A Free Guide To Birth Trauma
Birth trauma – is when you were or perceived that you or your baby were, under threat of death or serious injury. The trauma may be a physical birth injury or an emotional and psychological experience. It is important to know that the events of the birth are not the only indicator of birth trauma. It is often diagnosed on how a woman feels after the birth and her perceived experience of the events.
Up to 30% of women in the UK experience birth trauma, which can lead to experiencing depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress (Greenfield, Jomeen and Glover, 2019). In describing childbirth as traumatic, it is the belief that a woman, her partner or anyone involved in (or witnessing) the birth has found an aspect particularly distressing. The experience of this trauma is unique to each individual, and it is your perception of the birth – your story that matters. In experiencing post-traumatic stress, you are still in flight or fight mode, with the threat of danger feeling very present.
Women rarely forget their birthing experience, and when trauma is involved, the symptoms may persist for many years. Not every woman develops post-traumatic stress, however, their days may be affected by the numerous symptoms. Relationships with loved ones can be deeply affected, including their baby.
Please know, that the behaviours and thoughts I list below are not to be used to diagnose, these are for personal reference only. The list is not exhaustive, and there may be symptoms and behaviours not mentioned. If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, please speak to a professional.
The four symptoms of post-traumatic stress are:
1: Re-experiencing the trauma ~ through flashbacks, intrusive thoughts and nightmares. Intrusive thoughts are those thoughts where you just catch yourself going over and over a particular moment involuntarily and without warning. You often notice you are already mid-thought, not knowing how you got there, but you are completely aware you are in the here and now. Flashbacks will often present as being wholly immersed in, and re-experiencing the original moment, to the point that you are unaware that you are actually not going through the birth again. Flashbacks can be distressing and confusing as they feel completely real.
2: Difficult emotions ~ feelings of depression, or feelings of guilt around the birth. Women often struggle to bond with their babies and feel as though they are just ‘going through the motions’, feeling numb and distant. This can be exacerbated by well-meaning friends and family who perpetuate the myth that a healthy baby is all that matters and that you should think positive and move on. Anxiety, depression and irritability are often signs of this circumstance.
3: Avoidance ~ of any reminders of the trauma. Avoidance can be concerning, as it may mean you distance yourself from other pregnant women, new mothers, and even avoid hospital appointments. In a completely understandable attempt to keep yourself safe, you may become isolated.
4: Being hypervigilant ~ (for some especially around the baby). This can present in being overly anxious around the new baby, fearing that something may happen unless you yourself are there to protect it.
Women who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death and other pregnancy losses can also experience birth trauma. Birth trauma is not exclusive to live-birth births.
More information on Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be found in the NICE guideline or the NHS.
Treating birth trauma
Post-traumatic stress is treatable (Joseph, 2015). It is important to seek help with someone who is trauma-informed, as it is not a condition that can be overcome with positive thinking. It requires a sensitivity to the trauma and awareness of the triggers. Talking through the trauma can help reduce the feelings of isolation experienced by many women who have experienced birth trauma.
Speak to your midwife or GP; speak to your friends; try and carve out some alone time, or social time – whichever is most comforting to you; care for your body; journal or note your thoughts down in a way that feels right to you. Sometimes telling someone else feels too much, and by writing you are telling yourself, and this can be surprisingly effective.
An incredibly uplifting and hopeful notion to hold on to is that with help and support, most perinatal mental health challenges are temporary.
Useful Resources
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Elisha Nunhofer is a person-centred psychotherapist who specialises in maternal mental health. She has extensive experience of working with clients who are exploring the possibility of having children; going through fertility treatment; have experienced all forms of pregnancy loss and termination; ante and postnatal depression and anxiety; adoption and surrogacy. She sees clients via video call, or in-person in East Sussex.
SOURCES
Greenfield, M., Jomeen, J. and Glover, L. (2019) ‘“It Can’t Be Like Last Time” – Choices Made in Early Pregnancy by Women Who Have Previously Experienced a Traumatic Birth’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, p. 56.
Joseph, S. (2015) ‘A person-centred perspective on working with people who have experienced trauma and helping them move forward to posttraumatic growth’, Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 14(3), pp. 178–190.