(updated July 2026)
Firstly, if you're here looking for support for yourself or a loved one - go gently.
Well done for taking these steps to find out more about what can help, you're already on the path to making things easier by recognising that support coule be helpful and exploring what's out there.
This is here to offer you some ideas on options and first steps. I recognise that some of you will be on a journey, maybe you've had therapy in the past and are looking for something that's more birth specific in terms of support. Or it might be that things are still fresh and difficult and that you need to find a therapist or get help right now - there are some helplines below.
Talking to your midwife about your past experience.
While everyone should get trauma informed care in the NHS, it's not always a given that this is prioritised. It's possible for a note to be on your records that lets doctors and midwives know you need this to be a priority in your antenatal care. You do not need to go into any detail or explanation.
Need immediate help?
These helplines and websites have quick exit options and national links:
Samaritans - 24 hour support - please don't be alone with this, if you need support please call 116 123
The Survivors Trust - website
Refuge National Domestic Violence Helpline (Women only) -
England: Telephone: 0808 200 0247
Wales: Telephone: 0808 80 10 800
Scotland: Telephone: 0800 027 1234
N Ireland: Telephone: 0808 802 1414
Support if you have experienced a traumatic birth
The Birth Trauma Association have some great resources for parents who have been through traumatic birth experiences. These are inclusive and the site will direct you to more specific help.
The Birth Trauma Association recommend the Mendara app for peer support via text. There's a small fee for this service.
The BTA's website also contains links and a guide to finding a therapist and more info on choosing a safe practitioner to explore options like Three Step Rewind.
I've not been able to find any specific resources for LGBTQ+ general trauma support, if you know of any please do share them with me and I'll happily add them. There are some therapists who specialise in LGBTQIA+ clients listed on the BTA site.
Therapy options in pregnancy, to help you process and heal from trauma
I highly recommend getting some professional therapy if you have the means to access it. Some people prefer talking therapies, but often now people are looking for approaches that are more holistic and take into account our embodied responses to traumatic events.
A trusted colleague has put together a directory of trusted, trained and supervised psychologists who offer some of these evidence based approaches:
Somatic Experiencing - body oriented approach to trauma and stress
EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitisation and Rerocessing
TRE - Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises
If you can't afford private therapy please speak to your midwife about support, they may be able to refer or signpost you to local resources you can access - or organisations like Doulas Without Borders who can offer support to certain people in financial need or difficult experiences during pregnansy. Many doulas will also offer reduced fees while they are training or certifying. Please be aware that this support wouldn't be a replacement for therapy.
Birth Support options for people who've been through trauma
Approaching birth can bring up feelings of anxiety for anyone, so exploring what type of support is available for you In terms of support for this new birth experience you might want to find a doula, independent midwife or birth coach who is trauma informed and can provide ontinuity of care and support before and after you birth.
Independent Midwives offer private midwifery care outside of the NHS system. While they are clinicians, they generally work with you in your own home. To find out out more & search for an indie midwife near you visist Independent Midwifery UK
How to find and choose a doula read my blog post here
Considering a birth coach? Find out the difference between a doula and a birth coach
What's the difference between therapy, coaching and birth support?
Therapy is skilled professional support that can help you explore past experiences safely. A good therapist will offer you space to experince, process and heal. Please make sure you work with someone who's properly qualified if you're looking for help with processing traumatic events, whether they are recent or in the past. This is especially important if thinking about the past still feels difficult, overwhelming or panicky. It doesn't matter whether it was a 'big' thing that happened, what matters is that you get the right help with feeling better about it so you can move forward feeling supported and in as much safety as possible.
If you've been through therapy already, you might want to explore some other approaches. Hypnobirthing and Embodiment Coaching can be great options for this. Neither of these are about going back to the past - they are forward-focussed and will give you practical skills to use to manage the potential intensity of birth. I would still highly recommend that you find a practitioner who has had some training around working with people who've had traumatic experiences.
The Importance of Choice in Childbirth - especially if you have experienced trauma
There are several research papers* that suggest maitaining control through the power to make informed decisions about care in labour has a significant outcome in terms of women and birthing people's experience. People who have flexible birth plans, are offered choice in their care and have agency in choosing what happens next if the plans change seem to report more positive experiences of childbirth.
Knowing this might inform your own decisions with planning your support and choosing how and where to birth.
Neurodiversity and birth planning resource which may be useful if you are (or may be) autictic, ADHD or have past trauma
This PDF guide is designed to support neurodiverse people planning their birth experience around sensory and executive functioning needs. Some may be relevant or useful to you if you have epxerienced trauma, whether you have a diagnosis, are self diagnosed or as potential ideas for approaches that you may find benefcial.
Online resource for pregnant adult survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Pregnancy, Birth and Parenthood after Childhood Sexual Abuse offers a list of resources for people who have been through CSA and are now pregnant or parents. This includes a self-guided course that you can access through their website's online resources
* Characteristics of a Positive Experience for Women Who Have Unmedicated Childbirth - Amanda M Hardin, Ellen B Buckner • The Impact of Choice and Control on Women’s Childbirth Experiences - Katie Cook, Colleen Loomis • What Constitutes a Good Childbirth? A Qualitative Study of Pregnant Finnish Women - Hanna Leena Melender
Emilie Joy Rowell is an Embodiment Coach and Birth Support professional with over 18 years experience. She's a trauma aware practitioner who uses somatic coaching, hypnobirthing, EFT and mindfulness practices to help navigate pregnancy and birth with a sense of agency and self.