More than Milestones
Hosted by pediatric physical therapist, wife and mom of three, Dr. KC Rickerd, More Than Milestones is the podcast that goes beyond baby checklists and dives deep into real motherhood, real development, real relationships, and everything in between.
Whether you’re supporting your baby’s motor development, navigating big kid emotions, or navigating a new stage of life & parenting, this show blends expert-backed education with the honest, unfiltered reality of motherhood.
Each week, KC brings you conversations with trusted professionals—pediatricians, therapists, sleep and feeding experts, mental health pros, and more—plus raw, relatable stories from fellow moms and caregivers. No pressure to be perfect. Just honest conversations, support, humor, and community for the journey you’re on.
If you're looking for clarity, connection, and a reminder that while supporting our children’s development is important, so is supporting ourselves - you’re in the right place, because it’s always more than milestones.
More than Milestones
16. My Birth Stories: Trauma, Healing, and the Truth I’ve Never Shared
Trigger warning: I share traumatic details of my birth story. If you’re heading into your own birth, you may want to skip parts of this episode.
I’ve been nervous to record this because these stories still feel so close. After my conversation with Illiyin Morrison in Episode 15, I finally felt permission to stop minimizing what I went through and to share the births that shaped me and my postpartum experiences.
I start with Aud’s story. I had gestational hypertension with all three pregnancies, so I was induced at 37 weeks. Labor was long and slow, and once my water broke, the Pitocin hit hard. When it came time to push, everything changed. Audrey became stuck & had shoulder dystocia. My OB hit the emergency button the moment she was born, and the room filled instantly. I then began to hemorrhage, and everything went blurry fast.
I woke up hours later without my baby and with no idea where she was. The NICU was closed, so I couldn’t see her. Those hours were some of the darkest of my life, and I’m certain that moment was the beginning of my postpartum anxiety.
When Audrey turned one, we got pregnant with Liv. Because of the shoulder dystocia, a C-section was always on the table, but my OB encouraged me to try for another vaginal birth. Liv’s birth became the healing experience I desperately needed. It helped rebuild trust in my body after so much fear and trauma.
Toward the end of the episode, I share a story I’ve never talked about publicly — one that brings up big emotions. Each of my births was different, challenging, and beautiful in its own way.
Links & Resources
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Go deeper with KC on Substack
More Than Milestones: Unfiltered is my subscription channel where I release 2 exclusive bonus episodes every month. Even more raw, unfiltered motherhood chats you won’t hear anywhere else.
https://substack.com/@morethanmilestones
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