Birth Story Medicine®
BIRTH STORY LISTENING SESSIONS
“Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
- Brene Brown
Your Birth Story is a Living, Unfinished Story
Birth as an initiatory rite of passage has a beginning and an end. But, you won’t feel you've completed your journey until you’ve completed your birth story. For this reason, consider a birth story session as an essential task during the Return from your Initiatory Ordeal.
Birth story work is giving attention to a process already unfolding within you. Our sessions are an invitation to know who you are now, how this event has shaken and is shaping beliefs about yourself and your experience, and affecting your recovery and relationships.
Birth Story Medicine is a space to explore what feels unresolved, and to alchemize what is meant for each of us in our own way; to leave the chrysalis of pregnancy & birthing with intention, compassion, and the knowledge that there is no “easy”, “right”, or “perfect” way through this.
Being witnessed is an essential step in integrating rites of passage.
The Power to Heal Is Within You
What is Birth Story Medicine?
Birth Story Medicine®, also referred to as Birth Story Listening®, is a medicine brought to us by Pam England, author of Birthing From Within. Birth Story Medicine® offers a unique, safe space to share your story and the impact it still has on you now.
Birth is an extraordinary event in our lives, and it can bring up a lot of emotions and changes. Regardless of the outcome, birth may bring out some emotions that are difficult and/or challenging. Birth Story Medicine® sessions create an opportunity for you, the storyteller, to review the birth experience with no one judging, patronizing or coddling you.
This holistic process uses thoughtful questions, validation and solution-focused dialogue to help the storyteller rediscover truths and answers about themselves and help them find some healing and peace. After a Birth Story Medicine® session, storytellers leave with new insights and uncovered beliefs, along with newfound self-confidence and love that can radiate into their lives.
What is Kintsugi? And How Does It Apply to Birth?
"If we break a bowl or cup, we might try to repair it with invisible glue in hopes that the cracks won't show and it'll look like new - or we might discard it altogether. There's another possible approach, though, as represented by the traditional Japanese art of "kintsugi." In kintsugi, a skilled craftsperson repairs damaged pottery with gold or silver lacquer so that the cracks are not only visible, but actually serve to enhance the object, rendering it more beautiful, unique, and precious than it had been before the damage occurred. In this way, kintsugi becomes a metaphor for living by showing us how to mindfully pick up the pieces and embrace our brokenness." (From the Birthing From Within Website)
Events in birth can sometimes bring feelings of brokenness, perhaps to your expectations, dreams, relationships, etc. In the Japanese art of Kintsugi, cracks in broken pottery are filled in with gold, which shows the added value and appreciation for the repair and history. Similarly, Birth Story Medicine® creates a space for you to recognize and pick up those pieces. This process can help you find the value and appreciation for your history and the path you're taking to rebuild.
What Happens in a Birth Story Listening Session?
Most people in our western culture aren't very comfortable listening to someone tell an upsetting story. Well-intentioned, but unhelpful comments often follow such as:
"AT LEAST your baby is healthy."
"AT LEAST you can focus on your baby now and forget about it."
"AT LEAST you can try again - maybe next time will be better."
Other times, people ask questions or offer advice when all we want is for something to hold space and listen:
"Why didn't/did you _____?"
“You could have refused _____."
"If you had _____ instead maybe you wouldn't be so upset now."
Many times, responses such as these can cause secondary emotional wounds and worsen feelings of isolation that sometimes sneak in so easily for parents.
In a Birth Story Listening session, you won't hear any of these phrases. Instead, you'll find a strong sense of compassionate understanding, deep listening, and sensitive validation of your experiences. We will explore your story and find new meaning through this guided process.
When you feel you are open to inviting a shift in perspective or self-growth from a difficult birth, you may be ready for a Birth Story Medicine® session. Trained and approved by Pam England, I offer private one-on-one sessions with anyone who has witnessed birth, whether you are a parent or birth professional. Using my extensive experience as a birth and postpartum doula, I work with you to help bring you new insights and perspectives by using a guided, natural flow of solution-focused dialogue.
As this is a different setting than ever before for sharing your birth story, the safe space you will be in is full of new discoveries, insights, and answers. Our sessions may be held in person, or via phone or video chat, and each session is between 60 and 90 minutes. In our time together you can hope to come away with a shift in how you feel about your birth or the birth which you witnessed.
Birth Story Medicine rates
£75 for a 60-90 minute session
Birth Story Medicine sessions can happen via phone, Zoom, Skype, or even in person if you happen to live in Yorkshire, UK.
IMPORTANT: Please ensure that your child/children will be cared for by another parent or caregiver out of the home so you can truly focus on your healing.
13 Moons has an Accessibility Fund that is entirely devoted to making our services accessible to women and families without disposable income. 10% of every purchase is placed in the accessibility fund, and we use these funds to make our sliding scale possible.
Sliding scale pricing is available for all of our services.
