Birth Reflections Service

Every birth is a unique experience, and very personal to each person. What feels normal to one woman may not feel normal or indeed right to another. Talking things through after the birth may help you to understand the events that took place during your care more clearly and provide you with an opportunity to ask questions about your birth experience.

The Birth Reflections Service is a confidential Midwifery lead service, where the focus is on listening to you, understanding what is important to you and what you would like more information about.

Benefits:

We will invite you to discuss your labour and birth, to explore things that you felt were empowering, but also to revisit aspects of your care that you felt were confusing or unexpected.

Things to consider:

We understand that talking about your birth experience can be emotionally challenging. The midwives who run the clinic are not trained counsellors or therapists, but they will listen and explain anything in your notes that you feel unsure about or don't understand. The midwife can also direct you to mental health care providers, if further support is needed.

Alternatives:

Your community midwife can discuss your birth experience while under their care. However, if you feel you would benefit from a more detailed discussion, a Birth Reflections appointment may be a better option for you.

What happens next:

Your GP, midwife, or Health Visitor may offer to make a referral to this service on your behalf. Alternatively, you can self-refer to our Birth Reflections service anytime up until 10 years following the birth, by visiting Salisbury’s Maternity Website and searching for the Birth Reflections page. However, if you have any additional questions about this service or indeed around making the referral please send your enquiry, via email to sft.birthreflections@nhs.net.

The average waiting time for an appointment is between eight to ten weeks from receiving your referral but this can be longer during busy periods. The earliest you will be offered an appointment is six weeks after the birth of your baby/babies, allowing you time to physically recover from the birth.

What will happen at my appointment:

At your Birth Reflections appointment, you will spend about an hour with an experienced midwife going through your maternity notes and discussing your birthing experience as a timeline of events. In doing so, this allows you to understand what happened and why. There will be time to ask any questions and for you to offer any feedback you might have.

You are welcome to bring someone with you for support. This may be your partner, a family member or a close friend. They do not need to have been your birth partner.

Non-mobile babies are welcome to attend with you, however we ask that older children and siblings do not attend the appointment.

Birth Reflections Self Referral Form

Click here to complete the Birth Reflections Self Referral Form.

Please be aware that we can only accept the referral if you have birthed your baby at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. If you have had your baby elsewhere, we would recommend contacting your own hospital’s Birth Reflections service.

Useful links and further information

The Birth Trauma Association

Postnatal Depression Support – PANDAS Foundation UK

Mind

Anxiety UK - National charity helping people with Anxiety

DadPad | Support for new dads