What is birth-related trauma?
Birth Trauma is a woman’s experience of interactions and/or events related to childbirth that cause overwhelming distressing emotions and reactions, leading to short and/or long-term negative impacts on a woman’s health and well-being. (Leinweiber et al. 2022)
The arrival of a baby is a positive event for many parents, but for some, it can be a mixed experience or even very negative, resulting in physical and/or psychological injuries (trauma) with lasting negative impacts on their lives. We are here to help women+, fathers and partners who are struggling with ongoing problems related to the birthing experience.
Birth-related trauma can be physical or psychological, or both. Birth-related trauma impacts mothers, birthing parents, fathers and non-birthing parents. For mums and birthing parents, please keep reading for further information relating to types of physical and psychological trauma and steps to follow to get help. We also have information, especially for Fathers & Partners and Friends and Family.
Physical birth trauma
Physical trauma (birth injuries) may or may not be identified straight away. You may be the first to notice that something isn’t right. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It is important to understand that physical birth injuries may require you to seek expert medical advice and assessment.
Physical trauma can present as:
- Perineal tears
- Bladder damage
- Pelvic floor muscle damage
- Pelvic organ prolapse (POP)
- Infected stitches
- Incontinence/leaking of wee or poo
- Pelvic fractures (public bone, coccyx, sacrum)
- Cesarean wounds
- Pudendal neuralgia (nerve pain/damage)
- Wound dehiscence (wound breakdown/separation)
- Hysterectomy (removal of womb/uterus)
- Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH/secondary PPH)
- Other injuries that may not have been categorised here
For more information, visit our Physical Birth Trauma Page.
Psychological birth-related trauma
Birth can be wonderful, but sometimes it is frightening and even traumatic; this is known as Psychological birth-related trauma. Some people think trauma feels like too big a word and that they shouldn’t be traumatised. We want you to know that if your birth experience felt traumatic to you, then it was.
The shock of what happened during your birth experience can bring about a number of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. Some people experience severe emotional distress after a traumatic birth, even though there was no physical trauma. It’s important to know that trauma can continue long after birth, with many people not seeking support for months or even years after.
Psychological trauma may present as:
- Postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Postnatal depression and/or anxiety (PNDA)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (For example, obsessive thoughts that can affect our behaviour, such as checking on the baby constantly or recurring thoughts that impact your enjoyment of daily life).
For more information, visit our Psychological Birth Trauma page.
GETTING HELP
Finding the words for what you may be experiencing can be difficult. If you don’t want to talk, BTA members report that writing down their stories can often be the first step to processing what has happened. Doing this may help you get some insight into why and how things are.
You may find talking to some of the following people useful as you begin your journey of seeking help:
- Your partner, family or friends
- Your mother’s group
- A community or religious leader
- Join our Private Facebook support group
If you need health professional support, the sooner you seek it, the sooner you can start your recovery and find coping tools at home and at work. If you are a bit nervous about taking this first step, having a trusted friend or supporter accompany you may also be a good idea.
There is also a wide choice of valuable treatments subsidised by Medicare, Care Plans set up by your GP, ACC (NZ), Private Health cover, and other online sources. A good starting point could be speaking to your GP, Midwife, Obstetrician, or Child Health Nurse. We recommend that, if you speak with your GP, you discuss your overall health and ask for a longer appointment when you book. You may find this symptom checker a useful resource when you speak to your GP.
These health professionals will be able to understand your level of need and refer you to the appropriate provider, such as:
- Maternity care provider
- Counsellor
- Social worker
- Psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Pelvic floor physiotherapist.
- Gynaecologist
- Urogynaecologist
If your symptoms are physical challenges and you are early postpartum, there may be outpatient public health (hospital) options available through the hospital where you gave birth. However, this isn’t always an option, so women usually seek care from a pelvic health physiotherapist in private practice.
Some women may be eligible for a Medicare rebate if their GP refers them under a management plan. To be eligible for this Medicare benefit, your GP must deem that the condition is ongoing or ‘chronic’, and you may be eligible for up to 5 allied health visits per year under a Team Care Arrangement. If you are struggling to access care, you may be eligible for our free telehealth physio support service.
Some birth injuries may not be diagnosed at the time of the birth. This is due to the complexity of some types of damage that may happen underneath and may not be noticed, or you may be symptomless and still have physical trauma to the pelvic floor.
Our private Facebook support group for women+ is useful because you can ask questions from parents who may have experienced similar problems. While the information you receive in the support group shouldn’t replace the advice of a health professional, it can be very helpful to speak to your peers, too.
Many different health professionals can assist and provide treatment in the management of birth-related trauma. It can be very unclear what type of doctor or specialist needs to be seen, who to speak to, and who specialises in what. You may find our Birth Trauma Care Guide, which outlines the types of health professionals who can help with birth-related trauma. Above all, go gently and be patient; healing takes time and often requires a holistic approach to care.
Some women have reported to us negative experiences they’ve had when seeking help. For example, being told that nothing is wrong with them, when they feel like something isn’t right, or they may have been mis-diagnosed, or they’ve had to go back to the hospital they experienced the trauma in to get help. You might need to look around, and you might need to be your own advocate, but there ARE people out there who really want to help you recover.
Once you have been given a specialist referral, we recommend finding out more to ensure that they have the experience and expertise you require. Birth-related trauma is still a relatively new area of focus, and finding the right health professional is an extremely important part of your recovery process. If you are unsure, seeking a second opinion may also be useful.
Download the Birth Trauma Care Guide
Getting information about your experience
If you are feeling confused about your experience in hospital, it may help to obtain details of what actually happened. This may provide insight into what happened and why. Whilst this may be painful to relive, you may feel a sense of relief or closure. You could do this by discussing your notes with your midwife or obstetrician. Our family guide to debriefing is available here. It’s important to acknowledge that debriefing or birth reflection, as we call it, may not work for everyone. You may wish to inquire whether your hospital has done BTA’s Trauma-informed Training.
Finding time for yourself
Be gentle with yourself. Your body has done an amazing thing to give birth, so do not feel ashamed if you are struggling to cope. Take it day by day and rest when you can. As difficult as it may be in the early weeks, try to make time for yourself. Activities such as a gentle walk, reading a book, trying meditation (we love the Calm app) or using other relaxation techniques can all help.
Try to nourish your body with good whole foods and avoid caffeine and alcohol as much as you can. Fresh air and sunshine, along with light exercise, may improve your mood and sleep quality. Try to get your partner or support team involved as much as possible so you can catch up on sleep when possible. Not only will this help you, but your whole family will benefit from this extra bonding experience.
If anyone offers help, accept it. Ask for food or help around the house.
Often women+ and their families are so focused on the baby that the emotional well-being of the mother (or partner) takes a lower priority. It’s very common to think things will get better with time; however, recovery from birth-related trauma can be slow, and the sooner you seek help, the better.
