Postpartum Support

You have a new wee human in your life! 
You're navigating the ins & outs of being a parent. 
And you find yourself asking questions like:

• Is it supposed to feel this hard?
• Do I have postpartum depression?  or just "baby blues"?
• When will I start to feel more connected to my baby?
• Why does it seem like other parents are figuring this out and I'm not?
• How long will I be this exhausted?  
• Will I ever feel like "me" again?
• Why does it feel like my marriage is falling apart?
• Do I need to see a therapist?  get on medication? 
• IS THIS NORMAL???

In a 1:1 Postpartum Support Listening Session, we can dive into these questions together.  We can assess how you are feeling and talk about what's "normal".  We can get clear on risk factors and symptoms of Postpartum Mood & Anxiety challenges, and what kinds of things might mean you could use more support for your mental health.

I've listened to hundreds of moms and parents in postpartum support groups, and one-on-one.  Having a new baby is HARD and we don't talk about the challenges nearly enough.  So many new parents struggle to adjust and aren't sure what to expect.  Adding a baby to your family can be hard on marriages and relationships too, whether it's your first or you already have other kiddos at home.  If you are struggling, there are resources out there and you deserve to feel better.  We can use our time together to walk through self screening tools, to put together a postpartum wellness plan, or simply to give you space to vent.  

These sessions are open to birthing parents and non-gestational parents. Parents of all genders can struggle to adjust or find their "new normal".  You can also book a 1:1 session as a couple.  If you are a partner or grandparent who is worried about a new mom or parent, this can be a tool for you to ask questions, understand what is "normal" and find ways to support the person you love.

Postpartum sessions can be booked as single sessions or in bundles of 2 or 3.

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Birth Story Listening
Birth Trauma Support

Maybe your birth didn't go according to plan. 
You might be struggling with big emotions surrounding how your baby was born.
Birth Story Listening and Birth Trauma Support can be helpful when:

• Your wishes for your birth were not respected.
• You had an unplanned or emergency cesarean.
• You didn't have the support you wanted/needed during your birth.
• Your baby had unique needs after birth or was admitted to the NICU.  
• You had big changes to your birth plan like a hospital transfer from a planned home birth.
• You have a history of abuse or assault and your birth brought it all back up.
• Your birth seemed "normal" but you can't stop thinking about aspects of it.
• You are having complicated feelings about your birth - grief, guilt, anger, resentment, ambivalence, shame, regret. 
• Your birth involved more interventions than you were expecting.
• You thought your life or your baby's life was in danger during your birth.

You can choose to have a Birth Story Listening session for any reason.  Maybe some of the bullet points above are true for you, and maybe none of them are.  You might just want to process your birth with someone or have a compassionate listener hear your story.  Changes to your birth plan, a complicated birth experience, lack of support, fear of harm to you or your baby, feeling invisible or disrespected during your birth, or a variety of other factors can create birth trauma.  

These sessions are not just telling your story over again.  I've been trained in Birth Story Listening through Birthing From Within, and I bring non-judgmental listening, experience attending over 100 births as a doula, somatic practices, tools from Hakomi, and a trauma informed approach to create a space where we can begin to help you move toward acceptance and healing of your birth experience.

Have you heard people say "Your baby and you are both alive and healthy and that's all that matters."?  That's not the whole truth.  Your story matters.  Your experience matters.  How you felt throughout your birth experience is important.  The way you met your baby for the first time matters.  And it all deserves a space to be processed, talked through, and witnessed.

These sessions are open to birthing parents and non-gestational parents.  All parents involved in a birth can have complicated feelings about the experience.  If you are a doula or birth professional who witnessed or supported a particularly challenging birth or experienced secondary trauma, you may find a listening session useful (birth professionals may book single sessions).

Birth Story Listening and Birth Trauma Sessions require a minimum of 2 sessions.  After that, single sessions can be booked.

Ready to book a session?

Pricing for Listening Sessions can be found here.
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Overview & basic Listening session info is here.

Initial Birth Trauma/Birth Story Listening Sessions are booked in a bundles of at least 2.  Established clients may book single sessions or re-book a session bundle.  Postpartum Listening Sessions can be booked as single sessions or in bundles.

Schedule a Listening Session

I am happy to book a 20 minute, free, exploration call.  I can answer your questions and get you more info so you can decide if working with me feels like the right next step for you.  I am never trying to "sell" you, I base all my work in the concept of "enthusiastic consent".  I want you to have all the information you need to enthusiastically say YES! to working together.  And if we aren't a great fit, that's totally ok.  To schedule an exploration call, fill out my CONTACT FORM