Birthcare with Katie

Birthcare with Katie Mental Health Midwife & birth educator. Supporting you in pregnancy after a difficult or traumatic birth. https://linktr.ee/birthcarewithkatie

Move from fear and uncertainty to calm, confident and prepared for a better birth. Birthcare offers hypnobirthing courses to expectant parents at any stage of pregnancy. Birthcare can offer you the opportunity to approach birth with confidence, calmness and excitement and help to achieve a positive experience of birth for you and your baby.

Series 2 of Building Birth Confidence is here, and I'm starting with the thing that so many people tell me they feel but...
23/03/2026

Series 2 of Building Birth Confidence is here, and I'm starting with the thing that so many people tell me they feel but can't say out loud.

"I'm scared to give birth again. And nobody gets it."

If that lands for you, this episode is for you. I talk about what fear after perinatal trauma actually looks like in real life, the avoidance, the catastrophising, the isolation, the guilt, and why your nervous system is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

There's also a grounding tool at the end that you can try today.

Link in the comments.

You may have got to the point where you felt ready. Ready to do it again, ready to have another baby. Enough time had pa...
17/02/2026

You may have got to the point where you felt ready. Ready to do it again, ready to have another baby. Enough time had passed. You felt like you would be okay.
And then you saw that positive test, and it all came flooding back.
That's not a sign that you weren't ready. That's not a sign that you made the wrong decision.
That's what happens when something that felt distant suddenly becomes very, very real. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it's supposed to do.
You haven't gone backwards. You're pregnant.
If this feels familiar, you're not alone, and it makes complete sense. This birth can be different. You just need someone who understands, and the courage to ask for support.

With compassion,
Katie

If you're Googling your birth fears at 2am, I need you to know something: it's not helping. And I say this in the kindes...
16/02/2026

If you're Googling your birth fears at 2am, I need you to know something: it's not helping. And I say this in the kindest possible way, because I understand exactly why you do it. When you've been through something frightening, your brain is trying to protect you. It's scanning for danger. Looking for answers. Trying to make sure it doesn't happen again.
But here's the thing: the internet can't give you that reassurance. It can only give you more information. And more information doesn't always mean more peace.
What actually helps is learning to reconnect with your own intuition, that quiet sense underneath all the noise that knows what you need. And getting trauma-informed support from someone who understands why birth feels so terrifying this time.
This is for anyone who's ever Googled their birth fears at 2am and come out feeling worse..

With compassion,
Katie

The problem with tokophobia? You can't avoid what you're afraid of.I work with people every day who are stuck in this im...
13/02/2026

The problem with tokophobia? You can't avoid what you're afraid of.
I work with people every day who are stuck in this impossible situation, terrified of birth, but knowing pregnancy is already happening or desperately wanting a baby.

What makes tokophobia different from other phobias is that you can't use the usual strategies. You can't avoid it. You can't gradually expose yourself to it in controlled doses. You can't practice giving birth before the real thing.
And that's what makes it feel so overwhelming.
But here's something important I want you to know: your nervous system is responding to a real, upcoming event that feels threatening to you. The fear itself isn't irrational, it's your body trying to protect you.
And while we can't make birth go away, we can work with your nervous system to help it feel safer. We can build your confidence in your ability to cope. We can give you tools that actually work. And we can help you communicate your fears to your team so they know exactly how to support you in the right way.
In this post, I'm sharing some techniques that can significantly help, things like guided visualisation, where your brain practices feeling safe around birth, graded exposure, starting incredibly small, maybe just saying the word "birth" out loud, challenging the catastrophic thoughts that fuel the fear, and learning relaxation techniques that calm your nervous system in real time.
You can also get early support from a mental health midwife and develop a clear communication plan that explains your specific fears to your team.
These are techniques you can start trying now to help alleviate some of the difficulties.
Tokophobia is real, it's valid, and you can feel differently about birth than you do right now.
If you want help creating a plan that explains your fears to your team, I've created a free guide to walk you through it. Just drop a comment below and I'll send it to you, or head to my website to access this and more resources.

With compassion,
Katie
Mental Health Midwife & Hypnobirthing Instructor, specialising in perinatal trauma

In that room full of people, you felt completely alone.I hear this so often in my sessions. People describe emergency si...
13/02/2026

In that room full of people, you felt completely alone.
I hear this so often in my sessions. People describe emergency situations where the clinical team was focused, efficient, acting quickly to keep mum and baby safe. But in all that urgency, nobody was actually talking TO them.
They were being moved, monitored, prepped for theatre. Things were happening to their body. Decisions were being made about their baby. And they had no idea what was happening or why.
When they talk to me about their birth, they don't focus on the emergency itself. They talk about feeling invisible. About being in a room full of people but feeling completely alone.
That's the thing about birth trauma: it's often not the emergency that creates it. It's the loss of communication, agency, and control during it.
The clinical team wasn't trying to traumatise them, they were trying to keep mum and baby safe. But in the urgency of the moment, communication got forgotten. And that's what stayed with them.

Here's what I want you to know if you experienced something similar:
The difference between feeling traumatised or feeling supported through a difficult experience often comes down to a few simple things, and they don't require slowing anything down or compromising safety.

You can ask for communication to be prioritised in your next birth, even during emergencies. You can include specific requests in your birth preferences about being talked through what's happening, even when things move quickly.
Because you deserve to feel like a person throughout your entire birth experience, not just a situation to manage.

