One third of women have been found to suffer some trauma in relation to their birth experience. This is unacceptable, an unnecessary part of birth and mostly avoidable. Despite this, womens experiences of birth are barely acknowledged.

The aims of this event are to :

Acknowledge womens' experiences of birth .

Provide much needed information and support to help women and their partners better understand and move on from difficult, disappointing or traumatic birth experiences.

Offer insights to health professionals working with women antenatally, while birthing, and postnatally to enable them to further support those in their care.

The lecture-and-workshop format will provide participants with the opportunity to:

Talk to people who know that birth matters & receive validation for how they are feeling.

Hear other women¹s experiences & realise they are not alone.

Realise that birth can be different, it is supposed to be different, and there are valid reasons for their feelings and behaviour.

Understand birth's importance through hearing the effects of birth that carry on long after you leave hospital.

Challenge common misperceptions about what what factors cause a woman to feel disappointment, grief or trauma over her birth experience.

Explore avenues to help women to move forward after a challenging birth with ideas for processing their experience, and making peace with their birth.

Investigate what things are important in birth for women to feel good about it and gain from it, and how to get these regardless of how the birth unfolds

To gain information on birth options after having had a previous caesarean.

Couples will discover how to increase their chances of walking away from ANY birth with feelings of positivity, confidence and strength.

Challenge common beliefs by recognising that birth can be an amazing and positive event that deserves celebration.