Birth Trauma Therapy
Despite the profound human joy that childbirth brings, there are still some bad emotions associated with the experience of birth.
Sometimes, it can feel like society expects us to move on from the experience of birth too quickly.
Consequently, we may place unreasonable expectations on ourselves, feeling that the experience is so fulfilling that it would be wrong to feel anything negative.
But, two things can co-exist. There’s the joy of childbirth, and there’s the trauma from childbirth.
Only when we deal with the trauma for those affected can the feelings of joy be properly processed and enjoyed.
What is birth trauma?
The UK’s Birth Trauma Association defines birth trauma as ‘symptoms of distress you might experience after having gone through or witnessed a traumatic birth.
Although there is no perfect way to describe birth trauma, that definition does a pretty good job of calling out the basic elements.
So let’s go through those basic elements and then some. It’ll help you truly understand what birth trauma means:
- ‘Distress’ covers both emotional and physical damage. Physical damage may include nerve or muscle damage.
- Emotional distress may include anxiety and difficulty sleeping. If the experience is too tough to deal with, people can experience postpartum PTSD.
- Mothers are more likely to deal with birth trauma, but their partners can experience it, too. Being a witness to a traumatic birth can trigger postnatal PTSD.
- Around 17% of parents in the United States are affected by postpartum PTSD, according to research endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association.
Symptoms of postnatal PTSD
Birth trauma can stifle the transition into parenthood, especially if you’re a first-time parent. That makes it essential to acknowledge its presence early and deal with it courageously.
To do that, you need to be aware of the symptoms of birth trauma. When you feel, see, or experience any or all of these things, you’re likely dealing with childbirth trauma:
- Vivid flashbacks of the traumatic experience
- Nightmares
- Intrusive thoughts
- Powerful distress when you see a reminder of the trauma
- Hypervigilance
- Aggressive behavior
- Loss of ability to express emotions or feel
- Difficulty sleeping
Birth trauma can put you on edge, causing you to avoid loving interaction (or any interaction) with people or places that remind you of the trauma you’ve suffered.
What triggers birth trauma
We’ve already said that birth trauma happens because of mental, psychological, or physical distress experienced during childbirth.
Now, let’s get specific and talk about the most common causes of distress. It’s important to note that my list of birth-trauma-causing events is not exhaustive.
Many causes are impossible to determine because the experience of trauma is a very personal one. What may be traumatic to one person may not be traumatic to another, even in the same space.
Experiences during childbirth that can trigger postnatal PTSD include:
- Emergency treatment for you or your baby
- Prolonged labor that becomes difficult
- Unplanned cesarean section
- Any other shocking and unpleasurable experience during childbirth
Partners, as I have mentioned, can suffer birth trauma, too. Watching your baby or your partner struggle during or after delivery is a new type of pain that nothing adequately prepares you for.
A Birth Trauma Story
Many women and their birthing partners have gone through birth trauma and postnatal PTSD — a few have shared their stories.
This is an excerpt from the end of the story of Olivia, a mother with a rare condition of placenta accreta who saw too much of her blood to ever be the same again.
“When people hear the term PTSD, they think they know what it is – a mental health condition that soldiers suffer after witnessing horrors of war. No one really believes that it can happen to a woman following the birth of her baby. No one wants to hear this. Birth is supposed to be a glorious, life-changing event when precious memories are created that will be cherished of the rest of the woman’s life. But that wasn’t the case for me.”
You can read the full story here.
How birth trauma therapy can help
Therapy remains the most effective way to treat postnatal PTSD, standing taller than any other treatment type, including medications.
Birth trauma therapy can help you process and understand your emotions and eventually reclaim your life so you can experience parenthood more fully.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is one treatment approach for treating birth trauma. As a licensed expert and Certified EMDR therapist, I’ve seen how effective EMDR can be.
During an EMDR session, we will discuss your symptoms, their impact, and how you have made sense, if at all, of your birth trauma. EMDR is designed to activate both sides of your brain (bilateral stimulation), which helps you process and come to terms with your emotions.
At the end of EMDR therapy, you will be able to remember your childbirth experience without it being overshadowed by negative emotions.
Therapists in Utah
If you or anyone you know has experienced birth trauma and are now seeing the symptoms of postnatal PTSD, do not ignore it or feel like you have to handle it by yourself.
You are not alone. With therapy, you can learn to live with laughter again and move forward with your child.
Please reach out for a free consultation.
