Some women also avoid any medical intervention that reminds them of their birth experience, such as smear tests.įor many women, their greatest concern is the day-to-day difficulties they encounter bonding with their baby who they see as a constant reminder of the trauma they have experienced. They may also lose interest in sex and these problems can place a great strain on relationships. Many women end up feeling torn between their desire for more children and their determination to avoid another pregnancy. Unfortunately, this lack of support can mean that relationships with friends and family may deteriorate. Even health care professionals don't always understand. The nature of PTSD means it’s impossible to stop constantly thinking about the birth experience, but very few people are aware of this. They may feel incredibly guilty as a result. This can make sufferers lonely and depressed as they often feel they are somehow weaker than other women because they are unable to forget their birth experience. Women affected by birth trauma often find that there is nowhere to turn for support because even other mothers who have not had traumatising births can find it hard to understand the impact of a traumatic birth. See our partners page for more information. Previous trauma (for example, in childhood, with a previous birth or domestic violence)įinally, people who witness their partner’s traumatic childbirth experience may also feel traumatised as a result.Baby’s stay in the special care baby unit or neonatal intensive care unit.Birth of a baby with a disability resulting from a traumatic birth.Impersonal treatment or problems with staff attitudes.Lengthy labour or short and very painful labour.There is still a lot of research to be done, but some of the factors that make birth trauma more likely are: Some women experience events during childbirth (as well as in pregnancy or immediately after birth) that would traumatise any normal person.įor other women, it is not always the sensational or dramatic events that trigger childbirth trauma but other factors such as loss of control, loss of dignity, the hostile attitudes of the people around them, feelings of not being heard or the absence of informed consent to medical procedures. PTSD is not something that can be cured by “pulling yourself together” or “focusing on the positive,” despite what other people tell you. It’s also involuntary: brain scans show a difference between the brains of people with PTSD and those without. It’s a completely normal response, and not a sign of weakness. Not everyone who has had a traumatic experience suffers from PTSD, but many do. You may have difficulty remembering parts of your birth experience. You may feel guilty and blame yourself for your traumatic birth. Feeling low and unhappy (“negative cognition” in the medical jargon).You worry that something terrible is going to happen to your baby. Feeling hypervigilant: this means that you are constantly alert, irritable and jumpy.This can mean refusing to walk past the hospital where you gave birth, or avoiding meeting other women with new babies. Avoiding anything that reminds you of the trauma.These make you feel distressed and panicky. Re-experiencing the traumatic event through flashbacks, nightmares or intrusive memories.Symptoms of birth trauma (postnatal PTSD) There are four main symptoms: You can download our leaflet on coping with a difficult birth here. We very often see birth trauma in women who have lost a lot of blood, for example, or who had to have an emergency caesarean because their baby’s heartrate suddenly dipped. In most cases, what makes birth traumatic is the fear that you or your baby are going to die. This is why some partners, and even midwives, experience PTSD after seeing a traumatic birth. It can also happen to people who have witnessed a traumatic event, so people who have seen someone else violently killed, for example, often experience PTSD. In fact, PTSD can follow any traumatic event – such as being in a car accident, being sexually abused or having a very difficult birth. PTSD was first identified amongst soldiers returning from the Vietnam War, and most people still think of it as a condition experienced by soldiers. We also use it for women who have some symptoms of PTSD, but not enough for a full diagnosis. Birth trauma is a shorthand phrase for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth.
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