Condition : Birth trauma

Condition Birth trauma

What is birth trauma?

Birth trauma is a mental health condition you might develop after a traumatic experience relating to giving birth, experiencing a miscarriage, or having a termination for medical reasons.

Also known as postnatal PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or perinatal PTSD, birth trauma shares the same symptoms as PTSD, but they link back to the birth experience.

Your symptoms may include:

fear of getting pregnant again or childbirth (tokophobia)
flashbacks or nightmares about the experience
avoiding places, people, or things that remind you of the experience
intense feelings of fear, frustration, guilt, or shame about what happened
emotional detachment (feeling numb) or pushing away emotions about the experience
finding it difficult to trust others involved in the care of you or your baby
relationship problems or social isolation (avoiding people or activities that used to be important to you)
feeling ‘on edge’, being overly cautious or easily startled
finding it difficult to concentrate or sleep
feeling hopeless about the future or sadness about the experience (depression)
unhelpful coping strategies, such as drinking too much alcohol

What causes birth trauma?

PTSD is your mind’s response to an experience that was very dangerous, shocking, or frightening, and that has hurt your sense of safety or confidence.

Example scenarios that could cause birth trauma include:

miscarriage (losing the baby within the first 23 weeks of pregnancy) or multiple miscarriages
stillbirth (death of a baby before birth, from week 24 of pregnancy)
neonatal death (death of a baby within 28 days of being born alive)
termination for medical reasons (TFMR) (ending a wanted pregnancy due to results from antenatal testing)
injury caused during the birth to yourself (for example, perineal tears, pelvic fractures, or an injury causing incontinence)
injury caused during the birth to your baby (such as fractures or damage to the brain, spine, or nerves)
psychological distress during the birth because of complications, pain, or the actions or behaviours of people involved