Perinatal Trauma
Whilst the process around becoming a parent is often thought of as being a magical time, unfortunately for some, it’s not always the case.
You’re not alone if you’ve had distressing or traumatic experiences during the process of trying to conceive, through pregnancy, birth or postnatally.
Whilst your brain has an innate ability to process and store these events. Sometimes, due to no fault of your own, these processes can become overloaded and disrupted, leaving these memories “stuck”. Instead of becoming past events you can calmly recall at will, intense thoughts, feelings, and sensations can easily be triggered as you go about your daily life, significantly impacting your well-being.
The good news is there are varies ways you can aid your brains natural process of ‘unlocking’ these stuck memories, allowing them to be reprocessed and releasing their hold on you.
So if you are still experiencing symptoms from distressing or traumatic events surrounding the perinatal period,
Emma offers the following:
- EMDR therapy
- Birth Trauma Resolution (BTR) therapy
You can find out more about what is involved with these therapy sessions here.
This is not an exhaustive list. If you’re unsure if CuedIn can support you in a specific area, please get in touch for a no-obligation chat.
Please note: Emma is unable to provide support if you are in crisis. Please reach out to medical professionals or in an emergency, contact 111. Alternatively, there’s the “Need to Talk?” service, call or text 1737 any time (24hrs) where you can connect with a trained counsellor.
Perinatal Trauma may involve…
Not everyone’s journey trying for a baby is simple or straightforward. And you may have needed to turn to extra support, which can take its toll.
It can sometimes leave you with overwhelming feelings, regardless of whether you were able to conceive a child or not.
It doesn’t matter at what stage or whether you had any choice in what happened, losing or saying goodbye to a baby can have a huge impact.
Not all pregnancies were created equal.
Complications or experiences outside your control, whether it’s the birthing person, baby or both, can have a lasting impact.
There are many ways you might have experienced distressing or traumatic experiences during the birth of your baby. All of which are valid.
After a baby is born is an incredibly vulnerable time for birthing people, who go through huge shifts not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well.
There are many experiences in this time period as well which can leave you with difficulties.
Listening & Debrief
We often have hopes and dreams about how we’d like to bring our children into the world. Sometimes what happens can end up far from this.
If you’d like the opportunity to gently walk through what you experienced, where you can be fully heard, a listening and debrief session may be for you.
Emma is an independent professional who provides a safe, validating and compassionate space to help you make sense of your experiences.
For some people, this is all they need to help them move forward after their birth.
For more information, please contact Emma for a no obligation chat.
Walking Group
Emma has set up a monthly walking group at different locations in Selwyn and Ōtautahi for anyone who has experienced distressing or traumatic experiences during the perinatal period.
These groups are informal and a low pressure way to connect with others who may have been through something similar. There’s no expectation that anyone has to share but it’s a safe and validating place if you do wish to. It’s also a great way to get out for some gentle exercise alongside others.
The group is planned for the first Monday of each month, weather permitting. If the walk needs to be rescheduled we will try again on the Wednesday.
No costs, sign up or commitments required.
If you’re interested in seeing what it’s all about, join the dedicated Facebook group: Birth & Perinatal Trauma Walking Group- Selwyn & Ōtautahi.
Details of each walk will be announced in the group on the Thursday prior. You’re also welcome to email Emma directly for further information.
