Are you a new mother or father and struggle with being haunted by thoughts about the birth of your child?  Are you bothered by negative emotions related to these thoughts and find yourself reliving this event in vivid detail?  Do you feel like you ‘should’ be happy following the birth of your new child and feel tremendous guilt about not feeling this way?  If you answered ‘yes’ to most or all of these questions you may suffer from birth trauma.  

Birth Trauma is Surprisingly Common in the US

Even though we have some of the best medical technology in the world, the United States healthcare system has a number of problems that make new moms and dads vulnerable to experiencing birth trauma.  Many people die every week due to preventable medical errors in hospitals nationwide.  Not only that, but the Covid pandemic has made the situation worse because of how much stress our healthcare system has been under for the last 2-plus years.  These facts underscore the problem of birth trauma because despite all of our medical advances we still have a problem with emotional trauma accompanying childbirth, and this can leave parents struggling to care for their children and themselves as well.  

What Are The Signs of Birth Trauma?

Sometimes birth trauma can accompany depression in new moms and dads, but underneath it is often the burned in memory of something bad or unpleasant that accompanied the birth of your child.  It could be being mistreated by medical staff or having some frightening diagnosis mentioned in conjunction with the birth of your child.  Whatever the triggering event, you are typically haunted by the memory of this event and experience it as intrusive thoughts or images.  This can also be accompanied by nightmares as well, which are typified by waking up in something other than a neutral or positive mood.  You also may have vivid flashbacks to the actual event that triggered the trauma as if you are reliving it again and again.  You may tend to experience distressing feelings in relation to the event and avoid reminders of it.  There may also be physical symptoms you experience, such as pain or aches in particular parts of your body.  

What To Do About Birth Trauma

If you have most or all of the above symptoms, you should seek out professional help.  It comes at a time when you may feel like you can ill afford to seek it because of how important it is to take care of your child, but unless you take care of yourself you won’t be able to raise your child adequately.  Talk to a trusted friend or family member to let them know what is going on so you don’t feel as isolated as you would if you kept things to yourself.  Do confide in your spouse if they are able to be supportive, as they probably are experiencing some or much of what you are suffering from as well.  Then getting the help of a psychiatrist and/or trauma therapist can be crucial to addressing the root of the problem and being able to care for yourself.  That will make you better able to care for your new baby because you have done that.

How I Can Help in Treating Birth Trauma

If you are seeking an experienced trauma therapist, I have many years of experience in helping my clients overcome trauma of all types.  I can help you to learn some important tools in coping such as deep breathing, which is helpful for all kinds of mental illness.  Beyond that, I am certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Image Transformation Therapy (ImTT), as well as a newer version of EMDR that is faster at resolving all kinds of trauma.  I am available for free 20-minute phone consultations to give you a better idea about whether I can help you with your particular situation.  Just call the number at the top of the screen or fill out the inquiry form below and I will be happy to arrange a time when we can talk.  Do it for yourself and the future of your child, as they are counting on you to be the best parent you can be!  

Visit our page on trauma therapy to find out how Scott can help you with birth trauma.  

About the author:  Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland.  He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin.  He now works with adults and adolescents 14 and up in private practice. His most recent book is titled The 5 Pillars of Addiction Recovery and is available for purchase on Amazon and in paperback on this website.