Birth Trauma FAQ

What is a hospital debrief and should I have one?

If you experienced a traumatic birth, you may be offered a service called “birth reflections” , “reflections after birth” or simple a “birth debrief”.

It’s important to note that these usually take place in a hospital setting, so you may want to consider if you feel emotionally and physically strong to enter the space where the traumatic event took place (if that was in a hospital setting, of course).

The benefits of having a birth debrief can be:

• For some, gaining an understanding of what happened and the potential reasons why they happened, can allow them to begin to process their experience

• Because you will go thoroughly through your maternity notes, you get an insight into the medical situation

• It provides an opportunity to ask questions to help you come to terms with your experience. Although there is rarely definitive answers

The risks of having a hospital debrief can be:

• If the person’s trauma arises from the care they received, it is common for that person to seek an apology. In out experience, it’s unlikely to be forthcoming from the NHS due to litigation risk.

• Being retold your birth story can be extremely distressing for some and they risk being re-traumatised by reliving the event

• They take place at the hospital, which can be re-traumatising

Are there any alternatives?

• If you are looking for an understanding of what happened, you can request your maternity notes to read through in your own time and in a safe place

• You can try writing down your birth experience privately which may help you to process. Or taking it through with a friend or family member

• You can opt for an independent reflection session with a trained professional outside of the NHS (New Birth Club offers this amazing service!)

If you are looking for independent support with processing your birth trauma, head over to www.newbirthclub.com and let’s chat about how we can help you.

Much love,

Luiza & Ellie x