his perspective on the intense trauma the family has navigated over the last three years, brought on by severe PMADS (Perinatal Mood and...
After a traumatic birth experience left her feeling dismissed and unseen, Brittny found herself battling postpartum depression without realizing what was happening until nearly a year later.
In this candid conversation, she discusses being gaslit by providers, how she learned self-advocacy, and the moment she realized her pain was valid.
Learn more about Brittny on her website or Instagram.
🗝️ Key Takeaways
- Birth t...
A Note from Chelsea: This episode was pre-recorded, but the content definitely still applies to my current situation. I've been battling a respiratory virus on top of chronic illness and exhaustion in an endless germ cycle. In this episode, and today, I remind myself that some phases of parenting aren't about thriving; sometimes, just surviving is enough.
🗝️Key Takeaways
- The Revolving Door: The cons...
*This episode discusses some topics that may be triggering to some individuals, including abortion trauma, and intrusive thoughts.
In this episode, Chelsea is joined by multidisciplinary artist and healer Casey Urban. Casey shares her raw journey through postpartum depression, perinatal mental health struggles, abortion trauma, and rediscovering her creative voice.
She speaks candidly about the healing power of perform...
Due to a break for health and recovery, I'm bringing you the full, uncut version of a popular bonus episode. This episode, originally titled My Story Part 2, was first released in its entirety exclusively to Patreon subscribers in 2024, with a bite-sized snippet available during Season 3 of Quiet Connection. I'm offering the full deep dive now to check in with you.
I’m sharing the traumatic medical crisis tha...
What happens when a perinatal mental health specialist finds herself overwhelmed by postpartum OCD, PTSD, and anxiety—right in the middle of a pandemic? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Kara Kushnir, LCSW, a therapist, author, and mom who shares her deeply personal journey through birth trauma and postpartum mental health struggles.
Kara opens up about her C-section experience gone wrong, the unexpected NICU s...
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