Birth Trauma Doesn’t have to be a Life Sentence

In May 2012 I will be supporting Olivia Seck (who has 20yrs experience in the field) with birth trauma healing work.

It’s been estimated that “As many as 200,000 UK women may feel traumatised by childbirth and develop some of the symptoms of PTSD*’. Many fathers and babies also experience birth trauma often with long lasting impact on families.*The Birth Trauma Association 

Those working in the field of pregnancy and birth, often witness the impact of birth trauma on families, and are even affected themselves by their involvement in traumatic births.

Common symptoms include:

• recurring recollections of the birth, or certain parts of it.

• depression,

• loss of confidence

• low self esteem

• flashbacks, suddenly feeling like it’s happening again

• nightmares

• inability to sleep

• difficulties bonding

• emotional numbing and dissociation

• feeling sad, angry, guilty or helpless about the birth,

• fear or terror of birthing again.

• ‘psychogenic amnesia’ (not remembering many things about the labour and birth, or not being able to make sense of it.

• avoiding any activities or situation that reminds you of pregnancy or birth.

• distress when something reminds you of your experience, like your baby’s birthday.

“Birth trauma can have far reaching and often unexpected effects. Often the relationship between the parents of the baby can fail, not only due to the new pressures of caring for a child, but the myriad of feelings towards each other that may ensue after a traumatic labour and birth”. Samantha Cambray

 

The effects of healing birth trauma can be profound, not just for the immediate health, happiness of families right now but also for future generations to come.

 

Birth healing has in the past been a slow and often painful process, with counselling as the main technique used. In the last decade Energy Psychology has established itself as a powerful healer for trauma. Veterans returning from war zones have found tremendous relief from the deep psychological scars they are carrying, using this broad range of psychological treatments that utilise the human energy system. One of the huge benefit of using Energy psychology is the fact that it does not necessitate re-experiencing the trauma. It also often only needs a few sessions to facilitate the healing of the trauma, leaving the client free to live their life to the full again.

If you have been affected by birth trauma as a parent, or as a midwife or doula or birth partner a space in being made available as the lovely Eden Rise retreat near Totnes, Devon in May.
Contact enquiries@birthingwisdom.co.uk for full details.

Or click here for the poster with session details Birth Trauma Healing Info 

Antenatal Preparation

Having a Summer Baby? Looking for an antenatal class around Salisbury? Register interest for the next Circle starting in April.

The Pregnancy Circle: A chance to sit with other mums-to-be and build on your own confidence, skills and knowledge for labour and birth, held in a safe and cosy space with an experienced birth attendant/doula and antenatal teacher.

Topics/content can be tailored to your questions, interests and needs, but will typically include: How normal birth works, Creating your own vision for birth with a flexible birth plan, Exploring pain management options, How to work with your body, mind, and environment in birth, Meeting potential challenges in birth, plus Basic breastfeeding skills. (Over 4 weeks)

Then we’ll invite the dads/birth partners to join us for two more sessions (in a bigger local venue) as we explore: How to be a great birth partner, What to expect in labour at hospital or home, and How to work as a team as you settle in with your new baby.
(6 weeks total)

Helping you to feel supported on your pregnancy and birth journey, as a woman and as a couple.

Contact Jolie for current dates and times and costs. Suitable from any stage in pregnancy near Wilton, Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Telephone: 01722 744 106
Email: info@joliedoula.co.uk

Hypno Doula Training

Hypno Doula Training April 2012 Eden Rise Retreat

Clilck on link above for the information about the Hypno Doula Training 21st – 22nd April 2012 to apply for one of the 5 remaining places email info@joliedoula.co.uk or call 07794 381 447

Helping out when Dad was away

‘Jolie was brilliant. I really feel like I couldn’t have done it without her.  My husband was away when I went into labour and it was so good to know that I had someone to support me – I found Jolie to be so warm and supportive that she put me at ease immediately.

It helped so much to have someone on hand who could guide me through it and I really felt like I was totally supported and that she was giving me 100% of her energy.

Jolie stayed with me for a few hours after the birth and read me messages from my family while I rested. She helped me feel very positive about the birth despite my having been transferred to hospital in an ambulance.

Jolie came to visit us and the baby at home and gave us a wonderful review of the birth that she had written which was so helpful in sharing the experience with my husband who had missed the birth.’ 

N van Kampen, Frome

Hello!

Hello! 

I’m Jolie a local birth doula for the Salisbury area. I help mums and dads get ready for birth, provide practical and emotional support them during the labour (in hospital, birth centre or home), and help them settle in with their new baby.

I’m also a regular volunteer on the labour ward at Salisbury District Hospital, provide one-to-one birth prepration sessions, group work, plus birth story debriefing sessions for anyone who wants to help work through previous birth stories, fears or worries.

