Being pregnant again after a traumatic birth is for many parents an anxious time.

It might also be the first time that they have experienced trauma symptoms, even though their birth may have been years ago.

Often parents recover well after a difficult or traumatic birth experience, busy...

This week has been Birth Trauma Awareness week in the UK and the theme this year was birth injury.

I am grateful to BTA UK, Australasian BTA and Make Birth Better who have collaborated to publish the results of their survey which echoes what TBR College has heard from parents with birth injuries...

Reading the full Ockenden report today has been tough going. My heart goes out to all the families impacted by the Shrewsbury & Telford maternity trust’s poor care.

I was also, however surprised by the report.

I had expected there to be more damning evidence blaming midwives who were...

The other day I was having one of those conversations that happens from time to time on social media about 'who' is best placed, most qualified, most appropriate to support parents who are struggling after a traumatic perinatal event. 

There was lots of hemming and hawing from a fellow...

As the NHS turns 72 this month I think we need to talk about where it is heading, what our expectations are and how we will become increasingly disappointed as service users if we don’t wake up to painful home truths about the way we are cared.

What the Covid19 pandemic has shown us...

When I first started teaching the TBR 3 Step Rewind technique to other birth professionals a fellow hypnotherapist messaged me. She said ‘Do you know if midwives and doulas are actually allowed to use the rewind technique? I don’t want you to get into trouble for teaching it if...

What is this quiet revolution in perinatal mental health?

Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a real fascination for the history of health and medicine, particularly when it comes to birth and maternal health. I love learning about common medical practices, beliefs and outcomes of...

I am very thankful that there is more awareness of birth trauma now than what there was even 5 years ago. The internet, social media and the contribution of blogger’s real life experiences of birth trauma have really helped many women to recognise what they were experiencing. They can begin...

Have we normalised a bad birth experience?

When I originally met Sarah* she had come to see me for treatment for anxiety. I had no idea when she booked the appointment that she was a new mum, and had a baby just 5 months beforehand, she didn’t mention this in her original email. She had...

As strange and even ridiculous as this statement sounds it’s a more common thought to occupy the mind of new parents than you might imagine.

It might be tempting if you hear a parent say this, to mollify them. ‘Don’t be silly’ you might say. Or ‘that’s daft, a...

If there is one thing we should all know about perinatal mental health, it’s this:

I consider myself to be very lucky. I love working with parents because I know first hand how unhelpful perinatal anxiety is to the bonding process.

I know how damaging everyday anxiety is to our sense of...

As a pre & post natal specialist who hold groups for mums and babies you become used to reading the signs of a mum who has had a rough time with her birth. My heart aches for the women who tear up when others talk about their positive birth, or have to leave the room completely. The women who...