Weeks, months or even years after the birth of your baby, you may find yourself wanting to talk through your experience, explore how you feel about it, or simply have someone listen who understands birth.

A birth reflections appointment gives you the opportunity to talk openly and honestly about your experience and how it has made you feel with an experienced midwife who will listen without judgement.

There is no right time to reflect on your birth. You might feel ready to talk about your experience a few weeks after birth, or find yourself wanting to revisit it months or even years later. I've supported women to reflect on births that happened many years ago, so there's no time limit. You might prefer to wait around 6–8 weeks after birth to give you some time to begin processing your experience. Some women find they benefit from reflecting again later, as their feelings and perspective can change over time.

Birth reflection appointments are ideally held in person, in the comfort of your own home, where we can talk in a relaxed and private environment. If you're outside the areas I cover, an online appointment may be possible. However, you may prefer to find somebody local to you who can offer in person support.

Absolutely. If you'd like your partner or another person who supported you during birth to join the appointment, that's absolutely fine.

No, you don't need your maternity notes for a birth reflections appointment. If you'd like to talk about your experience and explore how you feel about it, you can do this without them.

If you have specific questions about your care or the timeline of your birth, your notes may be helpful. You might also find it useful to bring them if you've already requested them but are struggling to understand the information or terminology. We can read through them together, although I may not always be able to provide definitive answers about the decisions made during your care.

No, the appointment offers a safe and non-judgemental space to talk through your birth experience with an experienced midwife. The appointment is not counselling, psychotherapy or a diagnostic appointment.

If I feel you would benefit from additional or specialist support, I can help signpost you to appropriate services following your appointment.

Yes, most NHS maternity services offer birth reflection appointments, although waiting times and the support offered can vary.

Some women feel more comfortable talking outside the NHS maternity services where they gave birth and some women have already accessed NHS support but would like more time to explore their feelings.

Not at all. You might have questions about what happened during your birth, mixed feelings about your experience, or simply want time to talk it through with someone who understands birth. You don't need to feel a particular way about your birth or have a specific concern to benefit from reflecting on your experience.

I will check in with you after your appointment to make sure that you feeling alright. There is no expectation that you need to reach a particular conclusion or feel differently by the end of the appointment. The time is yours to talk, reflect and explore whatever feels important to you. Some women benefit from additional sessions and I can facilitate this at a reduced rate. If you'd like further support, we can discuss possible next steps and I can signpost you to appropriate services where helpful.

Initial 90-minute birth reflections appointment — £120

Follow-up sessions — £80 per hour