title: Losing myself, finding my adaptability.
abstract: I've written this to reflect my personal experience of Bell's Palsy to inform my midwifery colleagues how this rare occurrence can impact pregnant women in their care. Pregnant women are at an increased risk of Bell's Palsy but many professionals will not encounter it due to its rarity. Collating my thoughts in this article has helped me make sense of the experience and therefore move on in many ways. I make no apologies for my relaxed style of writing, as I am knowledgeable regarding my afflictions, but an expert regarding my own perspective. Humour is vastly underrated and has carried my family through some hairy situations at times.
authors.affiliation: East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peters
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008880:Midwifery / Q000379:methods; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000523:psychology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support