In this episode, I talk with Kirsty Fernandes, an Aware Parenting instructor who focuses on postpartum care (or 4th trimester care) and who is mother to a 4 year old and a 6 year old. In the rest of the series on The Effects of Birth, we've looked at the effects on the baby. In this episode, we're talking more about the effects on the mother. If you experienced trauma while giving birth, please connect in with yourself as you listen to this episode and pause if you need to, and reach out for listening support if you have feelings bubbling up. Kirsty shares her experience of coming to Aware Parenting, and then why she chose to focus on supporting families after birth, including her passion for offering a space where people can have their stories heard. She talks about the three main reasons parents come to her for support. Kirsty deeply values honouring the whole process of fertility, pregnancy and birth and supporting parents in that whole experience. Kirsty shares a beautiful example of how she realised that something that happened in her son's birth was showing up in their interactions together in more recent times, and what a difference knowing this can make. Kirsty shares about birth trauma, and includes trauma that has been experienced during the whole fertility and pregnancy journey and what can support families to be less likely to experience trauma, and also talks about what she sees the effects can be when there has been trauma. She then explains the differences she sees in families when parents are able to reach out for support and heal from the traumatic experiences, and in particular, what can happen for the babies or children. She emphasises the importance of loving support and emotional safety for the healing to happen. You can find out more about Kirsty and her offerings at: https://www.honouringmama.com/ and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/KirstyFernandesHonouringMama/ and on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/kirstyfernandeshonouringmama