childbirth trauma: It’s not about what happened, it’s about how you felt

Have you found yourself feeling worried about the idea of a “traumatic birth?” Have you had a birthing experience and feel like you’ve been struggling after but not sure if your birth counts as “traumatic?”

9% of birthing people experience postpartum PTSD following childbirth. A 2004 study found that most people who developed PTSD following their birthing experience had births that were considered routine by their medical providers. This is important because it validates why so many people doubt whether or not their birthing experience even “counts” as traumatic, and it also tells us that childbirth trauma is not caused by a specific intervention, procedure, or experience.

Symptoms of postpartum PTSD can look like: intrusive thoughts, memories, or dreams about the birthing experience, avoidance of reminders of the birthing experience, persistent arousal (anxiety, irritability, restlessness), feeling detached from others or self.