Birth is a unique experience and for most women it is a joyous occasion, instilling feelings of achievement and self-fulfilment. However, there are also occasions where birth can leave women traumatised and confused. A small amount of women will leave the hospital with their new baby and have lots of questions they want to ask about their experience of birth.
What is Birth Reflections?
Birth reflections is a service available to any woman who has given birth, or is planning to give birth, with Medway NHS Foundation Trust. It is a service that provides an opportunity to discuss and understand what happened during both labour and birth.
For parents, events surrounding a baby’s birth may have been confusing, unexpected or unplanned. Labour and birth may have been different to expectations and plans made during pregnancy. There may have been a need for medical intervention, or even a medical emergency. Such events can be difficult to understand without information to ‘fill in the gaps’, answer questions, or understand the medical assessment and decision making process in labour.
It is not always easy to take in all the information that is given at the time, or just after the birth. For this reason, no particular time limit is set for birth afterthoughts, and women may contact the service directly when they feel ready.
What can I expect from an appointment?
Following referral to the birth afterthoughts service, a member of the Professional Midwifery Advocate (PMA) team will make contact to arrange a meeting with either a PMA or a senior midwife and will explain what to expect from the appointment. This meeting will last up to an hour and the midwife will ensure that the birth notes are available. You may wish to talk about any questions you have, it is helpful to make a note of these prior to the appointment. Partners are also welcome to attend.
This process can very beneficial if you are finding it difficult to understand, or perhaps come to terms with events. It may also be very important in helping to better prepare for the next pregnancy, labour and birth.
How can I make an appointment?
If you feel you could benefit from this service and would like to make an appointment, please fill in the request form below.
Birth Reflection Request Form
Please complete this form fully so that we can direct your enquiry to the most appropriate person.
