Birth & Pregnancy Trauma Support in Nottingham
What is Birth Trauma?
If you or your partner have experienced a trauma or difficult birth, please know it is not your fault and I am here to support you to heal.
Pregnancy and birth can be a beautiful, empowering and transformative experience for some and for others it may be traumatic, distressing or a scary experience which can result in feelings of pain, anger, grief or even shame. This could be as a result of interventions, birth plans changing, feelings of fear, helplessness, not feeling listened to, heard or supported, obstetric violence and sometimes loss of control during birth. It may also be a difficult pregnancy or breast feeding experience that has remained with you.
For some, they may have imagined how their birth would feel and look; however this may have not have turned out the way they imaged which can leave you feeling loss of control, anger, pain and fear. Birth Partners may also experience trauma from witnessing a birth that they may have found scary, traumatic or difficult.
The Birth Trauma Association (BTA) defines birth trauma as a shorthand term for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and aound 20-30% of women and birthing people describe their birth as traumatic and studies suggest that between 1.5-5% may experience PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
The 3 Step Rewind Process can help you to process your experience in 3 or 4 sessions to help you heal and move forward from your experience and ease any symptoms you are experiencing.
It is not just for a birth experience it can be used to help support a difficult pregnancy, feeding, journey, or any experience that you may experience as traumatic or difficult maternity or non maternity related. It can even support those with phobias birth and non birth related.
I have worked with many clients to help them heal and move forward and seeing the impact and positive changes it has made to their lives makes me confident in offering and supporting others using this technique to help them heal from the trauma.
“I was feeling quite traumatised after the birth of my 3rd child during the Covid pandemic. Kerry melted away all of those feelings of anger, hurt and frustration that i still held onto about my treatment during birth and left me with all the warm and loving memories of meeting my daughter for the first time. I am so glad that I found Kerry and the re-wind process, it’s helped me so much to be able to move on. I highly recommend for anyone else struggling”.
Trauma Symptoms
Birth is an individual and unique experience as well as the emotions and feelings and symptoms we may experience as a result of a traumatic, difficult or distressing birth.
Symptoms of birth trauma may feel like but not limited to:
Tearfulness
Flashbacks of the memory or event triggered by a photo, event -anything that takes you to back to that moment
Anxiety / panic
Hyper-vigilance
Irritability
Trouble sleeping
Relationship changes
Intrusive thoughts
Anger
Numbness
Difficulty bonding
Grief
Shame
Worry that there is something wrong with us
Worry that there is something wrong with our baby
Fear
What do the sessions involve?
The Three Step Rewind Technique is 3 sessions which usually last between 60 to 90 minutes; however I do not put a time limit on these sessions, they will last however long you need them to - they are your sessions and you take as much time as you need.
Session 1
I will listen to your story, your experience if you feel comfortable to do so. If you do not feel comfortable to talk through your experience we can talk about how your feeling and how it has been affecting your life. We will also talk about how you want to feel away from all the heavy emotions and symptoms you have been feeling. We will finish with a guided relaxation.
Session 2
In this session I will guide you through a relaxation, once you are comfortable and relaxed I will talk you through remembering your experience in a safe and supported way to help you process your experience. I will be there every step of the way to support you.
Session 3
We will talk about how you have been feeling since session 2. We will talk about your future, focus on how you want to feel looking forward. You have the option to repeat the rewind process again if you feel you want to otherwise we will finish with a gentle relaxation to finish the session.
Location
In person sessions take place in at the Natural Wellness Centre, Derby Road Nottingham. Alternatively they can take place at your home or online.
Cost
£165 for online (Microsoft Teams) or £195 for in person support.
This includes 3 sessions and a 30 minute initial consultation to ask any questions and make sure the process is right for you along with any further support you may need after the sessions have been completed.
“I would not hesitate to recommend Kerry and the three step rewind to anyone who experienced a difficult labour, as I did. Kerry is extremely respectful and kind, and she has helped me to reframe my experience so that I no longer have to feel upset when speaking about what happened to me. The experience has been truly life changing and I want to thank Kerry so much for her kindness and support during a difficult time”
FAQs
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The three Step Rewind can help to process any experience that you may have experienced as traumatic, distressing or difficult such as:
A traumatic birth
A difficult or complicated pregnancy journey
Breastfeeding difficulties or journey
Fertility journeys
Miscarriage / pregnancy loss
Hospital / NICU stay
A phobia that may or may not be associated with birth
A difficult or traumatic experience that is not related to birth
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The 3 Step Rewind Process is for anyone who may have experienced a traumatic, difficult or distressing experience.
Partners can also experience trauma from witnessing a traumatic birth or from another experience which they may have experienced as traumatic or distressing as a partner, friend or parent. The 3 Step Rewind Process can also help to support partners with their experience
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The word ‘trauma’ is just a word, a label and even if you would not consider your experience as traumatic but rather ‘difficult’ or ‘distressing’ and experiencing lots of emotions linked to your experience or memory.
It may be that you keep thinking back to your birth and going over the difficult parts and not able to move on from it or you just want to talk things through. The 3 Step Rewind can help to ease those feelings and process your birth helping you to move forward and focus on the parts of birth that you enjoyed.
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If you would like to talk through your birth in a safe and supported non judgemental space I also offer birth reflection sessions. This is a one off session lasting between 60 - 90 minutes for you to talk through your birth with me.
After your appointment, if you felt that you would like to further support with the 3 Step Rewind Process we can arrange to add in the last two sessions and you would not pay any more then the cost of the 3 Step Rewind Process full sessions.
The second session of the process should be booked in within a minimum of a week after the first session and take place no longer than 10-14 days after the first session to get the maximum benefit of the rewind session.
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The key to the sessions is that you are able to fully relax and often we relax best in a space where we feel safe and on our own. However I understand that it may not be easy to leave your baby for appointments due to childcare or feeding and we can be as flexible as possible. Your baby can be brought in for feeding, cuddles throughout sessions. I do recommend that in the second session which usually lasts around 45 minutes that you be alone for the rewind process.
I have worked with many clients before with young babies that were brought in for cuddles and feeding and we can work out what works best for you.
Book a Consultation
If you would like to find out more please get in touch to book your free initial 30 minute consultation to by completing the form below or you can use the “book a consultation” link below to book a chat with me directly.
