Interview with Louise about her experiences. Louises baby died in the hospital at 6 weeks, her traumatic birth experience and the loss of her baby led to PTSD. Louise shares her journey through the worst time imaginable, through to better times with support from the Reproductive Trauma Service in Lancashire and South Cumbria.
This interview was made for our film - ‘A Black Cloud’ sharing four women’s personal experiences of birth trauma, and their journey to recovery.
Louise says ‘the film gives me a space to be able to express how I feel about things. It was a way to allow me to repair myself, I want other people to know that you can go through these experiences and if you get the right support... you can come at the end and life is different, but you can get through it.’
A Black Cloud was a collaboration with the team at Lancashire and South Cumbria Health & Care Partnership Reproductive Trauma Service and produced by ForMed Films CIC, to raise awareness of the new Reproductive Trauma Service which helps women recover from birth related trauma.
The Director, Emma Lazenby interviewed five women who have experienced moderate to severe trauma and PTSD following a traumatic birth. Four of the stories were used to create a single, dialogical narrative for the film, which describes the shock experienced by women when unexpected events turn pregnancy and birth into a traumatic experience.
The film shows that through recognition and compassion, a journey to recovery is possible. It ends encouraging those experiencing PTSD to ask for help.