When Teela Tomassetti was preparing to give birth in 2021, she took prenatal classes, read the books and followed the social media accounts on what to expect.
But when the time came to welcome her daughter into the world, those expectations did not come to fruition.
The Edmonton-area psychologist had planned to have a home birth.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she hoped by giving birth under the care of midwives in her own home, she would be more safely guaranteed her husband could attend.
Instead, she said, she was exposed to midwifery violence and when she knew something was wrong, was denied the ability to go to hospital.
“Being my first pregnancy and my first childbirth experience, I had no idea what was going on with my body,” she said.
“But I could tell something was off.”
She said after hours of begging, they finally took her to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.
“I had an excessive hemorrhage requiring blood transfusions and a week in hospital” she said.
Teela Tomassetti and her newborn daughter in 2021.
Courtesy: Teela Tomassetti
Six weeks later, while home with her newborn baby, she hemorrhaged again because of a retained placenta.
Tomassetti went back to hospital where she underwent a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure to remove the rest of the leftover tissue.
But then, she developed an infection.
“Twelve weeks postpartum, I was just shattered from the experience,” she said. “It was not what I expected, obviously.”
She sought out a community online who may understand what she was going through. With limited options, she started her own Instagram account: @theteaonbirthtrauma.
Get weekly health news
Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.
“It’s such a beautiful community and really needed in terms of the advocacy,” Tomassetti said.
She founded the Reproductive and Perinatal Trauma Centre — a first of its kind in Canada. The facility has has expanded quickly and now moved into its own space in Sherwood Park.
There are now eight counsellors that work with her on birth trauma, along with other reproductive mental health issues including infertility, pregnancy loss, endometriosis support and paternal mental health.
Teela Tomassetti and her husband announcing their pregnancy.
Courtesy: Teela Tomassetti
Research shows one in three women describe their birth experience as psychologically traumatic, and the RPTC describes birth trauma as “anything that exceeds the nervous system’s ability to cope before, during and after the childbirth experience.”
Those experiences mean each person will view their birth trauma differently.
It can be caused by a long list of things, from emergency situations to provider mistreatment, and can have an impact for months, to years for both those who gave birth and their partners.
“I think so many people know they just didn’t feel right after their birth experience, but then they doubt, like, ‘Is my experience traumatic enough to call it birth trauma?’“
Symptoms of birth trauma can also vary greatly but include things like intrusive thoughts, nightmares, feeling jumpy or anxious or having issues with bonding with baby.
It also can include physical pain and suicidal ideations.
While similar to postpartum depression, Tomassetti said birth trauma is different and health-care providers need to recognize that — to prevent birth trauma from developing into PTSD.
Study results vary but suggest up to one in 10 people can have PTSD after childbirth.
“A lot of people get misdiagnosed with postpartum depression when it’s actually birth trauma, because it’s just what general practitioners know how assess and kind of manage.”
“There’s actual forms and assessments that we can use to help people to get it assessed and get resources in place right away,” Tomassetti said.
Teela Tomassetti and her daughter in 2026.
Courtesy: Teela Tomassetti
Five years after the birth of her daughter, Tomassetti has confronted her own birth trauma head on. She calls her daughter the “light of my life.”
“Sometimes we feel guilty sharing our experiences because we think, ‘Oh, people will assume that I don’t love my daughter because of what I went through,’” she added.
“She is not the cause of my birth trauma.”
She hopes by sharing her story publicly, other parents will understand they are not alone.
“This experience is so isolating, in my opinion. How we heal is through community and connection,” she said. “I just want you to know that you can get better and that there’s resources that exist.
“If something feels off and really dark and heavy about your birth experience and you keep replaying it, reach out because there is help.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
