Birth Story Processing
Adjusting to life with a newborn can be beautiful and it can be challenging, leaving little room or space to reflect on your actual birth experience. And yet, the way we feel about our birth experiences can often impact how we parent and bond with our littles, how we recover and heal ourselves, and how we experience any subsequent pregnancies and childbirths.
Birth Story Processing sessions are a sacred opportunity for parents to process feelings related to childbirth and to create meaning in their birth story. While not all births are traumatic, they can still be quite intense and it is the birther’s interpretation of the birth that defines it.
Do you catch yourself replaying specific moments from your childbirth experience? Perhaps causing mixed emotions?
Maybe your birth unfolded as expected, yet you find yourself still thinking about it, weeks, months, or years later?
If so, please know you are not alone, and these feelings are common.
Current research indicates that the postpartum period lasts much longer than we initially thought. It is not uncommon for the emotional impact of childbirth to impact parents for months or years after a child is born. Taking the time to process your birth story is a powerful way to celebrate the birth of your baby, provide space for reflection and integration, and honor your transition to motherhood.
Who might benefit from this experience?
Most individuals seeking birth story processing are birthing mothers; however, birth story processing is available to anyone who has been present for a birth experience. Parents, partners, family, and birth support workers are all welcome.
What to expect?
Each 1:1 session begins with a grounding exercise and an opportunity to briefly get to know one another. When you feel comfortable, you may begin sharing your unique birth story.
I will listen. I will hold compassionate space for you as you share the moments of this deeply impactful event. I will support you as you remember details, identify pieces of your story, label, feel and process what this experience means to you. Through storytelling, guided visualization, and somatic techniques, we will create a cohesive story you can hold onto with confidence.
When should I attend a birth story processing session?
The ideal time to share your story is whenever you feel comfortable. Some mothers may feel the urge to share immediately after labor, during the early postpartum days, while others may require more time and distance before they are prepared to make sense of their experience. There is also no obligation to share your story.
Additional Information
Sessions are held virtually and are 60 minutes long.
This healing time is designated for you, so I ask that you please be free of childcare responsibilities or distractions.
Birth Story Processing sessions are separate from therapy sessions; however, I do make it a priority to include a screening for postpartum mood and anxiety disorders during our session(s). Based on this screening, I will make supportive recommendations if needed or desired.
The investment is $100 for one session and $175 for two sessions.
Often, only one session is needed. However, if your experience was traumatic and remains very difficult to think about, you may benefit from processing aspects of the birth in a therapeutic setting. If this appears to be the case, we can discuss other options. As a trained trauma therapist, I will approach this with compassion, sensitivity, and care while keeping your healing journey in mind.
My hope is that following this experience, you will have integrated the pieces of your birth story into a narrative that makes sense, one that holds meaning for you - I hope to help you see your birth from a new perspective.
