Birth Trauma and PTSD. Why So Many Women Suffer in Silence
- Written by ML
- Published in Wellness
We attended all the antenatal classes and followed all the instructions. A stack of pregnancy and parenting books sat on the coffee table, and I’d read them cover to cover. My birth plan was thoughtfully typed up and optimistically colour-coded. The water birth suite was booked.
We were expectant, nervous, excited and couldn’t wait to welcome our baby gently into this world.
It all started to go wrong when my waters broke just after 37 weeks, and our baby’s hand got trapped on his head, preventing him from moving down the birth canal. I was admitted to the hospital and left to wait for labour to start. Contractions? No. Progress? None.
It was decided that I should be induced. And from that moment, I felt things very quickly spiralling out of my control.
Not in the birth plan
The emergency caesarean section that followed may have saved our lives, but afterwards, there were some painful realities to face.
When I woke up from the general anaesthetic, an hour had gone by. In that time, family had come in to meet my son. I felt indescribably sad that so many people had held my baby before I’d even laid eyes on him. I had missed out on the immediate skin-to-skin bonding time. Instead of those quiet moments getting to know each other, I was recovering from a major surgery while my little baby was being treated for jaundice.
I felt like a failure.
A silent struggle
In the months that followed my son’s birth, my mental health declined significantly, but I told no one. I had been unable to get the birth right, so I was terrified to admit that I was struggling with being a mother, too.
Finally, during a check-up with the maternal-child health nurse, I broke down. She suggested I might be suffering from birth trauma. She explained that for some women, this can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
After three months of suffering silently, I was referred to psychologists Fitzroy mums have relied on to get the support I needed.
Getting help
If any part of this feels familiar to you, know that you’re not alone, and support is available.
PTSD psychologists in Melbourne and Hobart can utilise a range of evidence-based therapies for clients with birth-related PTSD. These include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
This article is based on a personal experience and is intended for general information only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are experiencing distress, please speak with your GP or contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Not everyone who experiences a traumatic birth develops PTSD, and treatment outcomes can vary.
