Annet Coumou worked as a midwife in our practice for 20 years and now continues as a coach. On this page you find information about coaching.
Are you scared?
Are you down?
Are you awake at night worrying?
Does the delivery or parenthood feel like an overwhelming thing?
Is the pregnancy or parenthood disappointing?
Is your (last) delivery a bad memory?
If yes is the answer to one or more of these questions coaching may be for you.
The time of pregnancy and early parenthood is intens. A lot happens and a lot changes. This can be overwhelming. Due to doubts and insecurities but also due to earlier experiences or events. Fear of the delivery, fear of pain, fear of loosing control. Insecurity about parenthood and all its responsibilities. The confrontation with your own childhood now that you are preparing to be a parent yourself. All pregnant women (and men!) and all young parents experience these feelings to a certain extent. If these fears are playing too big a role in your life it is a good thing to take the time to do something about them. You can do that through coaching.
In coaching the first question always is: what is the ‘problem’? We are used to finding ‘solutions’, and are given advice about them by others, before we have asked ourselves what the ‘problem’ is. You cannot give an answer to a question that has not been asked. Often the step of getting clear what the question or problem is will give you a lot of clarity already.
During the coaching you then set out to find the answers to the questions you have about yourself and your life. You know the answers to your own questions like nobody else can but it can be difficult to find these answers on your own and that is where a coach can be helpful by asking the right questions. The idea is to find the answers so that you get more insight in what is going on with you and your life. Through that you get the tools to feel and function better. Usually 2 to 6 sessions are enough for this process. Coaching is not therapy so we will not go digging into your past. Things from the past can be significant though and will receive attention.
About the coach
From 1995 until 2015 I worked as a midwife. Pregnancy, delivery and early parenthood are very special life events. I was thrilled every time to see women and men growing into their new roles. Alongside this I also saw a lot of fear and insecurity. To a certain extent this is entirely normal and a healthy part of the process.
But I saw a lot of people struggling beyond what was normal and healthy. This can be very stressful for the pregnant woman and her partner but also for the (unborn) child. What could be a time of wonder and joy then becomes a time of stress and doubt. Because I wanted to be able to do more for people in these circumstances I did a coachingcourse in 2010. After that I also followed a broader therapytraining and in 2015 was trained by Diana Koster as a ‘deliveryrecoveryspecialist’. That last training means that I am now able to use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) in processing a traumatic delivery.
The combination of being a midwife and a coach works very well. As a midwife I have all the knowledge and as a coach I have the tools to go beyond only explaining how and why things happen(ed). It gives me great pleasure to see the difference a few sessions can make in the lives and emotions of the people I work with and their child(ren).
As a coach I work primarily with pregnant women, young mothers and their partners. The principles of coaching however are no different for other people. So if you are not, or no longer, pregnant or a young parent you are welcome as well.
A coachingsession usually takes 1 to 1,5 hours and costs 90,- euros. These cost are mostly not covered by healthinsurance but sometimes after a referral from the general practitioner they are. Usualy an employer is willing to pay for coaching as part of ‘personal development’.
You can reach me for an appointement or questions through the midwives or their assitant but you can also sent me an email on annetcoumou@live.nl