Feeling safe and comfortable is important to having a birth that leaves you feeling involved and in control of the decisions about your care. With its Survivor Services program, Mission Hospital is working to create a more positive birth experience for survivors of sexual abuse.
Addressing Your Needs as a Survivor of Sexual Abuse
If you’re a sexual abuse survivor, you may have special needs during pregnancy and delivery, with an increased risk for a negative birth experience and feelings of panic, dissociation, and loss of control.
A positive birth experience, however, can have a positive impact on parenting and bonding with your infant, while decreasing instances of post-partum depression in the future. Mission Hospital’s Labor and Delivery Resource Nurses undergo special training in the areas of PTSD, sexual abuse and counseling/listening techniques prepare for addressing your special fears and needs during labor. Our Survivor Services program gives you the opportunity to create the best experience possible by addressing your specific concerns in preparing for the birth of your child.
Get more information on our program by talking to your doctor or midwife, or contacting our confidential Survivor Services line at 828-213-8473 to make an appointment with a Resource Nurse.
What to Expect
Your visit to Mission Hospital’s Labor and Delivery Unit will begin with a tour of our labor rooms so you will come to a familiar and safe place when you arrive to have your baby. The visit during your pregnancy will include:
- Discussion of a typical labor, vaginal and cesarean delivery.
- Discussion of your specific concerns about labor and birth.
- The creation of a Nursing Care Plan that addresses your concerns and develops strategies for coping with labor and birth.
Your meeting will take 1-3 hours, and when completed, you’ll leave with the written birth plan and a list of book resources about birth, some specifically addressing the special needs of survivors of abuse that you may find helpful. With your permission, we will share a copy of your birth plan with your doctor or midwife, and place a copy in your chart for review upon admission to Labor and Delivery.
Creating a Positive Birth Experience
Mission Hospital is currently the only hospital in the Southeast offering this highly specialized Survivor Services program for those at risk for a negative birth experience. We work as a team to increase communication and understanding in your labor preparation and birth. And, while we cannot erase all your fears, together we can find a way to work through them to make your birth experience at Mission Hospital a positive one. Our service is free and confidential to any pregnant woman.
Get more information on our program by talking to your doctor or midwife, or contacting our confidential Survivor Services line at 828-213-8473 to make an appointment with a Resource Nurse.
