Postnatal Services
Breastfeeding Support & Care
Breastfeeding Antenatal or Postnatal Support:
As a qualified midwife, I can offer you general support and care. We can discuss practical tools, normal breastfeeding patterns such as growth spurts, the importance of nighttime feeding to optimize breastfeeding hormones, expressing and pumping, storing breast milk, fathers role, and self-care. If you are having specific challenges surrounding breastfeeding outside of my scope as a midwife, I can refer you to one of my lactation consultant colleagues or maternity hospital.
I can be there for you through the ups and downs, get you and your baby off to a great start.
Birth Trauma Resolution Therapy
Birth Trauma Resolution Therapy is a quick and effective way of reducing the debilitating symptoms of birth trauma: such as nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, feelings of detachment from others, feelings of guilt, anger, resentment, and reduced confidence.
Many women may also experience low mood but there is a significant difference to postnatal depression both in its treatment and presentation. The Birth Trauma Resolution Therapy I trained in was developed by a psychotherapist in the UK called Jenny Mullan. Jenny has dedicated 20 years to this work and the therapy has been expertly collated and designed to ensure women receive individualized treatment.
I have worked over and supported women in over 200 births, in the postnatal period, and have helped several women and I have seen the treatment to be very effective, getting women feeling well more quickly within a few sessions.
There is an increase in their confidence, their relationships, how they relate to their baby, and their community. PTSD post-birth is an area that needs more discussion and awareness. Women can also experience these symptoms several years after birth, PTSD is a diagnosable condition and women deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.
To Reduce the Debilitating Symptoms of Birth Trauma:
Royal College of Midwives accredited treatment in helping to reduce the debilitating symptoms of Birth Trauma. BTR can be used to treat birth or pregnancy-related trauma including pregnancy-related effects of unsuccessful IVF. miscarriage, infant, and pregnancy loss.
BTR therapy can eliminate the debilitating symptoms of trauma, and return you to a feeling of strength and empowerment so that you can move forward with your life and enjoy your family life and new chapter into motherhood.
Generally, good results can be seen from 3-4 sessions.
Partners can also experience trauma, BTR therapy is available for partners also.
Sessions are on a one-to-one basis, will give you an opportunity to share your experience and begin to heal and move forward.
The Birth Trauma Series
The key differences between birth trauma and PTSD, getting the right diagnosis and support.
Identifying Key Symptoms of Birth Trauma
Intrusive, distressing memories of the birth, including upsetting memories, thoughts, and perceptions.
Nightmares about birth
Flashbacks-reliving the event as if it were still happening. Feelings of Anxiety and panic when reminded of the birth.
Avoidance of stimuli that remind the mother of the birth, including thoughts, feelings, places, and events.
Persistent arousal, irritability, difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance.
Feeling a sense of unreality or detachment.
(Jenny Mullan, 2019)
Know the Differences Between Birth Trauma & Postnatal Depression
A recent event recorded live, to help raise awareness in the area of Birth Trauma and for you to know you are not alone in your feelings, knowing the differences between Birth Trauma and postnatal depression, will give you practical resources that will support you including relaxation techniques.
Hear from other professionals - including physiotherapists, lactation consultants, self-care, yoga teachers, dieticians, previous clients, physiotherapists, hear from dads and “Ireland's birth stories”, plus much more...
Debriefing Services & Preparation
Some women find it helpful to talk about their birth experience or meet with the hospital to discuss, after their birth.
Women may find it useful to ask questions, to view their hospital notes, and to have support to gain clarity on the sequence of events and to understand their experience.
I can provide support, clarity, and help in preparation for this, also in helping to access their hospital notes. I can help you to understand the medical terminology, time frames, and the background of your specific hospital policies. I will also give you some practical tools to help you to overcome any challenges related to your birth if it was challenging. Helping you to rebuild your confidence also and to move forward.
Postnatal Depression (PND) Support Package
Discuss Practical Ways & Tools
If you have experienced a difficult birth or pregnancy, we can discuss practical ways and tools that will help you.
I can prepare some relaxation and breathing exercises that may help your mood, sleep, and improve your confidence. We can help you to identify how your low mood or birth-related challenges mood may be affecting you and how to overcome them.
Partners & PTSD, Following a Difficult Birth or Event.
Let's hope this will start the discussion around birth trauma.
Turas Clainne, is a TG4 four part series that explores the journey to parenthood and postpartum.
We follow the stories of expectant mothers and explore various issues that some parents encounter on the complex journey from the womb to childbirth.
Many parents experience emotions of delight, elation and celebration but for many others they may encounter loneliness, distress and heartbreak.
We feature families from all over Ireland who share their intimate experiences with fertility struggle, surrogacy, miscarriage, birth trauma and post natal depression this is last night's episode if anyone would like to watch it back.
Well done again Bairbre!
