Brittany Moffitt, LICSW

08/05/2025

TW: Birth Trauma

If your c-section was scheduled or it was a sudden shift from your birth plan, it’s important to reflect on how you felt during the surgery.
-Was your pain taken seriously?
-Did you feel seen and heard?
-Were you informed of what was going on?

Too many women leave c-section surgeries feeling helpless, powerless, and alone in their experience.

C-sections are the most frequently performed major surgeries in the world and many women are expected to recover in 2-3 weeks and return to work as usual 🤯.

But birth is not just a physical event, it has an emotional impact too. Working with a birth trauma therapist, you can finally heal the most difficult parts of your birth story.

In our sessions, you’re allowed to hold both: Gratefulness for your child AND grief or anger about how they arrived. You deserve a space where you don’t have to “act like everything is fine” out of fear of being judged.

🫶Let’s process this together because you’re worthy of it.

07/29/2025

"Am I a bad mother for struggling after birth?"

I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard this common question sometimes whispered through tears, sometimes hidden behind a brave smile.

Because here's the thing no one prepares you for:
Postpartum isn’t always a soft landing.

It can feel raw, disorienting, and deeply lonely.
Especially when you’re scared to say what you’re really feeling out loud.

Maybe you’ve been there, sitting across from your pediatrician OB/GYN or, silently wondering if they’d judge you if you were honest.

Maybe you've told yourself:
“I should be grateful.”
“Other moms are doing fine.”
“If I admit how bad it feels, they might think I’m unfit.”

But let me gently interrupt that voice.

You are not a bad mother for struggling.
You are not broken.
You are not weak.
You are someone who just experienced one of the most intense physical and emotional transitions a human can go through.

Struggle after birth isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a sign that you’re human.
And humans heal best with help, not silence.

You can move from just surviving each day to feeling calm, connected, and fully present in your motherhood.

In my 1:1 Birth trauma therapy, we’ll gently uncover and process the emotional weight your body and mind are still carrying.

So you can finally stop questioning what’s “wrong with you” and start feeling safe in your body, confident as a mom, and deeply bonded with your baby.

DM “HEAL” to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call, and I’ll show you how we’ll get there.

07/25/2025

"It must not have been that bad… I have a healthy baby".
"Other moms had it worse.”
"Maybe I’m just not strong enough".

These are the thoughts so many mothers carry after a difficult or traumatic childbirth.
They sound rational… even protective.

But in reality?
These are beliefs shaped by unspoken birth trauma, emergency C-sections, prolonged NICU stays, postpartum complications, feeling ignored by providers, and the silence that follows, wrapped in unrealistic cultural expectations of what motherhood should look like.

They keep you stuck:
In guilt.
In shame.
In emotional shutdown.
And they quietly whisper, “You don’t deserve help.”

But what no one tells you is:
-You can love your baby and still be grieving your birth.
-Your trauma is valid even if others don’t understand it.
-You are not weak; you survived something your nervous system is still recovering from.

I’ve worked with many mothers who held onto these beliefs for months… sometimes years.
And I’ve seen the transformation when they finally heard someone say:

“You’re not broken. You’re carrying trauma. And that can be healed.”

If this post feels tender to read…share this post if you wish someone told you this sooner.

07/24/2025

Many mothers speak about their anxiety, mood swings, or the guilt that sneaks in with intrusive thoughts.

They mention feeling powerless, scared, voiceless, or deeply hurt, but often not in a way that actually brings relief. It's like they're sharing, yet still carrying the weight.

They’ve learned how to perform it, mask it, minimize it to make it sound less scary, less messy, more digestible to others.

This is because;
✨Too often, people don’t want the full truth.
✨ They want a tidy version: They believe all births should be a celebration
✨Baby’s healthy-that’s what matters, right?

But what about you?
⚡What about the tension that still sits heavy in your chest?
⚡The guilt that creeps in every time you look at your child?
⚡The story you’re still carrying but have never felt safe enough to say out loud?

That’s why I created my 1:1 Birth trauma therapy for mothers who have experienced trauma during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Because too many mothers are living in silence,
Performing strength… while quietly falling apart.

In our work together, you’ll begin to understand:
👉 Why you feel so disconnected
👉 How your birth experience shaped your nervous system
👉 And what steps can lead to your healing

Inside,this personalized support, I’ll help you move from confusion to clarity, from self-blame to self-compassion, from survival mode to a deeper sense of wholeness.

DM “Heal” to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call with me.

In just one call, I’ll help you explore what healing could look like for you.

PS: I offer in-person therapy in Columbia, Maryland, and virtual therapy throughout Maryland & DC.

07/15/2025

Not all birth trauma looks the same. Because not all birth experiences are treated equally.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, disrespected, or unsafe during birth, especially because of who you are or how you were perceived, that’s not just unfortunate. That’s trauma.

