Birth reflections self-referral form

If you feel you need dedicated time to talk about your pregnancy, birth, or the period after your baby, or babies, were born, birth reflections is for you. Birth reflections is a service dedicated to listening to women and people after birth.

Anyone who has had a baby with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust can refer to birth reflections. Your baby must be at least six weeks old, but there is no upper limit.

You can also refer another person to this service, with their permission.

Your appointment will be with a senior midwife. If you need to see a doctor, you will discuss this with the midwife in your appointment and they will arrange a referral to a doctor if you need it.

Contact us

To contact the midwives who run Birth Reflections, please email: esht.specialistmidwives-debriefing@nhs.net

To provide feedback or suggestions, or raise a concern or a complaint, please contact the Patient Experience Team: esh-tr.patientexperience@nhs.net

To contact the East Sussex Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) email: info@eastsussexmnvp.org (the MNVP is an NHS working group of service users and their families, midwives and doctors working together to transform maternity care).

If you have experienced pregnancy or baby loss and would like to talk to our bereavement midwives, please email: esht.bereavement-maternity@nhs.net

If you have any concerns around your pregnancy, please call our 24-hour triage helpline: 0300 131 5341.

Resources to help support your wellbeing

Birth Trauma Association

The Birth Trauma Association  is a UK charity dedicated to supporting women and families who have experienced traumatic birth.  They have a large team of peer supporters who offer support over email. All their peer supporters have experienced birth trauma, and they can share what helped them recover.

Health in Mind

Health in Mind is the free NHS Talking Therapies Service in East Sussex, for anyone experiencing low mood, anxiety or stress.

You can access the Health in Mind self-referral form here: Make a referral

Take a look at ‘7 Tips for Managing Anxiety & Worry’ and ‘7 Tips for Improving Emotional Wellbeing’: https://www.healthinmind.org.uk/resources.

You can also access resources, leaflets, and websites about different mental health difficulties, including post traumatic stress:

https://www.mhm.org.uk/pages/faqs/category/helpful-resources.

Community Resources

You can find community resources in East Sussex:

https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/social-care/directories.

For immediate help

If your life – or someone else’s life – is in immediate danger, please call 999 or go to A&E.

For same or next day help

You can get help with your mental health in different ways depending on what you prefer. All services are free.

Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option (also known as the Sussex Mental Healthline) or the Samaritans on 116 123 (both available 24/7)

Refer yourself directly to a Staying Well service (out-of-hours mental health crisis support service for people aged 18+ available in Eastbourne and Hastings) by following this link https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/your-mental-health/getting-help/staying-well-services

Text the word SUSSEX to 85258 (24/7 mental health text-messaging support service).
Download the Stay Alive app – a suicide prevention resource full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis.

Call National Domestic Abuse Helpline, freephone 0808 2000 247 (available 24/7).