56 | The Motherwhelm with Sarah | Preeclampsia, Birth Trauma & Late-Diagnosed Autism and ADHD

In this episode of The Motherwhelm, I sit down with Sarah to talk about severe preeclampsia, birth trauma, and being diagnosed with autism and ADHD after becoming a mother.Sarah shares her experience of a high-risk pregnancy that ended in a traumatic emergency caesarean birth at 35 weeks, a stay in ICU, and a long physical and emotional recovery. Together, we explore what it was like to begin motherhood while recovering from a near-death experience, navigating postpartum PTSD, and learning to bond with her baby while fighting to recover herself.We also discuss the guilt of not loving stay-at-home motherhood in the way she expected, the importance of having an identity beyond motherhood, and why advocating for yourself during pregnancy can be lifesaving. Sarah speaks candidly about missed warning signs, weight bias in healthcare, recognising the symptoms of preeclampsia, and the lasting impact pregnancy complications can have long after birth.Later in the conversation, Sarah shares how motherhood led her to seek an assessment for autism and ADHD, opening the door to a completely new understanding of herself. We explore sensory overwhelm, masking, late diagnosis in women, and why so many mothers discover their neurodivergence after having children.This is an honest conversation about surviving birth trauma, rebuilding after medical complications, embracing neurodivergence, and learning that motherhood can reveal parts of ourselves we never knew existed.If you've experienced preeclampsia, birth trauma, postpartum PTSD, or you've found yourself questioning your own neurodivergence since becoming a mother, I hope Sarah's story helps you feel seen and reminds you that you're not alone.Resources mentionedSay HoorayPerinatal mental health supportTopics discussed: preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, pregnancy complications, emergency caesarean, birth trauma, ICU, postpartum PTSD, postpartum recovery, premature birth, advocacy in pregnancy, medical bias, maternal mental health, motherhood identity, returning to work, autism in women, ADHD in women, AuDHD, late diagnosis, sensory overwhelm, masking, neurodivergent motherhood.