By: Claire Edicson
Giving birth can simultaneously be the most wonderful day and yet the most painful experience for a woman, and it can result in something called birth trauma.
Birth trauma is an umbrella term referring to any physical or emotional distress caused by interactions or events relating to childbirth. Birth trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet despite its severely debilitating effects, postnatal PTSD was only formally recognised in the the 1990s when the American Psychiatry Association changed its description of what constitutes a traumatic event from “something outside the range of usual human experience” to when someone “witnessed or confronted serious physical threat or injury to themselves or others and in which the person responded with feelings of fear, helplessness or horror.”
Despite the relatively new formalization of the term, birth trauma has been prevalent for decades, with up to 1 in 3 birth mothers experiencing it in the U.S. In this guide, we break down everything you need to know about birth trauma, including what it is, the symptoms, the causes of birth trauma, and how it is managed or treated.
What is birth trauma?
Many birth injuries are minor, heal without treatment, are temporary, and do not cause birth trauma; however, childbirth can be traumatic for many reasons, and individuals can respond to the experience quite differently. If an individual experiences any physical or emotional pain before, during, or after childbirth, then it may be considered birth trauma if any of the following signs also appear:
- The birth parent is having nightmares or intrusive thoughts about the birthing experience.
- Talking about or reliving the birth experience leads to panic attacks or emotional distress.
- The birth parent avoids anything that reminds them of the birth, which might manifest as not passing the hospital where the child was born, not wanting to see other pregnant women, and even avoiding their baby.
- Feeling significant anxiety and worry that something is going to happen to the baby.
- Blaming oneself for the traumatic birth experience.
- Post-partum depression.
What causes birth trauma?
Birth trauma can manifest from both physical and emotional interactions or events.
Physical birth trauma
Physical birth trauma generally relates to an injury or wound – something you can see or touch. Some causes of physical birth trauma may be:
- Perineal tear: Perineal tears involve either an involuntary tear or a surgical cut to the area between the vaginal opening and the anus.
- Nerve damage: The pudendal nerve is located in the pelvic region and is susceptible to damage during childbirth.
- Muscle damage: The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support pelvic organs, like the bladder, bowel, and internal reproductive organs. Childbirth can weaken the pelvic muscles and connective tissue, resulting in issues with bladder and bowel control. If pelvic organ prolapse occurs, the muscles can no longer support the organs, causing them to drop into or out of the vagina.
- Birth complications: Complications can arise during childbirth that might result in needing an emergency C-section, the use of forceps, or the use of a vacuum to deliver the baby.
- Life-threatening injury: Childbirth is unpredictable, and on rare occasions, life-threatening events occur. These events can be traumatic for all involved.
Emotional birth trauma
Emotional birth trauma is psychological and is something you may feel because of the childbirth experience. Some causes of emotional birth trauma may be:
- The baby needed medical attention: If your baby was born with a health condition such as bruising and swelling of the scalp, a fracture, or nerve or brain damage, they may be taken away from their parent immediately.
- Feeling unsupported: Not receiving the care and support you needed during childbirth from either your healthcare team or your family and loved ones.
- Loss of control: Many women have at least a rough idea or plan of how they want their birthing experience to go, but birth by nature is unpredictable, and you may not always have control over how it goes.
- Disappointment with the experience: Experiencing disappointment with the overall birthing experience, as it might not have been what you hoped for.
Birth trauma can be physical or emotionally driven. Photo by Olivia Anne Snyder on Unsplash.
How do you treat or manage birth trauma?
The journey to recovery from birth trauma will look different for everyone, depending on the severity and personal experience. Some key steps you can take are:
- Talk to a healthcare provider who has completed the requisite training, like an online family nurse practitioner program, who may recommend counseling, medication such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety tablets, or other treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy or exposure therapy.
- Talk to a trusted loved one about the experience. Although this can be hard, sharing your story is a key first step to coping with birth trauma. If you find it difficult to talk through, try recording a video or writing it down.
- Join a support group where your experiences can be heard, understood, and where you know you will find empathy.
- Although this may be the hardest of all, practicing self-care by doing things you enjoy or allocating time to relax can do wonders. Yoga, walking, and meditation are all popular practices.
About the Author: Claire is a technology journalist with extensive experience covering emerging tech trends, AI developments, and the evolving digital landscape. Her experience helps readers understand complex technological advancements, and how they can be implemented in their everyday lives.
