Pregnancy After Birth Trauma: A Guide to A Better Birth Experience
Understanding Birth Trauma
Birth trauma can have a lasting impact on your physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. But many birthing people dismiss their experiences and emotions, and just push themselves through without getting the help they deserve. Birth trauma is disorienting, and it’s common to feel confused and isolated by what happened. It’s also very natural for birth trauma to interfere with your plans to continue creating a family.
Information is empowering, and equipping yourself with an understanding of how you’ve been affected by a traumatic birth can help you better navigate the journey towards healing and a better birth experience when you’re ready to try again.
Birth trauma (also called perinatal or reproductive trauma) can be defined as a distressing or life-threatening event that occurs during pregnancy or childbirth, leaving lasting emotional and psychological impacts. This can include physical complications, such as severe pain, injury, or complications during labor and delivery, as well as emotional experiences, such as feelings of fear, helplessness, or loss of control. Birth trauma is not limited to only the most extreme or dramatic situations and isn’t always caused by a medical emergency. Even seemingly minor incidents, such as a prolonged labor, a difficult delivery, or a perceived lack of support from healthcare providers, can contribute to the development of birth trauma.
Signs and Symptoms of Birth Trauma
The signs and symptoms of birth trauma can vary widely from person to person, and every situation is unique. Some common physical symptoms of birth trauma may include pelvic pain, incontinence, or difficulties with breastfeeding. Emotional and psychological symptoms, however, are often more prevalent and can have a significant impact on your overall well-being.
Complications of birth trauma may include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), flashbacks, nightmares, and a sense of disconnection from the birthing experience or your baby. Symptoms can also include feelings of guilt, shame, or a lack of confidence in your new role as mom/parent.
Risk Factors for Birth Trauma
While it’s not possible to completely “trauma proof” childbirth, understanding your risk factors can help you develop strategies to reduce risks and create a better birth experience. Some of the common risk factors for birth trauma include a history of previous traumatic births, a high-risk pregnancy, complications during labor and delivery, such as prolonged labor, emergency cesarean sections, or the use of interventions like forceps or vacuum extraction, pregnancy loss, using ART and NICU stays. Additionally, factors like a lack of support, poor communication with healthcare providers, or a perceived lack of control over the birthing process can also contribute to the development of birth trauma. Birthing people with history of trauma are at increased risk for PTSD following birth trauma (physical, sexual, emotional abuse, sexual trauma, medical trauma, for example), and experiences during childbirth can lead to previous traumas resurfacing. Being aware of these factors can help you work with your support system to prepare and plan for potential challenges and using strategies to help you feel more positive, assertive and confident.
The Impact of Birth Trauma on Mental Health
Traumas that occur around the time of conception, during pregnancy or postpartum can impact everyone differently, and often have wide ranging effects on your emotional and psychological wellbeing and your relationships. Here are some the common effects of birth trauma I see in my psychotherapy practice:
1. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder- a trauma response characterized by symptoms of re-experiencing and flashbacks, nightmares, scary intrusive thoughts, heightened physical responses to stress or reminders, feeling disconnected due to dissociation and avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event.
2. Depression and Anxiety-which are often co-occurring. Problematic symptoms included depressed, sad mood that doesn't go away, unexplained anger/rage, excessive guilt and shame, difficulty controlling worries, and feelings of hopelessness. Suicidal thoughts are also a symptom that needs to be addressed quickly.
3. Loss of trust in your healthcare providers, which can lead to difficulty reaching out for support when you most need it.
4. Concerns about how you're bonding with your baby, often due to feeling disconnected from yourself, feeling overwhelmed with the demands of caring for your baby, previous pregnancy or infant loss, or having a baby in the NICU and other medical complications that you or your baby have experienced.
5. Indecisiveness or fear about the decision to have another baby.
6. Loss of trust in yourself and your body-which may show up as self blame, shame and guilt; changes in body image; loss of confidence in your ability to create a sense of safety for yourself.
7. Strains on your relationship with your partner that lead to difficulty feeling connected, supported and understood. Often, both the birthing AND non-birthing partners are affected by perinatal trauma.
Healing and Moving Forward
Overcoming birth trauma is a complex and deeply personal journey, but it’s possible with the right support, resources, and self-care practices. Working with a perinatal mental health specialist who knows the terrain can help you:
To process unresolved trauma that has resurfaced following a traumatic birth
Enter a new pregnancy with more confidence and optimism
Feel grounded in the decision to have another child—without the element of fear
To not be so easily triggered— in your parenting, by other pregnant people, babies, ultrasounds or medical appointments
To feel more calm, at peace
Better understand your feelings and reactions, and grow in a positive way
Relax and enjoy your life
Seeking Professional Help for Birth Trauma in Pasadena, CA
If your parenthood journey has been difficult, it's important not to dismiss or minimize this part of your experience, especially when your distress or fears are interfering with your plans for the future. Postpartum depression, anxiety and PTSD are treatable. Trauma focused therapies like EMDR have been shown to be highly effective in healing the effects of birth trauma.
I’d love to talk to you about how I can help.
Reaching out for support is a big step and I want to make the process as comfortable and easy to understand as possible. To get started, just call (626)808-5463 or email me to schedule your free consultation.
