Birthing From Within - Birth Story Medicine

Become a valuable resource in your community restoring those who have lost some part of themselves in birth or postpartum

Learn how to prevent most emotional birth trauma, take first small steps toward healing, listen deeply to a birth story, and lead compassionate, uplifting and effective birth story circles.

Register

for one of our half-day or all-day

Birth Story Medicine Workshops

led by Pam England

in Albuquerque at The Source

April 11, 2010, 1-5 pm

June 16, 2010, 1-5 pm

Birthing mothers, fathers, and everyone who witnesses a birth can be uplifted by the mystery and power of birth, and at the same time, be haunted, or even dominated, by feelings of confusion, powerlessness, shame, blame, or regret about a particular moment they feel they failed or were failed.

After a birth, parents may initially feel grateful and accept what happened. However, weeks, months or even years later, they may find that doubts and negative feelings erupt. They may try to talk about it, to sort it out, but often can't find a sympathetic ear. Or they may find someone to commiserate with, but shared anger and helplessness don't heal the emotional trauma.

Beneath our collective covenant of silence, emotional birth trauma is pervasive. Mothers often feel very alone in this grief because they often receive messages to “get over it,” especially when the baby is okay. When a mother’s heartache over her birth-as-a-mother is frequently discounted, she may stop talking about her grief, but the negative agreements she has made about herself as a woman and mother live on in her parenting, her relationships, and her future births; and her negative beliefs live on in the next generation with the stories she tells her children.

Emotional birth trauma can be aggravated or prevented depending on the kind of messages a mother internalizes during her prenatal preparation and postpartum reception. More than ever, new parents need Birth Story Circles to resolve their negative birth stories and beliefs. Fathers and other birth companions often need this support as much as mothers do.

This workshop is led by Pam England, who was a home-birth midwife when she experienced birth trauma and postpartum depression after the cesarean birth of her son. When she could not find a constructive Birth Story Circle to help her, she went back to school to learn about emotional trauma and group dynamics. She earned a Masters in psychology/counseling and began listening to other mothers who experienced emotional birth trauma. Now, she has made healing emotional birth trauma her life's work. She brings fresh insight, awareness, compassion and humor to this subject. This workshop will forever change the way you tell or listen to birth stories, prepare women and their partners prenatally, and guide them during their postpartum return.

3.5 or 7.4 Continuing Education contact hours are available (for a half-day or one-day workshop respectively.)

Children, no matter how adorable, cannot attend this workshop. Babies under three months may come if a parent is willing to step out if their baby is inconsolable.

Birth Story Medicine™ and the content on this page is copyrighted 2009 by Pam England and BIRTHING FROM WITHIN^®. Birth Story Medicine is the title of an upcoming book and online course by Pam England. The No part of this text may be reproduced without written permission from BIRTHING FROM WITHIN.