Blog Therapy for birth trauma and pregnancy after loss
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Unscrewing Motherhood: Tools for Emotional Balance in Pregnancy and Beyond

Pregnancy After Loss and Birth Trauma Blog

This blog gathers gentle, in-depth articles on birth trauma, pregnancy after loss, tokophobia and perinatal anxiety. You’ll find practical tools from CBT, compassion-focused and trauma-informed approaches, to help you understand what you’re feeling and how to cope day to day.

Start Here: Most-Read Articles on Pregnancy After Loss & Birth Trauma

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BIRTH TRAUMA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas BIRTH TRAUMA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Should I Request a C-Section After Traumatic Birth? What Therapists and NICE Guidelines Actually Say


You're pregnant again. The bump is growing. Everyone keeps asking about your birth plan — and every time they do, your stomach drops.
If you've been lying awake googling "should I ask for a C-section" while everyone else is asleep, this article is for you. Not to tell you what the right answer is — but to help you understand what's actually driving the question, what you're genuinely entitled to ask for on the NHS, and what would help you make a decision from choice rather than just fear.
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BIRTH TRAUMA, TOKOPHOBIA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas BIRTH TRAUMA, TOKOPHOBIA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

3 Ways to Cope With Fear of Giving Birth After a Traumatic First Birth

Three evidence-based ways to cope with fear of giving birth after traumatic birth: focus on the facts of your current pregnancy, use a rings of control exercise to separate what you can and can't influence, and identify specifically what your fear is connected to. If the fear is constant, overwhelming, or connected to flashbacks from your previous birth, trauma-focused therapy is likely what you need.
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BIRTH TRAUMA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas BIRTH TRAUMA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Still Having Flashbacks from Your Birth? Why Birth Trauma Doesn't Just Fade

You're not "stuck in the past." If you're still experiencing vivid flashbacks from your birth - whether it was weeks, months, or even years ago- this isn't a sign of weakness or failure. Birth trauma flashbacks are your brain's way of signaling that a deeply distressing memory hasn't been fully processed. In this article, you'll understand why these flashbacks persist, what's happening in your brain, and most importantly, what actually helps.

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TOKOPHOBIA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas TOKOPHOBIA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Tokophobia Treatment: A Therapist's Guide to Healing Your Fear of Childbirth

Feeling terrified of giving birth isn’t something you can just “get over.” Tokophobia — the intense fear of childbirth — can leave you frozen, panicked, or avoiding pregnancy altogether. Learn how evidence-based therapy can help you calm your body, feel safer in your choices, and rebuild trust in birth at your own pace.

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PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS Aleksandra Balazy-Knas PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Pregnancy After Miscarriage Anxiety: Affirmations That Truly Support Healing

Pregnancy after miscarriage can feel like living between hope and fear — checking for symptoms, holding your breath before every scan. Affirmations may seem simplistic, but when they’re rooted in psychology and compassion, they can help calm anxiety and create space for hope. Discover gentle affirmations and trauma-aware strategies that truly support healing.

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BIRTH TRAUMA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas BIRTH TRAUMA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Do I Have Birth Trauma? Signs You're Still Affected (Even If No One Noticed)

Do I Have Birth Trauma? Signs You're Still Affected (Even If No One Noticed)

You might think birth trauma only happens after emergencies or dramatic deliveries — but that’s not the full story. Birth trauma can linger quietly, showing up in your body, emotions, or the way you feel around your baby. In this post, I share what birth trauma actually looks like, why it’s so often missed, and how therapy can gently help you feel safe, steady, and like yourself again.

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PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS Aleksandra Balazy-Knas PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Coping with Miscarriage Grief and Trauma: A Therapist's Guide to Healing

Coping with Miscarriage Grief and Trauma: A Therapist's Guide to Healing

Miscarriage isn’t just a medical event — it’s a grief that often goes unseen, and a trauma that can quietly reshape how you feel about your body, your future, and even yourself. If you've felt isolated, dismissed, or like your loss "doesn’t count," this post is for you. I explore why miscarriage grief matters deeply — and how therapy can help you hold what feels too heavy to carry alone.

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POSTPARTUM Aleksandra Balazy-Knas POSTPARTUM Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Guest Post: Navigating Postpartum Anxiety After Loss

Bringing your baby home after an anxiety-filled pregnancy should feel like a relief — but what if the worry doesn't go away? Postpartum anxiety after loss is more common than you might think. Learn how to navigate this journey with compassion, practical tips, and the reassurance that you're not alone.

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BIRTH TRAUMA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas BIRTH TRAUMA Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Still Struggling After a Traumatic Birth? Why It Doesn't Just Get Better - And What Actually Helps

How to heal from traumatic birth: A gentle guide to recovery

A traumatic birth can leave lasting emotional and physical echoes - even if your baby is healthy. This gentle, therapist-written guide explains why you still feel stuck, how birth trauma and PTSD affects the nervous system, and what real healing looks like (with or without therapy).

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PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS Aleksandra Balazy-Knas PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

How to Cope with Scan Anxiety After Miscarriage: Practical Support & Tools

How to Cope with Scan Anxiety After Miscarriage: Practical Support & Tools

Sitting outside the scan clinic 45 minutes early, heart racing, hands clenched — not because you're "just nervous," but because your body remembers the last time. This isn’t ordinary anxiety. If you’ve tried breathing exercises, distractions, and positive thinking but nothing works, you’re not broken. This blog post walks you through why scan anxiety after loss needs more than generic advice — and what actually helps.

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PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS Aleksandra Balazy-Knas PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS Aleksandra Balazy-Knas

Anxiety in Pregnancy After Miscarriage: CBT & EMDR Therapy That Actually Helps.

How to Cope with Anxiety in Pregnancy After Miscarriage?

Pregnancy after miscarriage brings more than hope - it often brings anxiety that lingers quietly in the background of every scan, symptom, and silence. If you're finding it hard to relax into this pregnancy, you're not alone. This article explores why anxiety after loss is so common, how it shows up in everyday moments, and how EMDR and CBT therapy can offer gentle, practical support without minimising your pain or pushing forced positivity.

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