Write Your Birth Story With Ease
(even if it seems overwhelming)
Birth matters. Birth stories matter. Your birth story matters. As humans, telling stories is the way we make sense of ourselves and our experiences, the way we make meaning.
But writing a meaningful birth story is often harder than it sounds. Where do you start? How do you find the time, especially when you’re running on fumes in the early weeks and months after birth? What if your birth was difficult or traumatic—how do you approach it, then?
There is a way to write your birth story that’s simple and straightforward. I’ve developed an easy method that will take you from blank page to polished story in 7 days. It’s called the Writing Your Birth Story Course!
I’ll help you capture the truth, power, and meaning of your birth experience, so your story reflects the day you welcomed your child into the world.
Writing Your Birth Story is a simple, step-by-step process—but it’s never formulaic or one-size-fits-all. This course is about helping you reveal your own special story and its meaning in your life.
Sound Familiar?
👶 You always meant to write your birth story, but recovery, work, and life as a parent got in the way and you haven’t found the time
👶🏾 It feels important to have a written birth story to share with your baby when they’re older, but you just don’t know where to start
👶 You’re dying to write your birth story to share with family and friends (or on social media!) but feel self-conscious and want to make it as good as possible
👶🏾 Your birth story was absolutely transformational and you want to do justice to the experience in writing
👶 You had a difficult, unexpected, or traumatic birth and are hoping writing will help you process and begin to heal
👶🏾 You’re a birth story addict who already knows the power of birth narratives, so you want to ensure yours is amazing
👶 You wouldn’t necessarily change what happened in your birth, but some aspects were difficult, so you’re looking for a way to process and see birth in a new light
👶🏾 Writing has never been your favorite activity, so guidance for getting to a great birth story sounds awesome
My Story
I’m Carrie Murphy, a professional writer and experienced doula.
I have an MFA in Creative Writing, am the author of two full-length books of poetry, and have published dozens of articles about pregnancy and birth in national publications like ELLE, Women’s Health, Parents, and more.
But when I sat down to write my own story after my son’s birth in 2018, I didn’t know how to start. I’d been steeped in both writing and birth for years, but tackling my own story felt overwhelming. I wanted to capture the power of my experience and get it exactly right, for both me and my baby.
I knew other parents were struggling with the same feelings—wanting to write a great birth story for themselves and their families, but confused, time-strapped, or just plain stuck on how to get going or how to do the experience justice.
So, the How To Write Your Birth Story course was born!
I combine my experience as a doula and background in creative writing in a simple, streamlined process that helps you find and express the truth of your birth experience. I’ve designed this course so that you can write an awesome birth story in just seven days (or as long as you need). The course is self-paced and asynchronous.
The Course Includes:
✔️ 9 writing exercises designed to get you in touch with the truth of your birth
✔️ 70+ questions/prompts
✔️ 40+ examples of birth stories to read as inspiration
✔️ Options and suggestions to make sure your writing feels like you—not a template
✔️ Grounding and centering practices to get you in the mindset for writing
✔️ Information on and resources for birth trauma
✔️ Ideas on how to share and memorialize your birth story forever
Your Birth Story In 7 Days
Over seven days, I guide you through brainstorming,
drafting, writing, and revising your birth story.
Whether your birth was:
Vaginal. Cesarean. Induced. Epidural. Physiologic. Home Birth. Traumatic. Positive. Difficult. Easy. Fast. Spiritual. Supported. Scary. Surprising.
or any other adjective….
This course is for you! In Writing Your Birth Story, all birth experiences are honored. Your story is yours to tell—but my method helps you get to a polished story that will make you feel proud.
What Does It Mean to Be Trauma-Aware?
Writing Your Birth Story is a trauma-aware course. This means that all of the content in the course has been created with an awareness of the prevalence of trauma and an understanding of the impact of trauma on people’s physical, emotional, and mental health. Birth trauma is common (approximately 1 in 4 people report giving birth as traumatic) and so are other traumas that people may have experienced throughout their lives. I have taken care to acknowledge that remembering or writing about birth can be triggering or re-traumatizing. The course has multiple resources for birth trauma. Writing a birth story can be a powerful way to process and/or heal.
