Wellbeing after Miscarriage programme - part 2

Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after miscarriage

Traumatic events, and how they can make you feel. 

Flashbacks, nightmares and other symptoms of trauma after miscarriage.

Symptoms of PTSD.

What to do if you have symptoms of PTSD.

How to cope with grief and symptoms of trauma during pregnancy after loss.

Improving your sleep after miscarriage

Why sleep is important for good mental health and wellbeing. 

How lack of sleep affects your emotions and how difficult emotions can affect your sleep too.

How to reduce stress, especially just before bed

The impact of phones on sleep

Using your phone to relax and reduce stress.

This session Denise talked about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), trauma and sleep. We have more information on grief, trauma and your mental health after miscarriage here. This includes more information on anxiety and depression after miscarriage too. We'll talk more about that in a later session.  Denise also mentioned pregnancy after miscarriage.

Petals offer counselling after pregnancy loss.

You could also look at My Possible Self - a free app to help you ease stress and improve sleep.

On The Sleeping Forecast you can find free music and sounds to help you sleep.

Stretching can help with uncomfortable physical feelings, which can help you feel better emotionally too. You may find you feel a bit calmer and less anxious.

Gentle stretching is a good way to practice caring for your body after a miscarriage. 

Jenni will show you exactly what to do. This is just to give you a general idea. We'll also show you an easier and harder version of all the movements. 

Standing warm up:

• arm circles
• stretch and roll down through spine.

Grounding and body scan.

Lying down on your back with your legs bent:

• extend legs and arms over head, with heel slide
• single leg scissor movement
• heel reaches
• torpedo stretch
• shoulder bridge with spine stretch.

Lying on your right side:

• clams (feet together and lifting top knee)
• extend top leg and lift, hold at hip height and do small circles.

Sitting on the mat:

• left mermaid stretch (side bend)
• left hamstring and glutes stretches
• roll down with rotation to right and left
• right hamstring and glute stretches
• right mermaid stretch (side bend).

Lying on your left side:

• clams (feet together and lifting top knee)
• extend top leg and lift, hold at hip height and do small circles.

On hands and knees (4-point):

• thread the needle
• swimming lower limbs and upper limbs separately
• shell stretch.

Standing:

• hip flexor stretches with side bend
• balance and thigh stretches
• function squats with breathing and pelvic floor lift
• heel drops while thinking about pelvic floor
• deep core breaths with eyes shut and body scan.

Pick a few of the stretches that you found particularly helpful and see how often you can do them this week? 

You could also include Denise’s safe space activity and some body scanning for a lovely 15 minutes of compassionate self care.

Use our progress tracker to plan your week.
 

Movements that will help your posture and improve your core and pelvic floor strength. 

Gently raising the intensity to get those feel good chemicals flowing.

Shakira will show you exactly what to do. This is just to give you a general idea. Nicky and Jenni will show you an easier and harder version of all the movements. 

Warm up:

• marches on the spot
• squats with arm swings
• heads rolls
• single arm side reaches
• spine rotations
• lunches
• deep breathing and arm circles.

Main workout:

• chair supported squats and knee raises
• Ys and Ts (arm movements)
• downward dog to kneeling plank with arm reaches
• leg lift (lying down)
• butterfly bridge
• hip thrusts
• plank on knees.

If you need more support you could reach out to others on our Facebook group.

If you can, it can be really helpful to talk to someone you are close to about this course, or even watch it with them.

You can also talk to a Tommy’s midwife for free. You can call them Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm on 0800 0147 800 or you can email them at [email protected]. Our midwives are trained in bereavement support so will be able to talk to you about what you’re going through. If you are Black or Black Mixed Heritage we have a specialist helpline for you, in partnership with 5 X More. Book your call here.

The Miscarriage Association runs support groups in person and on Zoom.

We have more information and support on our website too.

If you are having suicidal thoughts or thoughts about harming yourself or others, call 999 or go to A&E. If you need to talk to someone right now, call  Samaritans on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258.

Santiago PN, Ursano RJ, Gray CL, Pynoos RS, Spiegel D, et al. (2013) A Systematic Review of PTSD Prevalence and Trajectories in DSM-5 Defined Trauma Exposed Populations: Intentional and Non-Intentional Traumatic Events. PLOS ONE 8(4): e59236. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059236

NICE. NG116. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Published 05/12/18 

Vandekerckhove M, Wang YL. Emotion, emotion regulation and sleep: An intimate relationship. AIMS Neurosci. 2017 Dec 1;5(1):1-17. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2018.1.1. PMID: 32341948; PMCID: PMC7181893. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7181893/

Crawford (2016) Pelvic floor muscle motor unit recruitment: Kegels vs specialised movement. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Volume 214, Issue 4, Supplement, S468.    

NICE (2021) Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Prevention and Non-Surgical Management  

POGP Advice and guidance for the childbearing years