Supporting Women Through Birth Trauma: A Dual Approach in My Midwifery Work
When it comes to pregnancy and birth, we often focus on physical health—but emotional wellbeing is just as crucial, especially after a difficult or traumatic birth experience. As a midwifery team leader in the NHS and a trauma therapist in private practice, I’ve made it my mission to support women on both sides of the maternity journey: through better communication and care in the hospital, and through deeper therapeutic work in the community when needed.
This two-pronged approach ensures that no woman feels left behind after experiencing trauma in maternity care—whether that’s during pregnancy, birth, or the postnatal period.
My Role in the NHS: Embedding Trauma-Informed Care into Practice
Within the NHS, I work as a midwifery team leader with a focus on trauma-informed care and communication. My role involves:
Supporting midwives to understand the psychological impact of traumatic births.
Training staff in sensitive, compassionate postnatal communication.
Creating space for women to debrief their experience, ask questions, and feel heard.
Ensuring continuity of emotional support, not just clinical care.
Too often, women leave the hospital with unspoken fears or unanswered questions about what happened during their birth. Sometimes they’re left feeling dismissed, confused, or emotionally raw—especially after an emergency caesarean section, instrumental delivery, or unexpected intervention.
By helping midwives feel confident in offering trauma-informed care, we reduce the risk of long-term psychological distress for mothers—and we foster trust and safety in those crucial early days after birth.
My Private Work: Going Deeper with Women Who Need Ongoing Support
Some women need more than a debrief—they need a safe, therapeutic space to process their trauma and move forward.
In my private practice, I work directly with women who are experiencing lingering trauma responses: flashbacks, anxiety, disconnection from their baby, shame, or fear of future pregnancies. These symptoms are common, and very real.
Through evidence-based trauma therapy, I help women:
Make sense of what happened
Process the trauma safely and gently
Rebuild trust in their body and choices
Reconnect with themselves and their baby
This work is deeply personal and incredibly rewarding. I meet women wherever they are—whether it’s weeks, months, or even years after their birth—and support them in reclaiming their story and their strength.
Why Both Sides Matter
What makes my approach unique is that I’m able to bridge the gap between hospital-based care and longer-term emotional healing. By working both in the NHS and privately, I see the full spectrum of what women experience—and I bring that insight into everything I do.
Trauma doesn't always end when a woman leaves the hospital. But with the right support, it doesn't have to define her journey into motherhood.
Final Thoughts
Whether I’m training a midwife in trauma-informed language or sitting with a mother as she shares her story for the first time, the goal is the same: to help women feel safe, supported, and truly seen.
No one should have to carry the weight of birth trauma alone. Through compassionate care in the NHS and deep healing work in private practice, I’m proud to be part of a growing movement that’s changing how we care for women—emotionally, holistically, and with heart.