Anymore, it is common for a woman to have a traumatic birth experience. She may or may not talk about it to many people, but inside, she holds on to the emotional scarring incurred during her birth experience. This may affect her bonding with her baby, her relationship with her child or spouse, and long-term feelings of self disappointment or victimization. My Birth Healing Circles are sacred women’s circles, devoted to healing the mother, healing the birth wounds, so that she can release those hurts. Women are allowed to talk about the details of their birth experience in an emotionally safe setting, and find comfort in knowing that they are not alone in their birth wounds. Women who have participated in my Birth Healing Circles have expressed feelings of lighter burdens, nourished self, and release.
In addition, a woman who has experienced a birth wound may have strong feelings in her next pregnancy and birth. She may be seeking a VBAC experience, or may be hoping for a more natural birth experience this time. She may hope to have better labor support this time around.
Sound like you or someone you know?
I love working with these moms. As a childbirth educator and doula, we work closely together to understand normal labor, to trust in her body’s ability to have a baby, and her baby’s innate ability to be born. I encourage and allow her to reduce and release her fears surrounding this birth.
To read more tips about how to keep labor as normal as possible, visit my Keeping Labor Normal page.
