A week after I gave birth to my daughter, Margaret Hope, we drove back to our apartment in Sanford, Florida?my husband and I, but no baby. Just five months pregnant, I went into preterm labour during a weekend trip to Miami. Hours after Margaret Hope?s birth, she was gone. I was in the depths of grief, as I tried to return to my life.
I?d later discover I had birth-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For months, I could not be near pregnant women or children for long, or else I would go into tear-streaked panic attacks. I avoided locations that reminded me too much of my pregnancy. Beeping sounds, certain smells that sparked memories of the hospital, and TV shows or films depicting infant loss would give me terrible flashbacks. Intrusive thoughts plagued me: I would keep on telling myself that our baby?s death was all my fault. I expected time to heal, but after two years of these symptoms I sought help.  .related-article-block{display:inline-block;width:300px;padding:0.5rem;margin-left:0.5rem;float:right;border:1px solid #ccc}@media (max-width: 525px){.related-article-block{float:none;display:block;width:280px;margin:0 auto 2rem}}

Coping with miscarriage: grief, recovery, and how to tell people
My first few sessions of talk therapy helped me get a lot of thoughts and feelings out about my daughter?s death, but the positive effects were always short lived. I was still experiencing regular flashbacks, hyper-vigilance, and other PTSD symptoms on a regular basi...