[ozmidwifery] Supporting survivors of sexual abuse during labour and birth..

[Victoria Couldwell]

Dear Julie,   Regarding your recent query, I was able to locate the following information through Midwifery Today. It was a recent question posted in their 'feedback' section...   Phyllis H. Klaus, CSW, MFCC, teaches and practices psychotherapy at the Erikson Institute in Santa Rosa and practices in Berkeley, California, working especially with the concerns of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Together with Marshall Klaus, she is co-author of "Your Amazing Newborn." She is the person you want to contact regarding this question. At a local Southern CA/Nevada LLLI area conference last May, she gave three sessions about this topic: * The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Pregnancy, Labor and Postpartum: Its Effects and Management * Possible Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on the Postpartum Period * Counseling Strategies and Help around Breastfeeding for Women with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse Otherwise, contact Ms. Klaus for more articles/information. I also found a lot of info online. I did a search for "Helping survivors of sexual abuse through labor" in quotes. Here are a few links: Childhood Sexual Abuse and the Potential Impact on Maternity Andrya Prescott, Independent Midwife www.gentlebirth.org/archives/abuselbr.html www.geocities.com/virtualbirth/archives/abuse.html www.grrlsurvivors.org/body/pregnancy/childbirth.htm Hope that this is helpful to you (and me..), Victoria Couldwell