The reality of birth trauma...

The words I would use to best describe my first birth experience are vulnerable, unprepared, frightened and overwhelmed. After 6 difficult years of waiting to become a mum i felt torn between complete gratitude and absolute fear when I went into labour. I hadn’t attended any antenatal classes ( they weren’t mentioned to me and I was oblivious) and I had no birth plan in mind whatsoever. In all honesty I don’t think I ever truly believed my pregnancy would make it that far , as with all the times that had gone before. The intensity of Labour shocked me, I was offered no options for pain relief (other than gas and air) and had a traumatic 12 hour labour- ending in delivery by forceps and an episiotomy. I was so tired and shocked I felt barely conscious, yet my husband was asked to leave at 10pm and I was left to care for our precious baby girl. I was offered no pain relief and had missed the food trolley, so was left with nothing to eat or drink (in the middle of a heatwave) The midwife repeatedly called me by the wrong name (even writing it in my notes!) and i was too terrified to close my eyes as my baby was coughing up fluid. This was my transition into motherhood and to this day I believe this was the trigger for months and months of anxiety and overwhelm. Mothers need knowledge, choices, respect, nurturing care and time to gently adjust to motherhood, recover physically and emotionally from birth and to feel empowered by the support network around them - join our village ❤️ #womensupportingwomen #mumsempoweringmums #knowledgeispower #ittakesavillage #birthtrauma #postnatalsupport