#237 | On Life Support During Birth: Tess Frame Describes Waking Out of a Coma Postpartum
About this episode
Tess Frame is a mother of two who experienced severe pneumonia in late pregnancy after contracting the flu. Her condition became septic, resulting in organ failure and premature labor. She gave birth by cesarean at thirty-five weeks while comatose, and was intubated in critical care for several weeks after. While in a coma, she experienced and/or perceived traumas she could only begin to unwind after becoming conscious, trying to unravel what experiences were real and what were only imagined in her unconscious state. She was convinced she had been kidnapped and assaulted and struggled to reconcile her conscious and subconscious experiences while in the coma. It was a heart-wrenching twenty-five days before Tess could finally meet her baby, and it took an additional three to four months for Tess to fully feel he belonged to her. She shares her birth story and her ambitious healing journey guided, perhaps surprisingly, by the twelve-step addiction recovery program. Supported by her church and community, she focused on mending her mind, body, and family, ultimately being granted a second chance at life.
Tess on Instagram
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