FAQ
Do I really need a course to teach me how to write my birth story?
Nope. You don’t! All you need is your mind, heart, memory, and a way to record your story. I’m not here to convince you that you need this course—I’m here to convince you that this course can be helpful on the journey of writing a birth story you feel proud of. Sometimes people need help getting started, shaping, or keeping the momentum going. That’s what this course is about!
Is this course only for people who have birthed recently or within the past few years?
It’s for anyone who has birthed or become a parent. It might be easier to write your story if it’s fresher in your mind, but chances are, the material here will help you, no matter if your baby is 15 days or 15 years old.
Is this course only for “good” or experienced writers?
No! You do not have to have any experience or talent as a writer to move through this course and write your story. It’s not about producing “good” writing—this is about producing a story that reflects you and the truth of your birth.
Is this course inclusive of diverse birthing situations, choices, locations, etc?
Of course! There is no one-size-fits-all for birth.
Is this course only for people who had positive birth experiences?
No! Birth trauma and other complicated and/or negative experiences around giving birth are common, especially in the United States. Racism, non-evidence-based care, obstetric violence, overuse of interventions, administrative red tape, insurance issues, lack of options, and more can all contribute to poor birthing experiences, especially for BIPOC people. That’s the reality we live in. I have taken care to ensure this course is trauma-informed and sensitive to people who experienced difficult or traumatic births (although, it’s important to understand that I am not a mental health professional). That said, the course will not ask you to shy away from the difficult parts of your story, if you are willing to tackle them in your writing.
Is this course for people who built their families through adoption or surrogacy?
It can be! While the course is mostly focused on people who personally experienced pregnancy and gave birth, there are prompts and exercises that would be beneficial to help people who became parents through surrogacy or adoption write their stories. Keep in mind, though, that the vast majority of the language and ideas in this course are geared towards people who physically gave birth, so it could feel triggering or difficult to move through the course if you are intending to write about another type of family creation experience.
If you are someone who gave birth and then surrendered a baby to adoption, or acted as a surrogate or gestational carrier, you might still like to use the course. But you should know that it is geared towards people intending to parent, so some of the language may feel strange or triggering.
Is this course appropriate for people who have experienced a stillbirth or other pregnancy loss?
It can be. A stillbirth is a birth. That said, the vast majority of the language and ideas in this course are geared towards people who had live births, so it may feel triggering or difficult to move through the course if you are intending to write about your stillbirth or other loss.
Are you going to spam me with endless emails and annoying offers after I buy this?
No, I won’t. I hate that just as much as you do, seriously! I will probably send occasional emails, especially if I start offering new courses or other services over time. But you definitely won’t be getting numerous spam-y marketing emails. I promise!
What is the course format?
The course is self-paced and asynchronous—work on it when you want! It is also text-based. I know video is most common for online courses these days, but it is my intention that this course is a calm, quiet place to spend time. And in the Age of 1 Zillion Zoom Meetings, where many of us are totally tapped on videos, I think that’s a benefit 🤪
Do you offer a sliding scale or other access for people who can’t afford the course?
I’ve tried to price the course affordably at $39. Twice a year, I’ll offer the course on a “pay what you can” model for a week. If you’d like to be notified of when that is, you can sign up for my email list here.
Can I give this course as a gift?
Yes, you can! Email me at carriemurphydoula@gmail.com and I’ll give you a code to use for a gift recipient.
How long do I have access to this course?
You will have lifetime access!
Is there a money-back guarantee?
Yes! Request your money back within 14 days to receive a full refund, no questions asked.
Does this course give back to the community?
Yes! I donate 15% of proceeds on a quarterly basis to a BIPOC-led and centered birth cause, group, org, or person. For the rest of 2022, For the rest of 2022, I’ll be donating to Birthmark, a birth justice collective in New Orleans I used to be a member doula of!
If you’d like to work together on a fundraiser using the course, I’m always happy to hear ideas!