Birth de-brief years later??

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Has anyone requested a birth debrief with their midwife 3 years later?

I tried to make a meeting when my son was young but my midwife wasn't available.

I had a pretty traumatic birth that has affected both my son and I in different ways.

I want to get to the bottom of it - has anyone experienced this?

Thanks

Yes, please do ask for a debrief. It can be really
Helpful in assisting you to understand your trauma and to work out what the next steps are for you to feel better about it (eg trauma specific psychological treatment if needed).

I had one two years after my son was born as I had a lot of unanswered questions and it was very helpful

I requested my notes a few years later, it was good to look back on. I had an emergency c section as baby was in distress. It helped me put closure on it as I think I held some guilt.
Obviously you need more than notes but might be a stepping stone until you can arrange to meet a midwife.

You can still ask. Admittidly it might take some time to organise depending on how stretched your local health service is at this time.

In my case the hospital head of midwives organised for the previous hospitals to send her my records six years after a very complicated and life threatening preterm birth with crash c/sec due to APH & life threatening PPH , a second term VBAC with PPH. I moved to the regional unit for high risk mothers and had an even more complicated and seriously life threatening [for me] delivery at her hospital. That scared even me. At the time I was just too ill during and after to even care I had had a baby and once I started to recover I was just grateful to even be alive. I did not have PTSD - rather I wanted to know why I kept having life threatening bleeds around delivery so I could choose if I had any more kids. Knowing more of what happened and why can often help. In my case it was down to my blood not clotting at all well when it meets pregnancy hormones. In my case it meant consultant & heamotology consultant care and a very carefully planned c/sec with sterilization with my unplanned fourth.

Hope your request is treated with both compassion and seriousness and that at the very least you are offered a socially distanced video consult debrief.

I arranged one for a few months after the birth, it helped immensely and gave me the confidence to seek further treatment for my mental health.

I dropped PALS an email and literally within a few days the Head of Midwifery for my hospital was in contact to arrange an appointment.

Please do reach out to them.