Two Hospital Births: PPD and turning to Alcohol, Finding Sobriety and a Joyful Postpartum


When pregnant with her first child, Jen’s pregnancy was subject to many rounds of additional tests and scans throughout her pregnancy as she was being continuously monitored for IUGR. She eventually was pressured into an induction, which failed at the first attempt, sending her home after 48 hours not in labor and with a baby. Waiting it out over the next few days, Jen was leaking amniotic fluid without realizing and ended up back to a 2nd induction a few days later, this time with no fluid left. Her son was born at a low birth weight for gestational age which subjected him to numerous tests during his stay in the hospital and additional monitoring for months after delivery.

The anxiety surrounding her pregnancy and birth resulted in PPD where Jen turned to alcohol to self-medicate and cope. After about 2 years of evaluating her relationship with alcohol and failed attempts at moderation, Jen came to the realization that the only path for her was sobriety. Three days after making that promise to herself and her family, Jen found out she was pregnant with baby number 2.

Her second pregnancy was textbook from start until (almost) finish. It ended in an emergency C-section but despite the trauma she thought that might cause, she was able to fend off the PPD through proper medication, sobriety, and support.  

Jen Fracker Bio

Jen is a mom to 2 children living in southern Connecticut.  Her first, a son Eric, was born in 2018 and her daughter, Harlow, was born in March 2021. Jen and her husband Chris have been married about 6 years and live a happy and full life with their family and friends.

She can be found on Facebook by searching Jennifer Fracker or on Instagram at @jdfracker and encourages anyone who finds strength in her story to reach out.

Resources

SNP Therapeutics

Today’s episode is sponsored by SNP Therapeutics, makers of the Genate Test. Based on over 16 million dollars in NIH grants, and more than 30 years of nutrition and genetic research, SNP Therapeutics is leading the charge in the field of prenatal, precision-nutrition genetic testing.

SNP Therapeutics is committed to providing accurate and usable information to help mothers provide the best possible nutrition to their babies through The Genate Test: a prenatal, precision-nutrition, genetic test that offers personalized dietary adjustments and supplement recommendations based on your DNA. 

You can rest easy knowing that your prenatal nutrition has been optimized by tailoring it to your genetic code. Find peace of mind about your prenatal nutrition with the Genate Test by SNP Therapeutics. Learn more at genate.com and Use code BIRTHHOUR15 for 15% off your order.



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