Conscious Woman

Through the course of my research about birth trauma, I stumbled across another great resource. Conscious Woman is the online home of a series of webinars. Basically, anyone with an internet connection can register from anywhere in the world and join conversations with professionals about...well, zillions of topics.

The section I found most helpful was the series on Healing from Birth Trauma. One of the messages of the site that really stuck with me was the view that sometimes*, medication for Post-Partum Depression is really just a bandaid.

In my case, for instance, I don't believe I suffered from PPD. But I sure did exhibit symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and exhaustion. I followed my gut and did not take the antidepressants my medical doctor(s) were quick to offer...again and again and again. Many women don't seek other opinions, take the drugs for PPD, and, when they stop taking them, still haven't healed from their traumatic experiences and are not sure what the heck went wrong.

Enter Conscious Woman. The webinars on the site focus on other means of healing, like Emotional Freedom Techniques and another on physical healing. In my case, I was so wrapped up in my emotional trauma it took me about 6 months to realize I had neglected some of my physical damage.

I didn't visit a practitioner of CranioSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, or Urogenital Manipulation, but I was inspired to go see a chiropractor and make an appointment with my GP after months of nagging hip pain, aches in my incision site, and a general feeling of coming apart at the seams. In short, Conscious Woman gave me a very gentle kick in the pants to take care of myself.

I like that the webinars don't require me to leave my house and that I can watch them at odd hours (what mother of a new baby wouldn't appreciate this feature?). I also appreciate that the site gets me thinking about my health physically, mentally, and socially. I have yet to check out any of the other webinars (though would certainly love to investigate the one about marketing and online communities!) but certainly plan to in the future and hope to see more great content in the birth trauma section.



*I don't want to diminish the devastating effects that PPD can have on families or the ways in which medications can help women to win this battle. In some cases, though, women are misdiagnosed by hurried medical doctors or just offered medications that don't treat their actual symptoms.