Birth Trauma
“All that matters is a healthy baby.”
We hear that statement all too often and too many of us believe it’s true. I don’t agree. Yes, a healthy baby matters, but it is not all. A healthy mum matters too!
Unfortunately, 1 in 3 women in Australia has experienced birth trauma.
Birth trauma can be psychological and physical. And even the number is so high and seems to be quite common for women to experience their birth traumatically, it is not normal.
Your birth experience matters!
What is psychological birth trauma?
The trauma can result from not only what happens during birth, but also how you feel as a result of your experience. Birth trauma is subjective. Maybe your doctor, midwife or support person said everything went fine and normal but that doesn’t mean it was fine for you. You don’t need permission from the medical staff to define your birth experience as traumatic. No one else gets to decide how you experienced your birth, only you. This means that if your birth felt traumatic for you, it was.
You may have felt your birth was traumatic because:
You felt not being listened to or respected.
Your birth didn’t go the way expected or hoped for.
You felt powerless and out of control.
You feared for your or your baby’s safety.
You didn’t receive the support that you needed.
You were separated from your baby after birth.
What you might experience after a traumatic birth:
Fear and anxiety
Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
Feeling guilty
Panic attacks
Avoiding reminders of the birth
Trying to push feelings away
Poor self-image
Felling unemotional
Postnatal depression and/or anxiety
What you can do if you have experienced birth trauma:
Acknowledge your feelings and experience and talk to a trusted person.
Ask for practical help from family, friends or a postpartum doula so you can rest and process.
Practice daily self-care such as exercise, gratitude, massage and meditation.
Talk to a medical professional like your GP or a specialised birth trauma consultant.
The fact that way too many women experience their birth as traumatic doens’t mean it’s normal. Birth shouldn’t be traumatic and if you have experienced the birth of your baby that way, I would encourage you to talk to a trusted person. Having experienced a traumatic birth doesn’t automatically mean, you’ll end up with depression or anxiety but it can contribute to it and can have effects on the pregnancy and birth of your next baby.
You can find support and more resources at the Australasian Birth Trauma Association.
What is physical birth trauma?
“Current international research observes that more women than previously realized, suffer silently from severe pelvic floor damage, perineal injuries and/or PTSD symptoms after vaginal birth that are embarrassing and difficult to explain or understand and result in barriers to health care with reduced quality of life, marital disharmony and decreased infant bonding.”
Dr Elizabeth Skinner
Physical birth trauma is a direct result of the birthing process such as:
Tears
Episiotomy
Pelvic floor muscle injury
Vaginal assisted birth (forceps or vacuum)
C-section
Fistula
Symptoms could include:
Continuing pain around the birth injury
Urinary or faecal incontinence
Difficulty opening and emptying bowels
Pain or difficulty having sex
Constant lower back pain
Awareness of a bulge or lump at the vaginal opening
A heavy feeling in the pelvis or a sense that something is ‘falling out’
Vaginal or pelvic floor muscle laxity
Sweating, shaking, headaches, dizziness, gastro-intestinal upsets and chest pains not connected with medical conditions.
If you suffer from birth injuries, then I want to encourage you to reach out. You can talk to your GP or you can find support from Dr Elizabeth Skinner at Birth Trauma Consultancy.
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