Have you experienced this? I'd love to hear from you in the comments - your story matters.

With compassion,
Katie
Mental Health Midwife & Hypnobirthing Instructor, specialising in perinatal trauma

The impossible decision that keeps you awake at night, the constant battle in your mind about what is best for you and b...
23/01/2026

The impossible decision that keeps you awake at night, the constant battle in your mind about what is best for you and baby.

If you're stuck between a planned caesarean and vaginal birth, and neither feels safe, then I promise you're not alone.

After trauma, your brain flags both options as threats. A caesarean birth offers control but requires trust in the medical team that you that you might not have, and a higher level of medical intervention.

A vaginal birth feels like what you "should" do, but the unpredictability is terrifying.

And underneath it all? Guilt, fear, and feeling like you're failing before labour even starts.

The weight and responsibility of this decision can feel so overwhelming, that often you just want it to be taken out of your hand. What I would say to you is if that decision were to be taken out of your hands, if a situation were to arise where you needed to have one or the other, which option would you want it to be? This information might guide you to the decision that feels right for you.

I also want you to remember that this isn't about making the choice that you think everyone else wants you to make, no one else knows exactly what you are feeling so their opinion is based on their own experiences and beliefs not yours. Its about understanding why both options might feel impossible, and finding the path that feels safest for you.

Have detailed discussions with your obstetrician and midwife to really understand your options and think about the pros and cons of each. Tell your story and ask for a trauma informed approach so they understand why this decision feels so heavy for you.

If this resonates then comment below. Which fear is loudest for you right now?

It’s okay to be scared of what’s ahead.You don’t have to have it all figured out. Fear doesn’t mean you’re weak, it mean...
16/12/2025

It’s okay to be scared of what’s ahead.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. Fear doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you care deeply about what happens next. This time, you get to prepare differently, surround yourself with support, and create a birth experience that feels safe for you. You’re allowed to want that.

If this post feels painfully familiar… please know you’re not the only one carrying all of this.Pregnancy after a diffic...
09/12/2025

If this post feels painfully familiar… please know you’re not the only one carrying all of this.

Pregnancy after a difficult or traumatic birth is a completely different experience.
You can be grateful and hopeful and still feel terrified, triggered, or disconnected.
Your nervous system remembers what you went through, and none of this is your fault.

If you’re longing for steadier support in this pregnancy, my new course Birth Without Fear is coming soon. It’s a gentle, trauma-informed path to feeling safer, calmer and more in control as you approach this birth.

If you’d like to be the first to know when it opens (and receive some gentle support while you wait), you can join the waitlist here

https://birthcare.co.uk/birthwithoutfear-waitlist-join-page

You don’t have to navigate this on your own.

I’m right here with you.

Katie x

Anxiety is not a flaw, it’s a signal that your body wants to feel safe. You’re not broken for feeling this way. You’re h...
08/12/2025

Anxiety is not a flaw, it’s a signal that your body wants to feel safe. You’re not broken for feeling this way. You’re healing, one breath at a time. Every time you pause to breathe, ground yourself, or reach for support, you’re showing incredible strength.

Ever feel like you wish you could just turn the worrying thoughts off... but at the same feel like you really need to be...
07/12/2025

Ever feel like you wish you could just turn the worrying thoughts off... but at the same feel like you really need to be worrying because if you don't, then you are letting your guard down!

You are not alone
And you are not choosing to feel this way

When you’ve been through a difficult birth, worry can feel protective.
Your brain is trying to keep you safe… even when it feels overwhelming.

In my newest blog post, I gently walk you through:

• Why pregnancy makes worrying thoughts louder
• How trauma shapes your thinking
• A simple tool to break the cycle
• A compassionate way to soothe your “tricky brain”
• What to do when fears feel too loud to ignore

This is the post I wish every pregnant person after trauma could read.

Read now: How to Manage Worrying Thoughts During Pregnancy
(Link in bio)

If it helps, let me know-I’m always here.

You don’t have to erase your story to move forward. Healing is about reclaiming your power, your body, and your peace. Y...
04/12/2025

You don’t have to erase your story to move forward. Healing is about reclaiming your power, your body, and your peace. You can carry your past and still create a new ending. You can honour what happened and still believe in something better.

You can start to shift away from fear and anxiety towards feeling calm and confident by taking small daily steps. Want to know how, then comment CHALLENGE and I'll show you.

If fear and anxiety has been overshadowing your pregnancy, please read this:You’re not doing anything wrong.You’re not “...
02/12/2025

If fear and anxiety has been overshadowing your pregnancy, please read this:

You’re not doing anything wrong.
You’re not “ruining” anything.
You’re not ungrateful.
You’re not alone.

When you’ve lived through a difficult or traumatic birth, the excitement people expect you to feel can be hard to access.
Fear steps in first.
Your nervous system goes into protection mode.
And joy and happiness feels far away.

None of this means you don’t love your baby.
None of this means you don't want this pregnancy.
It simply means your body remembers what happened and is trying to keep you safe.

You deserve support that understands this.
You deserve care that listens.
And you deserve a birth experience that feels calmer, safer, and more in your control this time.

If you’d like a gentle place to start, my free Trauma-Informed Birth Plan Guide can help you make sense of what you need and how to communicate it to your maternity team.

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send it straight to you.
You don’t have to navigate this alone.

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Glossop
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