The Birth Debrief

'As I worked through the chapters, I felt as if I were picking up pieces of myself again. An incredible book!' Kelechi Okafor

'I wish I could gift every woman this book!' Anna Mathur

'Wonderful, warm and engaging.' Hollie de Cruz

Whether your birth plan got thrown out of the window or the birth was straightforward on paper, childbirth and early parenthood are some of the most transformational experiences you can ever undertake, and yet so often we aren't afforded the time and space to reflect and reframe those experiences. The pressure to adjust, to be ok, to ignore any difficult emotions and to get on with it can be stifling. The Birth Debrief is here to help.

In her work as a midwife specialising in post-partum recovery and care, Illiyin facilitates birth debriefs, seeking to empower women and birthing people of all backgrounds to take control of their experiences, feel seen and centred in their pregnancies and births, normalising conversations around birth trauma and healing and examining the nuances that are associated with it. Time and time again, it is the lack of advocacy, autonomy, control or consent, rather than the physical aspect of the birth that lingers and informs parenthood. The Birth Debrief will offer practical solutions to navigating pregnancy and transitioning into postpartum life, well beyond those first six weeks.

Illiyin's writing disrupts the healthcare industry's monotonous narrative around birthing. This book is about self-advocacy, about understanding yourself and healing. As I worked through the chapters, I felt as if I were picking up pieces of myself again. An incredible book! Kelechi Okafor, Actor, Director and Author
The Birth Debrief validates and untangles feelings around labour and birth in the most empowering and supportive way. Whether someone is experiencing birth trauma, wants to equip themselves to support a loved one, or wishes to process any feelings around giving or witnessing birth, this book is a much needed map of guidance. Illiyin's experienced and compassionate words will change the landscape of how people approach and process their birthing journeys. I wish I could gift every woman this book! Anna Mathur, Psychotherapist and Author
Wonderful, warm and engaging. Hollie de Cruz, author of Your Baby, Your Birth
This is the book that I have been looking for over my past two decades in birth work. Illyin holds you in this book in the same way that she holds you when you are in a session with her. Warmth, compassion seeps from the pages. Everything is broken down simply, no easy task for what can be a complex process. I cannot wait for the birthworkers that I train to read this. This is the missing piece for birthworkers and activists. Mars Lord, Life Coach, Educator and Reproductive Justice Activist
A gift for pregnant and post-partum women everywhere. Clare Bourne, Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
This book is absolutely incredible. One of a kind - I couldn't stop reading. Tessa van der Vord, @mentalhealth_midwife
Illy had a huge impact on me and helped me to shift my perspectives and adjust Grace Victory
I wish I had access to this type of book whilst I debriefed my birth and explored my own healing journey Lorna Hayward

Illiyin is a hypnobirthing teacher and mother of two. She qualified as a midwife in 2017 and worked at a busy South London hospital before going on to qualify as a hypnobirthing teacher in 2018. Illiyin has always had a passion for empowering women during pregnancy and childbirth and is extremely passionate about birth education. One of her main philosophies is that good antenatal education can really make a difference to the pregnancy and birth experience.

Her own birth experience led her to examine the effects of birth trauma and appreciate the need for greater understanding of what took place and why. Illiyin now offers a birth debriefing service, facilitating postpartum recovery and care.

Illiyin started her Instagram page in March 2020 with the goal of empowering and educating women, birthing people and birthing professionals. She now has more than 40,000 followers.

This book is for you if: You have ever given birthYou have ever compared your birth experience with someone else's You never had the time to reflect on the life-changing experience of birth and the post-partum period You have ever felt shame or guilt about your birth experience or parenting choices,or that you 'don't want to make a fuss'You want to take control of your birth story and find your confidence in the fourth trimester and beyondYou are wondering how to have an empowering and positive birth experience in the futureThis book is for you. From the moment we are born and throughout our lives, one of our biggest wishes is to be heard. As babies we cry, as toddlers we may throw ourselves down in rage. Throughout our lives, this need shows up in different ways, but the desire is the same: as human beings we need to be listened to, to be validated and to be understood. Whether your birthing plan got thrown out of the window or the birth was seemingly straightforward, childbirth and early parenthood are some of the most transformational, mind and body experiences you can ever undertake, but so often we aren't afforded the time and space to reflect and reframe those experiences. The pressure to adjust, to be ok, to ignore any difficult emotions and to get on with it can be stifling. The Birth Debrief is here to help. In her work as a midwife specialising in post-partum recovery and care, Illiyin facilitates birth debriefs, seeking to empower women and birthing people of all backgrounds to take control of their experiences, feel seen and centred in their pregnancies and births, normalising conversations around birth trauma and healing and examining the nuances that are associated with it. Time and time again, it is the lack of advocacy, autonomy, control or consent, rather than the physical aspect of the birth that lingers and informs parenthood. Split into three main sections of Debriefing, Pregnancy and Birth, and The Postnatal Period, The Birth Debrief will offer practical solutions to navigating pregnancy and transitioning into postpartum life, well beyond those first six weeks.

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