23/07/2022
~ Birth Trauma Awareness Week ~
While the welcoming of a baby into the world is a beautiful, life changing event that many associate with love and happiness, 1 in 3 mums experience the birth of their baby as traumatic!
This trauma that these women experience from their birth can come from a range of different reasons. They may have:
- Experienced a high level of pain or physical stress while giving birth
- Experienced serious emotional distress while giving birth
- They may have required medical intervention if their baby’s health or their own life was at risk
- They may have felt shocked or unprepared for sensations, feelings, interventions, or routine procedures
They might have also felt emotions that they were unprepared for such as powerless, vulnerable, confused, hurt, sad, abandoned, frightened, disrespected, unheard, disregarded, silenced.
This can then lead on to more serious issues such as Postpartum depression, or even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
So, what can we do to prevent trauma associated with birth?
Education! Knowledge is power, especially coming into a birthing space! When you know what to expect, what could go wrong, and how to navigate the everchanging plans that is pregnancy, labour and birth, you decrease your risk of experiencing birth trauma, Postpartum depression and PTSD
So what can we do if a new mum comes to you saying her birth was traumatic?
Listen, be a safe space for her!
Acknowledge her trauma, and give her time to process it!
Support her within her postpartum journey!
In the end, we all need support!
www.birthbychoice.com