Unfold Your Wings – UNFOLD YOUR WINGS

Birth trauma, sexual abuse and trauma-informed care.

I’m always deeply touched every time another woman* shares her story with me, often because the level of trust that this requires, but also that sharing what awful things a

I didn’t suffer birth trauma because I was…….. uninformedlacking in knowledge or information Because I didn’t have…………. soft musiccandlesdim lights Or because I didn’t……… praymeditateuse affirmationsbe activeread enough, plan enough

Please be aware that some stories may trigger difficult memories and emotions so remember your own self care as everyone will be at different stages of healing. If you wish

Can you hear the voices speak?Is it your ears that they do seek? Some a quiet, some are strong.Do you know to whom they belong? Voices that carry words of

This is Joanna’s deeply moving story of her traumatic birth and really shows how important it is that women are listened to and treated with dignity and respect. Please be

I sat in the psychiatrist’s room, the light shining on my back, warming my tired bones. I had lost hope, hope that anyone could hear me, or know what was

“Help me, it’s like the walls are caving in.Sometimes I feel like giving upBut I just can’t.It isn’t in my blood.” Shawn Mendes “Laying on the bathroom floor, feeling nothing.I’m

My daughter was stood right next to me, her cheeks rosey from the cold wind blowing across the pond. Her tiny hands clutch tightly small pieces of bread, ready to

It’s hard to talk about birth trauma, but even harder to talk about suicide. Yet I know from the women that contact me and my own experience that dealing day

I sat in the chair feeling numb, was I really in denial? I didn’t think I was, but then I wasn’t the expert. The Community psychiatric nurse (CPN) in front

I feel worried. Worried, because there seems to be somewhat of a perinatal bandwagon lately. Where ever you look, there are articles, stories being shared and people discussing perinatal mental

I read the article, tears stinging my eyes. I blink them away and try to let my logical mind silence the thunderous beating in my chest. I look at my

I could barely hold the funnel to my breast. My hands, swollen and numb grasped as hard as they could, my body, weak, hardly had the strength I needed. I

You know the ones I mean. You have seen them. The all singing websites and the glossy leaflets. You scroll down and see smiling, happy faces and the testimonies that

‘May your story be a page in someone else’s survival guide’ The years have past but the memories are etched on my mind. There are certain things you can’t erase,

For any family, emotional wellbeing matters. When it comes to mental health the perinatal period can be a challenging time. Adjusting to life with a new baby is hard, but

Ive been thinking a lot about change recently, so much is being written on the matter and there doesn’t seem to be a day that goes by where change isn’t

I remember when I was a child, I had a beautiful doll that cried real tears, and when you fed her a bottle she wet her nappy…I thought she was

The room was dark and my pillow was wet with silent tears. I could hear my husband breathing deeply as sleep beside me, but sleep had escaped me. I wished

With my eyes tightly squeezed shut all I could hear was the bleeping of the machine next to my bed that was tracing my babies heartbeat. I felt like was

This is the third of three blogs looking at what matters in Birth. The previous blog looked at what women voiced about matters to them most when it comes to

We all know that when it comes to our emotional wellbeing there are many factors that contribute to our feeling healthy. No more so is this true than when it

I lifted my eyes and looked at everyone around the room, some were colleagues, others strangers, some had tears falling from their eyes, others looked shocked and in disbelief, everyone

The experience of birth will stay with a woman her whole life time Ask any women her birth story and she will recount it with easy, there is no experience

There’s a well-known saying that ‘words can cut like a knife’. What we say can have a lasting effect on the person at the end of the words we use,

When people think about post traumatic stress (PTSD) they often think of a soldier, returning from battle traumatised and battered by the ravages of war and the terrible things seen

They say that blood is thicker than water when it comes to relationships, but sometimes the support that we need doesn’t always come from the places and the people we

This is the second of three blogs. The first blog looked at the growing concerns around how we can support women to have a less medicalised birth. In order to

I’m feeling hopeful. Much more so than I have for the many years previously, where birth trauma was hardly mentioned and women would often have their experiences dismissed due to

They say the road to recovery can be a long one and I know the true meaning of those words, often the road is long and bumpy, you can take

There are growing conversations about helping women to have what is termed a ‘normal birth’, that is a birth free of interventions including no pain relief etc. Years ago, for

Im recovered…….mostly. Now and then however PTSD likes to give me reminder that it is still with me lying dormant, like a monster that tries to awake and again take

“I have never dealt with anything more difficult than my own mind”. My daughters birthday is always mixed emotions for me, a day to celebrate the light she brought into

Today is World Mental Health Day. There are many people sharing their stories about the reality of living with mental health. Why is this important? Because by sharing our stories

“The first time ever I saw your face I thought the sun rose in your eyes, and the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave to the dark

Over the last few years I have been privileged to be part of some very important discussions around supporting parents and families within healthcare. As a patient rep its is

BIRTH is a natural process that women have been doing for thousands of years, it is an immense time of joy and excitement for not only the woman and her

We sometimes go through things in life that completely change us as a person. Sometimes it changes things for the better, sometimes the worst and sometimes its both! For me

Birth has many faces and no one situation prevails, it is as individual to each woman, baby and family as a fingerprint. Often things such a ‘risk’, ‘normal’ and ‘natural’

The room is beautiful. Soft hues of yellow shine light like prisms of sunlight. The bed big and inviting the type you want to fall into, its softness enveloping you

Recently there has been a lot of talk about how if we prepare women for birth, we prevent birth trauma. As a trained doula I know how important it is

Despite the fact that birth trauma seems to have more awareness, inside my heart feels heavy. I spend my days listening to the stories of those affected by the birth

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. Dr Seuss I care I really do. I care when I see those

There has been a lot of talk recently about continuity of carer in maternity services and the difference it can make it women, babies and families. The National Maternity Review

I wipe the dust from the top of the flowery box. It had to happen, the bringing out of the baby photos to groans of embarrassment from my daughter, to

Dear You I know You don’t remember me. I am but one face You have cared for over many springs, summers, autumns and winters, just a number on a wristband,

Everyday I sit with another woman. The pain is etched across her face, tears fall from red swollen eyes and words tumble, revealing the trauma that is leaving its mark.

“Oh, no! it is like a rope,” said the second man who touched the tail. “Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree,” said the third man

My hands burned, my arms heavy and painful. I stop and try to catch my breath. My heart pounding. I close my eyes I can do this, my baby needs

All around are bright coloured balloons, the cake waiting for candles to be lit and wishes to be made. Gifts wrapped in shiny paper call out to be opened. Deep

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