"This service is fantastic"

I booked a birth debrief after having a very unexpected and less than ideal birth. I wanted a low intervention birth in the DMU and ended up with a 48 hour labour on a hormone drip in labour suite which resulted in a c-section. 

The birth debrief helped me understand what happened in the room and possibilities for why I ended up having a c-section. I’ve found this really hard to accept due to being fit and healthy, having a really straightforward pregnancy and doing all the right things throughout. After talking to Libby it gave me answers to questions I had and she validated how I was feeling about the experience. I was very focused on the labour and birth but through the appointment it made me realise that part of my struggle about it was actually the after care and lack of support I felt I received. I hadn’t thought too much about this until I started talking through the whole experience. Again, Libby listened openly and made me feel heard. 

Overall I found the appointment really helpful as it gave me space to talk about my experience in a non judgmental way with someone who didn’t know me. One thing I would say is I think offering a second appointment after a set amount of time may be a good way to further improve the service. For example, that was the first time I had spoken about my time in hospital after the birth and i hadn’t actually realised how much that had affected me. So the things which I had been continually thinking about my birth - why things had happened,  blaming myself for, feeling like I failed etc it helped with a lot of those things. However I then came away with another set of thoughts linked to after the birth I never had thought about. Not everyone may benefit or want a second appointment but I think that may make the process a more holistic one. 

I do feel I still have things to process and part of that for me is hopefully speaking to the midwife who cared for me and speaking with a consultant about medical questions about my birth and future pregnancies/births. 

The appointment with Libby was a huge step forward for me. It was great to talk to someone about my birth and for her to explain things which happened and help me understand and stop being so hard on myself. There is definitely a lack of support for women who have been through a tough labour experience especially as a first time mum and this service is fantastic.