You can refer yourself to the service up to one year after giving birth, or if you are pregnant again.

Everyone experiences birth differently. What feels straightforward to one person may feel difficult or upsetting to another. It can be hard to take in information during labour and birth, and you may have questions afterwards. Looking through your maternity notes with a midwife can help you understand what happened, why decisions were made and the care you received.

Your appointment

We want you to feel heard and supported. During your appointment, you can go through your maternity notes with a midwife in a calm, supportive space and talk about the parts of your care that you would like to understand better.

Birth Reflections is not a counselling or therapy service, and our midwives are not trained counsellors or therapists. The appointment is an opportunity to discuss anything about your care that felt confusing or unexpected. If you would like further support, the midwife can help you find other services.

We can offer a maximum of two appointment dates. If neither date is suitable, you will need to complete the referral form again and rejoin the waiting list.

Appointments usually take place online using Microsoft Teams. If you prefer, we can arrange a face-to-face appointment at the John Radcliffe Hospital. You are welcome to bring your baby and your partner, a friend or a family member to a face-to-face appointment.

Before your appointment, please write down any questions you have about your birth experience. This will help us focus on what matters most to you.

Your appointment will last up to one hour. We cannot extend this time or offer follow-up appointments, so please ask your most important questions first.

We are not able to access or discuss any notes about your baby's stay in the Neonatal (Newborn Care) Unit, but you can request copies using the details below.

Referrals and waiting times

Please include your current email address when you refer yourself and let us know if it changes.

The current waiting time from referral to appointment is between 12 and 24 weeks. We are working to reduce this waiting time.

Referrals

Birth Reflections self-referral form - MS Forms

If you miss your appointment

If you miss your appointment without giving us reasonable notice, we will unfortunately have to remove you from the waiting list.

You will need to complete the referral form again and rejoin the waiting list.

We will only offer another appointment in exceptional circumstances, where unavoidable events prevented you from letting us know in advance.

Contact us

Email: Birth.Reflections@ouh.nhs.uk

Mental health support

Looking back on a difficult experience can bring up strong feelings. If you have had a difficult birth or a difficult time after your baby was born, you may wish to seek support for your mental health.

We encourage you to explore the services below before your Birth Reflections appointment, so that you have support in place when you talk about your experience.

Maternity notes

To request a copy of your maternity notes / medical records please email:

subject.accessrequest@ouh.nhs.uk

Feedback and complaints

Our midwives can listen to concerns about your care and share informal feedback with the relevant managers. However, the Birth Reflections service cannot accept or act on formal complaints.

For information about sharing feedback or making a formal complaint, please visit: