Moving from Survival to Peace
Healing the Birth Story
It wasn't the birth you planned, and it isn't the after you expected.
Whether it was a medical emergency, a feeling of being unheard, or a deep sense of disconnect, birth trauma doesn't just stay in the past; it lives in your nervous system. You aren’t 'failing' at motherhood. You are recovering from an experience that changed the ground beneath your feet.
You’re told you should just be happy the baby is healthy. But in the quiet moments at night with your baby, the memories of the delivery room still feel as vivid as they did the day of delivery. You find yourself scanning for danger, feeling disconnected from your body and maybe even your baby, or avoiding things that remind you of that day. You aren’t failing; your nervous system is simply trying to protect you.
-
Birth is a vulnerable and intense experience, even when everything goes right. However, many women feel unheard or invisible during labor, due to emergency interventions that felt out of their control, or a breach of trust with their birth team, not respecting their bodies.
-
The body remembers events that harm us to protect us in the future. When that happens during birth, it derails our experience of becoming a mother and bonding. Baby snuggles, rest, and healing are replaced by hyper-vigilance, intrusive thoughts, "re-living" the event through physical sensations, or chronic tension that won't release.
-
A traumatic birth doesn’t just affect the birthing person, but it sends ripple effects throughout the whole family. This can include, but is not limited to, difficulty bonding with your baby, feeling "numb" or detached from your body, and disengagement with your partner and older children.
You were told to “just be grateful you have your baby” after you give birth. However, it is hard to be grateful when your body remembers a different experience.
From Surviving to Presence
Navigating the demands of a newborn and motherhood while also carrying the weight of a traumatic birth can feel impossible. There are ways to move beyond just 'getting through it' and start truly integrating your story. Birth trauma is a distinctive type of traumatic experience because the 'event' is often followed by one of the most demanding jobs: caring for a newborn while simultaneously going through physical recovery. To address this unique experience. I combine Somatic Integration and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help your body and your brain process and heal from the trauma. In my practice, we work to ensure your birth story becomes a part of your history, rather than a constant part of your present.