Birth Debrief

I recently had my birth debrief appointment as parts of my daughter's birth felt slightly traumatic and I felt that I needed the help to understand it in order to be able to work through it. It felt really great to talk to a professional and go through the birth notes. After we had done talking, it felt like something really heavy got off my chest and I could finally breathe again. It was a very interesting feeling (in a good way).

Therefore, I thought that it's worth sharing as not many know about it.

So what is Birth Debrief?

A Birth Debrief is the opportunity for you to discuss at length the birth of your child with a trained professional, which could be a specialist midwife, obstetrician or a mental health professional.

What are the benefits of it?

The birth debrief can give you closure and even leave you feeling empowered as you have had the opportunity to go through everything again and gain a new understanding. Some say that it can even help with postpartum depression.

When can you request it?

You have a right to request it straight away of even a few years after the birth as the hospitals/practices are required to hold the notes for quite a few years (might depend on the country the hospital/practice is located in).

Who can you ask for it?

You can ask for the birth debrief either from your midwife, obstetrician or the hospital/practice administration where your child was born.