For detailed information about the services I provide, information and resources please visit http://www.joliedoula.co.uk and see some testimonials here: http://joliedoula.wordpress.com/testimonials/ 

 

Sharing Wisdom for new NHS website – Bristol Filming

Hello – I’ve just received news of this project, and can’t make it myself,  but perhaps you can or know of mums or dads that would like to go along this Friday 17th Feb?

 Hi Jolie,

 I am currently working on a project called Digital Babies (a Digital Care Social Enterprise) which is a collaboration between ITN, NHS Choices and The Royal College of Midwives. 

 

The aim of the project is to form 100+ bite sized video clips answering 100 of the most commonly asked questions of new parents and parents to be.  By doing this we hope to inform future mums and dads of the answers as simply and visually as possible, hearing mums and dads talking honestly about their experiences.  This will help first time mums, particularly those struggling in literacy to understand more fully the so many different stages of pregnancy and childbirth.  

 

As the questions centre around breastfeeding, home and water births I am looking for a number of mums (and their partners) to take part in a few bite sized videos to be filmed at a studio in Bristol this coming Friday, 17th February.  The videos will comprise of mums and dads sharing their experiences of childbirth and becoming a parent.  Transportation and food will be provided.   

  

I would be extremely grateful if you could pass this information around. 

 

Many thanks and kindest regards,

 

Claudia

0207 833 3000 extn 2076

Fab Feedback

I really don’t think I’d have had a drug free, speedy birth, breastfed or picked myself straight back up again mentally and physically if I didn’t have Doula support!

I had a very empowering birth even though we had a few challenges with regards to the plan but still managed to get the natural delivery I desired and felt in control throughout. Couldn’t have done it without the fantastic pre-labour support and protecting my environment from Jolie Compton and …making sure I’m fully aware of the whole process of labour! I knew exactly what to expect therefore trusted my body and did not fight it! It was brilliant, the whole 3 hours 15 mins although at one point I really thought I was going to die! You won’t die, you just have to push past it!

Having a Doula definately helped me birth my own way and gave me the control over my body through informed decisions through pregnancy! Happy mum happy baby and I’d do it all again tomorrow!

 

Rachael, Feb 2012

More research to encourage the use of doulas

In February 2011, the new Cochrane Review of Continuous support for women during childbirth was published.

The study includes 21 randomized controlled trials with 15,060 women with doulas and hospital staff (including 4 newly added trials that compared trained support people from the woman’s own social network (partner, family friends)).

This review confirms previous findings that improved obstetric outcomes are associated with continuous support, especially the support of a doula.

A ‘doula’ labour support companion has the strongest impact on health and safety during labour and birth, compared with women who have no support in labour, or support from a member of the hospital staff, friend or family member.

Women with continuous support from a doula or other independent person were:

• 28% less likely to have a caesarean section
• 31% less likely to use synthetic oxytocin to speed
  labour
• 9% less likely to use any pain medication
• 34% less like to rate their childbirth experience negatively.
• A new finding with this review is that doulas are also more effective in improving outcomes than people in the woman’s social network (partners, family, friends).

The Cochrane Review concluded:
“Continuous support during labour should be the norm, rather than the exception. Policy makers should consider making continuous labor support a covered service, and hospitals should implement programs to offer continuous labor support. In present maternity care environments, benefits of
continuous support are likely to be greater with companions who are not hospital staff members than with members of the hospital staff.”

Read the Childbirth Connection Quick Facts about Continuous Labour Support here

The Cochrane Review of Continuous support for women during childbirth can be found here

Thank you to http://giftedbirthsupport.com for sharing this article

 

Ever thought that babies cries had a secret language?

Visited Boob Baby yet? Special offer for Jolie Doula friends

special 10% discout code for friends of Jolie Doula

Local mum Sarah Appleton and her husband Ryan have created a easy and accessible online breastfeeding support website supplying quality breastfeeding equipment and accessories. The website also includes a resource centre, which aims to provide information and advice to mothers who are breastfeeding and also to pregnant ladies who are hoping to breastfeed. The idea for the website came about Sarah’s experience in trying to establish breastfeeding with her son. After a traumatic birth, and being very poorly, she found it difficult to get breastfeeding going. It was made harder as her son lost too much weight after birth, resulting in a trip back to hospital all of which knocked her confidence and she got very close to stopping breastfeeding altogether. However, she did found her way through and has successfully breastfed her son and is now 2 years down the line.  As a result of her experience she is a passionate breastfeeding supporter and has created this great resource!

Sarah and Ryan have kindly offered a special  discount code (joliedoula) for visitors via this website for 10% off their next order (excluding delivery) for the next 30 days from midnight tonight!

http://www.boobbaby.co.uk/