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"Thank you for listening and actually listening.
No 'but at least you're okay and baby is okay' comments.
My puzzled feelings feel less puzzled, and I feel respected and truly heard for the first time."
- a mum
What is The Birth Reflection?
The Birth Reflection is a 90-minute one-on-one, online deep listening service for women and birthing support people who have experienced a difficult or traumatic birth, OR who would like to make sense of a significant experience from any part of the journey into parenthood — from conception and pregnancy, through birth, and into the early postpartum months.
Whether your birth felt frightening, overwhelming, confusing, or simply didn’t go the way you hoped — this space was created for you.
And even if the birth itself felt positive, you may still be holding feelings around IVF or fertility struggles, loss, a challenging pregnancy, feeding difficulties, or the emotional shift of becoming a parent.
Those experiences matter too. They are not separate from your story — they are part of it.
You may begin with your birth story, or you may begin somewhere else entirely. Wherever your story needs to start, we follow it with care. Nothing is a distraction. It’s all part of your experience, and it’s all welcome here.
Whether your baby is 3 months old or 3 years old,
There’s no expiry on needing to make sense of your story.
What is Birth Trauma or Birth Related Trauma?
“Birth Trauma is a woman's experience of interactions and/or events related to childbirth that cause overwhelming distressing emotions and reactions, leading to short and/or long-term negative impacts on a woman's health and well-being.”
Leinweiber et al., 2022
Birth Trauma Australia explain that
“...Birth-related trauma can be physical or psychological, or a combination of both. Birth-related trauma impacts mothers, birthing parents, fathers and non-birthing parents.
When we talk about birth trauma or difficult perinatal experiences, we're not just talking about what happened medically—we're talking about how those experiences were felt.
A journey into parenthood can look straightforward on paper yet still leave someone feeling shocked, powerless, frightened, confused, grieving, or deeply unsettled. That's because our experiences are shaped not only by what happened, but by how we experienced them.
You don't have to justify your story. You don't need to meet any criteria to share it. If there's any part of your journey into parenthood—from conception and pregnancy, through birth, and into the early postpartum months—that has stayed with you, feels significant, or simply deserves space to be explored, it's valid, and worth reflecting on.
Why might someone choose
The Birth Reflection?
There are many different reasons someone might feel drawn to a Birth Reflection — here are just a few:
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Birth looked very different from what they had hoped or planned
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It all happened so fast, they haven’t had time to catch up emotionally
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Life before baby feels so different to life after, that they just want to talk it through
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Medical or emergency interventions left them with unanswered questions
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Complications during pregnancy or birth have left a lasting emotional impact
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They felt left out of decisions or not truly listened to during labour
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Well-meaning comments like “At least the baby’s okay” haven’t sat right inside
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They keep replaying certain moments — questioning or wishing things had gone differently
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They are expecting another baby but aren't sure they can face it after their first experience
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Previous experiences (like loss or fertility challenges) shaped how they approached this pregancy/birth
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The birth looked “textbook” on the outside — but inside, they feel flat, disconnected, or unsettled
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Their breastfeeding journey didn’t go as hoped, and they’re left carrying guilt or a sense of failure
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They just feel like they need to talk it through — even if they can’t quite say why
WHAT THE BIRTH REFLECTION IS - AND WHAT it ISN’T
• A chance to feel heard, validated, and understood
• A conversation led by you — you decide what to talk about
• A space held with compassion, professionalism, skill, and confidentiality
• Grounded in reflective birth work and trauma-informed practice
• A place where I can gently connect you to extra support where needed
• Therapy or counselling (a clinical service)
• A formal complaint process (I’m not affiliated with your hospital or care providers)
• An investigation into what happened
• A clinical interpretation of your birth experience or medical notes
• A place to access or explain medical records
While this isn’t counselling, it is a professional, trauma-informed listening service.
You’ll be supported by someone with qualifications in the perinatal space and years of experience walking with families through the perinatal season.
This is a service designed with deep care and respect — not to “fix” your story, but to hold it, gently and attentively.
What this session isn't
What this session is
Here's what matters most
WHAT TO EXPECT
You’re in control
You decide what’s shared and when. I’ll offer gentle prompts if helpful — often shaped by a short pre-session questionnaire you’ll complete beforehand.
You’ll be heard and validated
Your story is honoured here without judgment or agenda.
There’s no right way to feel and no expectation of how you should make sense of it.
You’ll be met with compassion, not correction.
You’ll be supported
This space is held with trauma-informed care, which means your emotional safety is always central.
We’ll check in regularly, move at your pace, and use grounding strategies where needed.
You’ll receive next steps
After your session, I’ll send through an easy step by step guide to accessing further clinical perinatal support should you need/ want it.
I'M READY - WHAT'S NEXT?
TWO Simple Steps
STEP ONE: Start with a 15min complimentary hello call
It gives us a chance to:
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Meet properly
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Make sure what I offer is exactly what you’re looking for
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Ask any questions (big or small)
I’ll send you the booking link immediately afterward.
STEP TWO: Book a Reflection Session (**if you lose your booking link, find it here).
Follow the link to book your 90min session.
** ALL Birth Reflection Sessions are 90 minutes and offered on a pay-what-you-can basis (from $10), ensuring the service remains accessible to everyone. Whether you contribute $10 or $100, the session—and the care, time, and support you receive—remains exactly the same. Your contribution simply helps cover the costs of delivering the service, including the professional insurance required to offer The Birth Reflection.