Preparing for Birth, Dealing with Trauma & What is a Birth Worker? | Jenevieve Russell

“You can both be grateful, & have trauma” after your birthBirth TraumaThe difference between a difficult and traumatic birthWhat is happening in the brain during labor, primal brainAbout “1 in 10 people feel their birth was traumatic”About “1 in 6 people can be diagnoses with postpartum PTSD”What are the common threads between a persons birth and their likelihood for experiencing trauma in birthPreparing for BirthManaging past traumas before you give birth “Letting the nervous system know that it is safe, and seen, and soothed”Doulas/Birth WorkersThe language of “doula” is shifting to “birth worker”What is the role of the doulaBirth preferences vs. a birth planHelping birthing people feel empoweredThe difference between a birth worker and a partnerMinimize the unexpected with education and preparationBirth is safe in lots of difference placesThe top 3 things that seem to help people have the most satisfying birth experiences (and make the whole birthing team more successful)1. A team with whom they feel supported2. Use the strengths you already have3. Have flexibilityWhy wanting to “control” birth doesn’t always workPostpartum workers/doulas and what that can look like What is postnatal depletion?Post Trauma GROWTH!Jenevieve Russell: Jenevieve has been in the pregnancy/parenting world for the past 20 years as a doula, psychotherapist, support group host. She has witnessed 450 births in that time as a birth worker. She is a psychotherapist through her Nurturing Strategies, LLC [psychotherapy, trauma/birth processing and perinatal adjustment] and motherhood support group, and a doula/birthworker through Doulas of Boulder. She delights in exploring her own journey of motherhood with her family and is ecstatic about supporting expecting families. She draws on her vast, eclectic experiences (more below) when supporting families before, during and after birthing, specifically she has attended/supported births since 1996.Get in touch with Jenevieve:www.NurturingStrategies.comJenevieve is also an experienced doula:Doulas of BoulderOther links from the show!Doula Database:https://www.dona.org/what-is-a-doula/find-a-doula/https://referral.dancyperinatal.com/https://psidirectory.com/Soul 2 Soul Sisters: out of Coloradohttps://soul2soulsisters.org/sacred-seeds-black-birthworker-collective-of-colorado/