A ‘Factitious’ Pregnancy
A young Canadian girl, Kaitlyn Braun, with abandonment issues and a history of abuse is facing an unimaginable series of crises: a complex uterus operation, a rare stage-4 cancer diagnosis, and a suspiciously predatory doctor—all happening just within the course of ten days. Her life seems to be unravelling in a way that feels almost unreal.
Even her doula (a non-medical professional who provides physical and emotional support to expecting mothers) who is consistently with her in this ordeal, struggles to believe that so much misfortune could befall one person. And indeed, she’s right—it’s all lies. But why would a young girl fake her pregnancy?
Kaitlyn’s Baby, the new season of The Con podcast strand—known for their award-winning series Love, Janessa, is gripping like the earlier series. The new series delves into the shocking story of dozens of gullible doulas, duped by Kaitlyn pretending to be pregnant with a stillborn baby. This six-episode series, produced by CBC and BBC World Service, keeps you hooked from the very start.
The narrative is straightforward, piecing together testimonies from multiple doulas in an attempt to unravel the mystery. With her compelling storytelling, Sarah Treleaven digs deep into the central question: Why would a young girl deceive so many doulas when there seems to be nothing tangible to gain? Is it unresolved childhood trauma or something more disturbing—perhaps a hidden fetish? The series leaves enough ‘little pink flags’ for the listener to pick up on.
What makes the series intriguing is its psychological breakdown of Kaitlyn’s actions, going beyond a simple “how-done-it.” The first two episodes of the series are gripping. However, the pacing slows down in the later episodes, making it feel slightly drawn out. But the ending, sort of, compensates for the long drawn narrative.
You can stream all six episodes of the podcast on the BBC Sounds and other streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby
Hosts: Sarah Treleaven
Genre: True Crime
Platform: Spotify, BBC Sounds
Language: English