Timoria McQueen Saba is a maternal health advocate, speaker and writer with a focus on mental and physical trauma due to childbirth and pregnancy--quite a change from her former career as a celebrity makeup artist! Immediately following the birth of her oldest daughter in April 2010, Ms. Saba suffered a postpartum hemorrhage and almost died. She underwent a life-saving surgery and was later diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Thirteen months later, Ms. Saba had a miscarriage in a frozen yogurt shop in front of several people, which triggered the difficult emotions from the hemorrhage she had suffered the year prior. Resources and support for mothers who had survived a near miss were scarce. She began sharing her story publicly in 2012, and has since connected with thousands of women across the world who have experienced similar birth and pregnancy complications; and the lingering psychological effects. 

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Ms. Saba volunteers for Postpartum Support International (PSI), and is a member of the PSI President's Advisory Council (PAC). One of her most rewarding roles is as a PSI coordinator of resources and support for the Boston Metro West area, where she is able to connect women and their families to local therapists and support groups. Ms. Saba also facilitates a free peer-to-peer mother’s support group, Emotional Wellbeing After Baby, at Milford Regional Hospital in Milford, MA. In 2017, she was honored to be appointed by Rep. James O'Day to a House chair seat on the Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression. 

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Ms. Saba gave birth to her second daughter in March 2014, and was happy to report that her birth experience the second time around was perfectly “normal.” Her goal is to help other women have their birth experiences validated. Mothers deserve to feel supported and know they are not alone in whatever their personal struggles may be.

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Photo credit: Melanie Dunea