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About the Book
For Casey Keen, childbirth and pregnancy were marketed as magical, mysterious gifts from which would spring profound beauty and joy—leaving her unprepared for the raw, unvarnished truth about the physical and mental challenges that lay ahead, not only during her pregnancy, but through the crucible of labor and delivery and into the landscape of postpartum life.
Motherhood is often portrayed as a journey of love and fulfillment, but the reality is more complex and often more isolating than anyone admits. It is a transformation that can break you wide open, forcing you to rebuild yourself from the inside out. This memoir is an unflinching exploration of what happens in the space between who you were and who you become after birth.
With searing honesty, Casey shares her deeply personal journey through birth trauma, unexpected medical complications, and the harsh reality of navigating a healthcare system that too often abandons mothers when they need it most. Weaving her lived experience with research from medical journals and hard-hitting truths about postpartum care, she exposes the silent struggles so many endure, like depression, grief, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and overwhelming loneliness.
More than just a memoir, this book is a rallying cry for change and a lifeline for mothers who feel unseen, unheard, and forgotten. Through a blend of storytelling and evidence-based research, it sheds light on the urgent need for better postpartum care, offering validation and hope to those who have been left to navigate this journey alone.
It’s essential reading for pregnant women, mothers, anyone invested in maternal healthcare, social justice, or the honest realities of postpartum life. In the darkest moments, there is strength. There is transformation. And there is, above all, resilience.
This powerful memoir will be published in May 2026 by Cynren Press. Available for pre-order now.
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Why This Matters
This book is more than a memoir. It’s a lens into the hidden realities of postpartum life and the urgent need for change. Each theme reflects both my personal journey and the experiences of countless other mothers.
Birth Trauma
Exposing the silence around traumatic births and the lasting wounds caused when women are dismissed or denied compassionate care.
Postpartum
Mental Health
Shedding light on depression, anxiety, and PTSD that are too often overlooked, untreated, or minimized as “just baby blues.”
Postpartum Complications
Revealing the dangerous health conditions, like preeclampsia, hemorrhage, and infection, that put mothers at risk long after birth.
Systemic Gaps
in Care
Challenging the failures of maternal healthcare and advocating for support that prioritizes both physical and emotional healing.
Book Inquiries & Events
For bulk orders, media requests, bookstore partnerships, or event opportunities, please reach out to my publisher at Cynren Press or contact me directly. Discover more of my work, from personal memoir to fiction, here. I write to illuminate the unseen, give voice to complex experiences, and connect through story.