Recovering after Birth Trauma
A traumatic birth is one that leaves you feeling distressed in some way during or after birth. Traumatic distress looks different between women; it can involve feeling:
Helpless or powerless
A loss of control
Alone
Upset
Shocked
Confused
Fearful or afraid
Frozen
Angry
Horrified
Guilty
Numb
Sad
That things are surreal, dreamlike, or unreal in some way (also called dissociation)
There is no single reaction to trauma, and any (or many) of these feelings can show up.
The Impacts of Birth Trauma
Birth trauma is different to any other trauma, as multiple people (including family) are present, and birth is usually viewed as a positive event. As a result of this, birth trauma can affect the whole family: birthing mother, non-birthing partner, baby, any other supports present during birth, and there can be flow-on effects to elder children, too.
Some women can find it hard to bond with their baby immediately after birth trauma (whilst others have no issue). This may ease with time, care, and engagement with your baby, or persist for many months.
Common symptoms of distress after birth trauma include difficulty sleeping (even when your baby is asleep), being irritable or tense, losing interest in food, or having intrusive thoughts or memories about what happened.
Some women will cope, or learn to cope with birth trauma. Some women’s mental health can be negatively affected, and there are risks of postnatal depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress – these are outlined here.
Some women will also need to navigate and recover from the physical impacts of birth trauma.
Birth trauma affects everyone differently. In the months after birth trauma, there are several trajectories:
Some women can have a rocky three to four weeks after trauma, and then with time, things start to settle and feel more normal.
Some women can struggle after birth trauma, and it stays like this over time (unless you do something about it).
Some women can cope well in the weeks after a traumatic birth, but find in time that they aren’t coping so well. It can be confusing
why this seems to appear much later on, and to linger. This can be due to having increased support in the early weeks of returning home with your baby, and the halo effect - where you are happy to have your baby in your arms, and everything else gets pushed into the background. Unfortunately, the halo effect fades with time and supports pull back, which can be why things get harder or worse as more time passes.
Some women can cope remarkably well after birth trauma, get into the swing of mumlife, and continue doing well over time.
Recovering from Birth Trauma
Finding a way to manage distress and come to terms with your experience is helpful in recovering from birth trauma. This can be different for different women.
Some women benefit from medication options to help contain the symptoms of distress.
Some women benefit from therapy.
Some women benefit from writing their birth story.
Some women benefit from a birth debrief with their birth practitioner.
Some women benefit from connecting with others who have also experienced birth trauma.
Some women benefit from research and education about birth to help make sense of their experiences.
Some women benefit from finding a purpose in their suffering, and moving into the birth space themselves.
Some women benefit from sharing their experiences with their supports, and being heard, understood, and validated.
Some women benefit from making a complaint (if appropriate).
Some women benefit from doing several of the above suggestions, or from other steps entirely.
If you are affected by birth trauma and struggle in the weeks or months after birth, please seek help. You don’t need to continue suffering, and your GP is a great starting point to figure out your steps forward.