TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses postpartum depression, suicidal ideation in children, chronic pain, and mental health crises.

When Katie sat down with me, she described a moment leaning over her 6-month-old’s crib, crying so hard that her baby stopped crying out of shock. That was the moment she knew she was in the "vortex." After a 20-year career in nursing, Katie found herself battling severe medical gaslighting during pregnancy, debilitating chronic migraines, and the terrifying reality of parenting a child with severe mental health struggles.

But the hardest thing she had to do? She had to learn how to emotionally detach from her daughter’s pain in order to save her. In this raw conversation, we talk about the identity shift of leaving a stable career, the lie of "balancing it all," and how to find peace when your body and your family are in crisis.

Connect with Katie: Host of The Midlife Purpose Project https://katiefarinas.com/ Substack: Katie Freeness

Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and share to help us continue bringing these stories to light.

🔹 New episodes drop every Monday!

🔹 Follow us on Instagram: @forthehayters

🔹 Submit your story: info@forthehayters.com

🔹 Grab some merch! beckyhayter.com

🔹 A KILLR Network podcast! killrentertainment.com

If you or someone you know needs support, please visit: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org | Call or text 988 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): nami.org

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode discusses death of a minor, emotional abuse, family estrangement, and traumatic birth/NICU experiences.

Ciyla Fletcher is only 25, but she has lived a dozen lifetimes. From moving 15 times before adulthood to being raised by grandparents while her parents drifted in and out, Ciyla learned early on that "chaos felt like safety." But the hits didn't stop at childhood instability.

At 16, Ciyla lost her best friend and first love, Bailey. Instead of support, she faced a campaign of jealousy and rumors from her own family members who told her she "had no right to grieve." Now, as a mother of two and a nursing student, Ciyla is rewriting the definition of family. In this raw conversation, we discuss the pain of having a father who calls you a "stranger," the maturity required to co-parent peacefully at 20 years old, and why being thankful you don't understand betrayal is the ultimate sign of healing.

Connect with Ciyla: Instagram: @ciyla.xo

Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and share to help us continue bringing these stories to light.

🔹 New episodes drop every Monday!

🔹 Follow us on Instagram: @forthehayters

🔹 Submit your story: info@forthehayters.com

🔹 Grab some merch! beckyhayter.com

🔹 A KILLR Network podcast! killrentertainment.com

If you or someone you know needs support, please visit: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org | Call or text 988

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes detailed discussion of miscarriage (including missed miscarriage and medication-assisted miscarriage), grief, medical trauma/insensitive care, anxiety/SSRI withdrawal, and fertility-related testing. Please take care of yourself while listening.

Today’s episode of For The Hayters features Kim Gordon, who shares the reality of navigating two miscarriages—and the complicated, layered grief that comes with each one. Kim opens up about the shock of learning her baby had no heartbeat during what was supposed to be a joyful milestone, the painful and traumatic experience of taking medication to miscarry at home, and the ways medical systems can fail people when they’re most vulnerable.

Kim also talks about how grief impacted her marriage—how she needed to talk while her husband shut down, and how their emotional experiences flipped during the second loss. From advocating for better care, switching providers, exploring progesterone support and blood clotting labs, to rebuilding her mental health, Kim’s story is raw, honest, and deeply validating for anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss—or loved someone who has.

To connect with this week’s guest, you can reach out to them through: @gordongirl21

Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and share to help us continue bringing these stories to light.

🔹 New episodes drop every Monday!

🔹 Follow us on Instagram: @forthehayters

🔹 Submit your story: info@forthehayters.com

🔹 Grab some merch! beckyhayter.com

🔹 A KILLR Network podcast! killrentertainment.com

If you or someone you know needs support, please visit:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org | Call or text 988

Postpartum Support International (PSI): postpartum.net

Pregnancy Loss Support (Share): nationalshare.org

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.