You deserve to be heard, to be respected, to have your needs met, to birth without fear of judgment

Because good maternity care for all should be a reality not a privilege.

Feel free to share this post to help raise awareness during Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2025

Tell us what’s one way care failed you, or one way it helped you feel safe?

Together, we can push for maternity care that honors every parent.

07/08/2025

We hear it all the time:
"Sleep while the baby sleeps.”
"Welcome to motherhood - it’s exhausting!"

Yes, sleep deprivation is real.

But when the birth itself was traumatic, it’s not just exhaustion you're battling.

It’s flashbacks. Panic. Emotional numbness. Disconnection from your baby and your body.

And the worst part? You feel guilty for even feeling this way.

You tell yourself:
🙁 "Other moms seem fine."
🙁"My baby’s healthy and I should be okay."

But deep down, you're still reliving what happened.
You might feel broken, ashamed, or wonder if you’re just “not cut out for this.”

💔 The truth,
It’s not that you’re failing as a mother.
It’s that no one ever told you that birth trauma can shake you to your core, long after the baby arrives.

The good news? Healing is possible and there is real support for the parts of your birth story that are hard to talk about.

😊If this message speaks to you or someone you know, share it with a friend who needs to hear it.

Let’s stop overlooking the emotional impact of traumatic birth and start honoring what it really takes to heal.

07/01/2025

You woke up and your baby was already here.
Or maybe you were conscious, but completely disconnected—like the moment was happening to you, not with you.

And yet, everyone else met your baby before you did.
They smiled. They took pictures.
They told you to be grateful.

But gratitude doesn’t erase grief.
Especially when the moment you dreamed about felt like it happened without you.

This kind of pain often goes unnamed.
It shows up as guilt, disconnection, anxiety, or an aching question:“Why can’t I just move on?”

You know what no one tells you?
You’re not broken.
You’re not ungrateful.
You’re carrying unprocessed trauma from a moment that was supposed to be yours.

You can move from just surviving each day to feeling calm, connected, and fully present in your motherhood.

In my 1:1 Birth trauma therapy, we’ll gently uncover and process the emotional weight your body and mind are still carrying.

So you can finally stop questioning what’s “wrong with you” and start feeling safe in your body, confident as a mom, and deeply bonded with your baby.

DM “HEAL” to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call, and I’ll show you how we’ll get there.

     

06/23/2025

That constant self-blame and guilt—it’s not who you are.

It’s what your nervous system is holding onto.

If your childbirth or postpartum experience left emotional wounds that just won’t heal, EMDR can help you gently reprocess it - without reliving the pain.

Inside my B.I.R.T.H. framework, I use trauma focused therapy to help you release what’s stuck and reconnect with yourself.

DM “SAFE” to book your free 15-minute consultation call with me, and I’ll help you explore what healing could look like for you.

PS: I offer in-persontherapy in Columbia, Maryland, and virtual therapy throughout Maryland & DC.

06/20/2025

These symptoms you’re experiencing they aren’t random or just “in your head.”

They’re your body’s way of saying;
😔“I’m overwhelmed.”
😔 “I don’t feel safe.”
😔 “Something didn’t get processed.”

After a difficult or traumatic birth, your body stores that experience, even when your mind tries to move on.

And when those symptoms are left unhealed, they don’t just disappear.

They can quietly affect everything:
💔 Your ability to bond with your baby or feel connected to your partner
🌫️ Your clarity, confidence, and sense of identity as a woman and mother
😣 Your physical energy and emotional well-being

And yet, many mothers are told to “give it time,” “just rest,” or “talk to your doctor.”

You might have done all of that.

And still feel like something’s not right like the support you really need just isn’t there.

So why hasn’t it helped?

Because while doctors are skilled at checking your physical recovery, they’re not always trained to understand or treat the emotional and psychological wounds that come from a traumatic birth.

And well-meaning advice from friends or family? It can fall flat or even worse, leave you feeling dismissed or misunderstood:
🙌 “At least the baby is healthy.”
🙌 “All moms feel that way.”
🙌 “You just need more sleep.”

But none of that reaches what’s happening deep inside —
Where your body still holds the memory, fear, or heartbreak of what you went through.

This is where therapy offers something different.
A space that’s not just about coping… but about healing.

Inside, using my proven B.I.R.T.H. Framework, we walk through 5 intentional phases designed to help mothers understand, process, and move forward.

If you’re a mother who wants to heal from the emotional wounds of a traumatic birth and long to feel safe, connected, and whole again...

So you can reclaim your identity and embrace motherhood on your terms...Then my free 15-minute consultation is here for you.

During this time, I’ll help you explore what healing could look like for you.

DM me “Heal” to take your first brave step.

✨ I offer in-person therapy in Columbia, Maryland, and virtual therapy across Maryland & DC.

06/02/2024

05/22/2024