Dr Priya Rao
Ten years of making the invisible visible
When Birth Trauma Australia began ten years ago, birth trauma was rarely named, let alone understood as something requiring prevention, recognition and meaningful care. Too often, a birth was considered successful if parent and baby were physically well. What the person giving birth had felt, the fear, loss of control, pain, confusion or sense of not being heard, could be overlooked.
Over the past decade, that understanding has begun to shift. We now speak more openly about birth trauma as both physical and psychological and recognise that trauma is not defined solely by the clinical events that occurred. It is also shaped by communication, consent, compassion and whether someone felt safe and supported during one of the most vulnerable experiences of their life.
As an anaesthetist, I have become increasingly aware of the important role our specialty can play. We often meet people at moments of heightened uncertainty: when labour is not unfolding as expected or an urgent intervention is required. While we may not be able to remove every element of risk or unpredictability, we can influence how a person experiences those moments. Clear explanations, mindful language, genuine consent and small acts that preserve dignity and control can make an enormous difference.
Birth Trauma Australia has been instrumental in bringing these issues into the light. Amy and the team have created space for people with lived experience to be heard, and, importantly, for health professionals to listen. Their work has helped move birth trauma from the margins of maternity care into professional education, research, policy discussions and the wider public conversation. They have continually reminded us that lived experience is not an optional addition to healthcare improvement; it is essential to it.
One of the most rewarding parts of my own involvement has been working with Amy Dawes and Dr Davina Taylor to develop the PILAR Check-In: Preparation, Introductions, Listening, Apology and Reassurance. The framework grew from a shared belief that the first conversation after a difficult birth matters. A thoughtful, trauma-informed check-in can give someone an opportunity to ask questions, express what they experienced and begin making sense of what happened. It can also help clinicians recognise distress early and connect people with further support. Together, we also co-authored the chapter “Birth trauma and the anaesthetist” for Australasian Anaesthesia 2025, helping bring trauma-informed maternity care and lived experience to a wider clinical audience.
There has been real progress, but significant work remains. Awareness is not yet consistent, and access to trauma-informed follow-up and specialist care varies considerably. We need better antenatal preparation for the many ways birth can unfold, stronger consent processes, greater continuity of care and reliable pathways for support after birth. We must also care for the maternity workforce, because clinicians who are supported are better able to provide compassionate care.
What gives me hope is the growing willingness to have these conversations, and to turn them into practical change. Birth Trauma Australia has spent ten years making the invisible visible, bringing families and professionals together and insisting that safer births and better healing are possible.
It has been a privilege to work alongside Amy and Birth Trauma Australia. Congratulations on ten remarkable years, and thank you for your courage, persistence and leadership. I look forward to what we can achieve together in the decade ahead.
Dr Priya Rao
Specialist Anaesthetist
