In this episode of Military Birth Talk, Anni interviews Ally, a certified nurse midwife, women's health nurse practitioner, military veteran, and spouse, currently stationed in the Netherlands with her Air Force husband. Ally shares her traumatic experience of giving birth to twin girls in November 2024, detailing her challenges, including being in a remote foreign country with no nearby U.S. base support. She discusses her pregnancy journey, the unexpected discovery of twins, and the unique aspects of Dutch prenatal care. Ally recounts her fast-paced labor, unexpected complications leading to induction, postpartum hemorrhage, and subsequent medical interventions. Despite facing numerous obstacles, including retained placenta and sepsis, Ally emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed and respectful prenatal and perinatal care. She reflects on how her professional knowledge influenced her experience and calls for trauma-informed care to be the standard practice in birth work. The episode also highlights Ally's struggle with the isolation of being abroad and her efforts to heal and cope with her traumatic birth while raising her twins.

You can connect with Ally here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-crain-dnp-cnm-whnp-bc-4a088418a/

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