A Poem Written As A Response To Some Research Asking Women Who Have Experienced Birth Trauma To Suggest One Thing That Could Have Been Done Differently By The Maternity Services Responsible For Their Care, Which May Have Affected The Outcome & Severity Of Their Trauma LISTEN. Listen please wont you, dont forget to explain. I know my own body, you dont feel my pain. Respect me with kindness, dignity, care; as if I was family, with compassion, and fair - to all of us women; for us, this is new. You may do this everyday, but we need staff who will support us, not interfere, hold back and wait, not rush, shout or bully us, coerce us with bait - of a healthy baby yes we want that too! But we need more emotional care carers who understand we are human, not statistics, machines; women with feelings, Mothers with dreams. Mind, body, souls who deserve your best care. Listen to us women and just be there to support us when needed, speak honesty, truth; communication, respect choices, dont soothe with false information, cover up, lie. Speak to us clearly, look us in the eye. Believe us and trust us cause we are in charge. We welcome your presence because birth is hard! But we need more support from you cheer-lead us too, understand when were frightened, hope to win through! We need less interventions less surgery, sweeps, better pain relief, privacy, less induction, belief - that we can get through this; not watching the clock. And by the way no means no when we tell you - stop! cause this is our body, and we call the shots. You may have the titles, you may know the lot - but you dont feel my feelings, you dont feel my pain, you dont know my body, you dont feel my strain. Please dont restrict me allow me to move! Give me choice of position, read my birth plan, exude - a sensitive presence; be aware of my past, if Ive had a bad time before... PTSD...at last... we get to the crux of it, PTSD is real! The way you look after me, the way I feel - makes a mighty big difference to the way Ill recover, how I bond with my baby, how I start out as Mother. We know many traumas just happen, arent planned, emergencies, surgeries, blood loss ...and if these things do happen, please stay by our side; explain what just happened, hold our hands, wipe our eyes. And remember our partners - for we need them too.. dont send them away, we need our loved ones who will be there when we leave here, they too may be scared, they too need compassion they too to be heard. So listen just listen, when you do really hear. We trust youll remember this thank you kindly dear - dear midwives and doctors, surgeons, GPs anaesthetists. class leaders, feeding specialists, trainees. Please do remember this, and if you do - well avoid the worst trauma, well be Mothers who - can start out with confidence, hope, not despair, less nightmares and flashbacks, tears, fears, guilt to bare for our lost birth experiences; soreness, bleeding, infection, distress, mental illness, un-healing - wounds that remain in our minds, in our hearts. Enable us, equip us, give us the best starts. And if we do suffer - please do not tell us to put it all far behind us, to push on through - with our new healthy babies, thats not all that counts, for we matter too! Hear our voice, hear our shouts! PTSD awareness, raise up, make it known, then well be more equipped, we wont feel so alone. So thank you for listening to this chapter, this verse, we trust youll take heed of this, take time to converse - on your courses, in staff rooms, with family, friends; for its time PTSD - in Mothers ends!
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:03:23 +0000
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