Therapy for Birth Trauma
How you feel matters, with support, you can feel like you again
Birth trauma can show up in many ways, but the 4 common signs of birth trauma are:
re experiencing- you may find you re-experience the birth trauma via flashbacks, nightmares, triggers that make you remember the event or repeating thoughts about your birth that you can’t seem to control
avoidance - you may avoid triggers that remind you of your birth trauma such as hospitals, Drs, people, objects or you may avoid being alone, leaving the house, going to baby groups etc
hyper-vigilance- you may find you’re on edge and more reactive than usual, you might find it difficult to relax or sleep, you might feel like you’re constantly worrying, feel anxious all the time and are on ‘high alert’
changes in mood and thoughts- you or your friends and family might notice that your mood has changed following your birth trauma, you might feel sad, angry, or frustrated more often and not be able to enjoy the things you used to enjoy. You might start feeling guilt or shame about the events or more generally.
The constant stress and emotional toll of birth trauma can be overwhelming, leaving you feeling drained and disconnected from your family or life itself. It's really important to recognise that experiencing birth trauma is not a reflection of your strength or abilities as a parent. You’re not alone and with the right support you can feel so much better and be the parent you imagined being.
Therapy for Birth Trauma
Processing what happened during your birth will help you to move forward and start living and enjoying the present. We’ll use a combination of traditional talk therapy, Rewind for trauma therapy and Solution Focused Hypnotherapy in our sessions and you’ll receive a hypnotherapy track to listen to at home.
This is a gentle and supportive approach to healing birth trauma. We work at your pace, focusing on reducing your stress, improving your sleep and then processing the trauma itself. Everyone is different so there is no set number of sessions, but it is likely you’ll start noticing significant changes between 4-6 sessions. Sessions can be held in person in Peterborough, Orton Wistow or online. Online sessions have been just as effective for my clients and they’re a great way to fit in therapy sessions around childcare or work. Contact me today to have a chat and book your free initial consultation.
£70 per session or £360 for a block booking of 6 sessions (£60 per session)
What Are The Signs of Birth Trauma?
“Thank you for giving me the tools that I needed to be able to safely revisit the experience and take control of the situation, to be able to move forwards.”
Frequently Asked Questions
I feel like my birth was difficult, but not traumatic. Can you still help?
Yes. You don’t have to be highly traumatised to feel the effects of a difficult birth. Maybe it all feels a little muddled and you just want a chance to talk and work through what happened. Maybe there were some parts you really enjoyed, but right now you keep coming back to the difficult parts. Maybe you’re catching yourself feeling anxious all the time. Solution focused hypnotherapy helps you to process what happened and lift those difficult emotions.
I’m scared of giving birth again, what can I do?
It’s very common to feel afraid pregnancy or afraid of birth if you’ve previously had a traumatic experience. Some people find that they desperately want more children, but the fear is holding them back. Whether you’re already pregnant or considering trying again, I can help you to release those fears and begin to look forward. I offer extra sessions if you’d like support in planning your next birth so that you can enjoy your pregnancy and feel confident about the birth of your next baby.
My birth was fine, but what happened after has stayed with me. How do I move on?
Sometimes it isn’t the birth of your baby that leaves you traumatised, but what happened after. A traumatic stay in NICU, a return to hospital in the early days or weeks, difficulty healing from birth related injuries or a tricky feeding journey can all impact on how you feel. We can work through these memories to help you feel more confident and in control again.
My child isn’t a baby anymore, is it too late to get help?
No matter what age your child is, your birth experience stays with you. We often find that we can cope day to day, but certain triggers, such as birthdays, hospital visits or birth announcements can bring back the difficult feelings. It’s never too late to get the help you need. I have helped mums who have finally found time for themselves and to process their birth trauma when their children have become teenagers.
Can I bring my baby to the sessions?
You need to be able to fully relax during the sessions and so I advise that you find a time where you can be on your own. I understand that naps and feeding with young babies especially can be difficult to predict and so I always aim to be as flexible as possible with our appointments.
Do I need to bring my maternity notes to the sessions?
No, you don’t need to bring any notes to the sessions. If you have them and would like to bring them to help you remember what happened or to share with me that’s absolutely fine. If there are parts of your maternity notes that you are confused about I may be able to offer some clarity around them, however I am not a medical professional and so cannot offer any medical guidance.
I don’t think I can talk about what happened, how can I get help?
For some people sharing their traumatic birth story can feel too scary. In our sessions you only ever have to share what you are comfortable with. I will always listen from a place of compassion and in a non judgemental way. If you don’t want to share your story at all, we can still work through the process. You will need to be able to recall the memories yourself, but you don’t have to share them.
Who is birth trauma therapy for?
Birth trauma therapy can support anyone who has experienced trauma. This may be the person who gave birth, but it can also be very helpful for birth partners or care providers who have found witnessing a birth difficult. I offer a 10% discount on sessions for NHS staff who have experienced trauma at work.