Reflection after childbirth

While you’re still pregnant, we want to tell you that it’s completely normal to need time after giving birth to process everything you’ve experienced. Every experience, whether positive or challenging, deserves attention and reflection. In the first week, parents often talk a lot about the birth. You’ll probably notice that you and your partner each found different parts intense, emotional, or beautiful. By talking about it together, you process all the impressions and give them a place. 

Why reflection is important — no matter how your birth went

Every birth is unique. Some go smoothly, others are more challenging. Regardless of how your experience was, emotional reflection helps you:

• Recover better, both physically and mentally.
• Integrate your experiences and emotions into your new role as a parent.
• Feel more prepared for any future births.

Sharing your story is an important part of healing. There are many ways to do this: talk with your partner, with us, with your maternity nurse, or with loved ones. You can also write down your birth story or record it as an audio message. 

That’s why we also recommend inviting only people during your postpartum week with whom you feel completely safe and comfortable — people with whom you can share your emotions, both positive and negative.

What if you’re not feeling emotionally well?

Sometimes one of the parents finds the period after birth particularly difficult — perhaps because the baby cries a lot, because you don’t feel happy, or for other reasons. It may also be that one (or both) of you experienced the birth as traumatic. This can happen regardless of how the birth itself went. If either of you feels this way, know that both we and your general practitioner are here to help.

In the article What if the time after birth isn’t all smooth sailing? we explain more about this and where to find support. In the article Traumatic birth, you can read what to do to process a negative birth experience. We hope you won’t need this, but since 1 in 10 women needs extra support after childbirth, we want to tell you this now — so that you won’t feel hesitation, shame, or doubt about seeking help if you ever need it.