What is Birth Trauma?
Bringing a new life into this world isn’t easy. It can be a strange and wondrous journey from the time they begin growing in the womb. Despite how wonderful it is, it can be a truly stressful period, especially when it comes time to give birth. Nobody ever said labor was easy, after all. It would be beautiful if the birth process were always smooth and without turmoil. Unfortunately, many women don’t have the easiest time giving birth.
What Is Birth Trauma?
A woman can be traumatized by the birth of her baby for any number of reasons. Maybe she planned to give birth naturally. Or maybe she goes into labor prematurely. However, for whatever reason, she needs an emergency C-section to ensure the safety of herself and the baby. Alternatively, the actual birthing process could have caused a significant amount of blood in the birthing process, causing her to need a blood transfusion. Basically, any situation that is highly distressing to the mother, even if it is just giving birth, can cause birth trauma, especially when the health and well-being of herself and the baby are involved.
Many people believe that the trauma endured during birth is just eliminated after you take the baby home. That is not the case at all. The baby may be fine and healthy, but that does not undermine the experience of a traumatic birth. Birth trauma also does not have to occur as a result of a major event in the delivery room. It can also happen because of the following:
The length of labor
Being induced
Significant pain (non-life-threatening or threatening)
No privacy
Not being listened to carefully enough
Lack of information about what was going on or would happen
A lack of good postpartum care by nursing staff
Symptoms of Birth Trauma
There is not a specific set of symptoms related to birth trauma. Why? Because the symptoms, in themselves, are the very same as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD.) A woman may experience any number of the following after a particularly hard birth:
Flashbacks to the delivery room
Nightmares about the birth
Difficulty sleeping
Trouble focusing
Avoidance of hospitals or, in some cases, anyone who has a newborn in the hospital
Easily irritable
Restlessness
Easily startled or jumpy
Persistent and consistent worries and fears
What Can You Do To Prevent Birth Trauma?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot you can do to actually prevent a traumatizing birth. We wish that there was. Know that no matter your experience, you have every right to feel traumatized by it. Even if others do not see why you are upset over the experience, you understand it. You know what you are feeling or experiencing, and nobody should ever make you feel like you are overreacting. There might not be a way to prevent birth trauma from happening. However, there are ways to heal from it.
Healing From Birth Trauma
One, you should never invalidate or let anyone else undermine the experience you went through. Two, give yourself the grace and understanding that you went through one of the most miraculous and difficult processes a human can go through. Finally, don’t be afraid or ashamed to admit that you need support. Pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period are hard. No questions asked. If any part of the process impacted you, you deserve to let yourself admit that it wasn’t easy.
Postpartum counseling can help you find ways to heal and move forward in the best way that works for you. I am here for you during this chapter; feel free to contact me at any point when you are ready.
