The subject of birth trauma is prevalent in the news this week after a parliamentary inquiry into UK maternity and postnatal care services after finding poor care is "all too frequently tolerated as normal." Whilst this inquiry is important in identifying the major obstacles to good quality care for mums-to-be and hopefully paving the way for major improvement.... studies such as these can engender much fear in anyone pregnant or planning to get pregnant and leave them mistrust of maternity services.
Therefore at easibirthing Fertility to Parenthood, we think it is the right time to publish a series of 10 ways to overcome birth trauma and give the time to heal. However I will also include some tips on what you can do leading up to a birth experience to help prevent birth trauma.This week I want to focus on looking at what birth trauma is....
Many people feel they were unprepared for how their birth experience unfolded. If you felt upset or distressed at either what happened to you during birth or how you perceived the experience, then it is possible that you are suffering birth trauma.
Birth trauma can be physical or psychological in nature-sometimes it can even be not the birth itself but past non-birth memories that were triggered for you.
It is sadly very common and as a society we are only beginning to normalise the conversation and take women’s experiences seriously.
As many as 1 in 3 women are thought to experience birth trauma. More research is emerging about the prevalence in men or birth partner experiencing birth trauma also being as many as 1 in 4.
Both women and men can feel shame and guilt at a time when they desperately want to be focussing on their new baby, but birth trauma can stand in the way.
Factors either side of the birth can contribute to trauma including the journey through pregnancy, feeding challenges, infertility challenges, premature birth and pregnancy loss.
https://www.easibirthing.com/post-natal-mental-health