Pregnancy & Birth Trauma
Sometimes labour and birth can be experienced as traumatic. Trauma can be felt physically (such as forceps or caesarean section) or emotionally (invalidation, feeling invisible, being judged, or having little control). There may have been a moment in your birth journey where a decision was made to keep you or your baby safe even though it was scary or uncomfortable. Sometimes things happen that are too fast, too much, too soon. If this is your experience, you may notice that memories about the pregnancy or birth are uncomfortably emotional, causing fear, anxiety, depression, helplessness, rage, tension, insomnia, or pain. These emotions and feelings might be impacting your bond with your baby and your family, as well as how you see yourself.
Our time together would involve going at your own pace, so you feel safe sharing your experience. I hope that my clinical knowledge of maternity care allows for a level of understanding and empathy that brings you comfort when describing your pregnancy and birth journey. We will explore and validate your feelings. We might pause on moments in your story that hold feelings of threat, discover ways to allow your mind and body to see that those moments are in the past, and work to help your nervous system feel safe in the present. What makes the nervous system feel safe will be different for everyone, but I look forward to discovering your unique needs. I hope that you can integrate your experience into the story of your life and your parenthood, where it feels more like a chapter to reflect on, rather than a threat that so heavily impacts your present moment, allowing for an internal calmness and feeling of validation.