Birth Reflections Service

Everyone will have a different experience throughout their pregnancy and birth, and talking about what happened might answer questions and help to understand the events with clarity.

It is not always easy to take in all the information you are given during labour, birth or immediately after, and a review of your notes might help you to 'fill in the gaps'.

You will have a confidential debrief through your notes, in a safe space, to discuss your labour and birth, which you might have felt was empowering, but also confusing, unexpected or even traumatic.

Our aim is for you to feel heard and supported while navigating the first few months after the birth. Midwives in the clinic are not trained counsellors or therapists, but they will listen and help you explore your feelings, and direct you to other services if further support is needed.

This might be important to help you to come to terms with what happened, or simply to help you prepare for the next pregnancy, labour and birth.

Appointments

Appointments can take place virtually, or face to face at the John Radcliffe Hospital, based on your preference, and they last approximately an hour. You might want to attend with your partner, a friend or a family member and bring your baby with you.

We suggest waiting up to a month after the delivery to give yourself time to process what happened - we can offer you an appointment up to a year after the birth.

December 2022 update

We are experiencing a very high demand for this service, which might lead to delays. We apologise in advance: you are important, and we are aiming to expand the service soon.

Referrals

You can refer yourself to the Birth Reflections service by completing a self-referral form at the link below:

Birth Reflections self-referral form

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Tel: 01865 220605

Email: birth.reflections@ouh.nhs.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Birth Reflections Team