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The Memoir
Behind the Mission
Published May 2026,
by Cynren Press
Childbirth is often portrayed as universally joyful. For many women, the reality is far more complex and far more damaging.
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In The Alchemy of Motherhood, Casey Keen examines the physical and psychological aftermath of pregnancy, labor, and delivery, tracing how birth trauma, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety are routinely minimized, misdiagnosed, or ignored altogether. Grounded in her own experience, and informed by her work as a postpartum women’s advocate, Keen situates maternal suffering within a health care system ill equipped to recognize or respond to it.
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Part personal reckoning, part cultural and institutional critique, this book confronts the myths surrounding motherhood and exposes the structural failures that leave women unsupported during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. The Alchemy of Motherhood is written for mothers seeking language for what they endured, and for anyone invested in maternal health, social justice, and systemic change
Why This Matters
This book moves beyond one birth story to examine the broader maternity care gaps that shape what mothers experience before, during, and after childbirth.
Birth
Trauma
Examining what happens when medical urgency, inadequate communication, loss of control, or dismissal leave lasting psychological consequences, even when the birth is considered medically successful.
Postpartum
Mental Health
Exploring postpartum depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, rage, hypervigilance, and trauma symptoms that are too often minimized or mistaken for ordinary new-mother worry.
Postpartum Complications
Documenting how serious conditions such as postpartum preeclampsia, hemorrhage, infection, and cardiovascular complications can emerge after delivery, when structured monitoring has often decreased.
Systemic Gaps
in Care
Examining the gaps in discharge education, informed consent, follow-up, communication, and continuity that leave mothers responsible for recognizing and escalating their own complications.
Who This Book Is For
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Mothers processing birth trauma, postpartum complications, depression, anxiety, or gaps in their care
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Pregnant women who want an honest understanding of birth and postpartum recovery
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Partners, family members, and support people who want to better understand and support mothers
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Doulas, childbirth educators, lactation professionals, pelvic floor therapists, and perinatal mental health specialists
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OB/GYNs, midwives, nurses, residents, primary care providers, pediatric professionals, and other members of the maternity care team
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Hospital leaders, patient-experience professionals, quality-improvement teams, and healthcare administrators
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Maternal health advocates, birth equity leaders, social justice advocates, policymakers, and community organizations working to improve care
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Educators, researchers, students, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the systemic gaps surrounding childbirth and postpartum
A seminal and groundbreaking study that is unique, iconoclastic, and unreservedly recommended.
Midwest Book Review
A must for the bookshelves of childbearing women.
Cheryl Tatano Beck, DNSc, CNM, FAAN
As an integrative pediatrician, I’ve watched too many families navigate birth trauma alone; this book gives them the validation and road map they deserve.
Joel "Gator" Warsh, MD, MSc
Casey’s heartfelt letters to mothers and healthcare workers were a teaching moment... Her passion for advocating for proper and accessible mental health resources is nothing short of admirable...
Danelle Petersen, Readers’ Favorite
Book Inquiries & Events
For bulk and institutional orders, media inquiries, speaking engagements, bookstore partnerships, book clubs, or event opportunities, contact Cynren Press or Casey directly.
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