BACKGROUND:
Childbirth is a major life event that can affect a mother's mental and emotional well-being. Many women seek the opportunity to reflect on their birth experience. A large tertiary maternity service in Australia created a Perinatal Liaison Midwife (PLM) service to offer brief inpatient and post-discharge debriefing sessions for women who had potentially traumatic births.

OBJECTIVES:
To explore women's satisfaction with and experiences of the PLM service, to help inform future service delivery.

METHODS:
A convergent mixed-method design was used. An anonymous online survey was distributed to women who were offered the PLM service in April to June 2025. Participants could self-nominate for a follow-up interview via an online platform. Interviews were conducted by two researchers not affiliated with the PLM team. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics & thematic analysis.

RESULTS:
Among the 145 survey respondents (20% response rate), most were aged 26–35, born in Australia, had a normal vaginal birth or emergency caesarean, and experienced a postpartum haemorrhage. Fifteen women were interviewed. Twenty-two women did not use the PLM service, citing a lack of readiness or need. Those who used the service reported an improved understanding of their birth, greater positivity about the experience, and increased confidence to seek further help. Many women reported feeling listened to by the midwife, which enhanced their postpartum experience. Over 90% agreed that the service supports emotional processing & should be universally available to all women post-birth.

CONCLUSIONS:
Midwifery-led postnatal debriefing offers significant value by giving women the chance to explore their birth experience with a trusted practitioner at a time of their choosing.

KEY MESSAGE:
Women highly value a dedicated debriefing service with an experienced midwife following a potentially traumatic birth. Poster session 2 (Group A)