Post-birth debrief for parents

Barwon Health’s maternity service has launched a new service to improve support for parents recovering from a difficult labour and birth.

Located at the Barwon Early Parenting Centre (EPC), a midwife-led clinic has been established to offer appointments to parents who need to debrief and to give them the opportunity to understand and discuss their experience. If required, parents can also see a senior obstetrician and/or psychologist.

The debrief service recognises that some parents require additional support to recover from a difficult labour and birth, including psychological care, validating concerns and gaining a better understanding of their experience. These steps can be critical to regaining confidence to navigate their next pregnancy.

Lara mother of two Madison Papas said the clinic had been instrumental in her healing journey after her second child Goldie was born in May, with a labour and birth that didn’t go as planned.

“Goldie was admitted to the Special Care Nursery at University Hospital Geelong, which was an extra layer on an already difficult time, so my initial debrief in the hospital was more focused on her health,” she said.

“I hadn’t quite processed what had occurred yet, so I didn’t think to ask the questions that came up once we were all home together.

“After speaking to a maternal health nurse and counsellor, I learned the Barwon Early Parenting Centre was offering a new debrief service and I was able to spend two hours talking to a midwife about my experience.

“It was above and beyond what I expected – our appointment was so thorough, as we went through my medical notes in detail that was easy to understand. It was like talking to a friend in the way it provided a sounding board to validate how I was feeling.

“I think it’s such a valuable service to offer because you’re typically not in the headspace to process the birth experience while you’re in hospital.
“It’s helped a lot in my healing and I can see how it could be the difference between parents deciding whether or not they want to have more children.”

Serena Pellizzeri, a midwife who works in the clinic, said the debrief service took a multidisciplinary approach, with senior obstetricians, midwives, and counselling support available to consumers and their impacted family members.

“The post-natal period can be a challenging time, particularly when a labour and birth doesn’t go to plan,” she said.

“Parents are often adjusting to caring for their newborn baby while still physically recovering from labour, so there isn’t always an opportunity to fully recognise, process and address any issues that arose during the birth.”

Serena said while the clinic aimed to improve post-partum support, it was also helping Barwon Health’s maternity service improve care by learning from parents’ perspectives.

“So far, it’s been an effective way to reflect on how we care for people and make sure our care becomes more responsive,” she said.

“By hearing about their experiences, we can feed it back to our colleagues and change the way we care for people by better nurturing and supporting patients and their birth partners.”