Birth trauma includes the loss of dignity of the birthing person due to dehumanizing treatment by care providers and/or events where there is actual or threatened death or serious injury to the mother or baby. Birth trauma is self-defined by the birthing person rather than diagnosed by a professional. 

Birth trauma can range from mild and temporary to diagnosable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Research shows that at least 1 in 3 of birthing people describe their births as “traumatic,” with the majority of that trauma attributed to dehumanizing treatment, and about 1 in 11 birthing women in the U.S. fit the diagnostic criteria for PTSD following childbirth.* 

DO I HAVE BIRTH TRAUMA?

Remember, birth trauma is self defined.  Only you know if you have birth trauma. 

Characteristics of birth trauma are:

Reliving the birth or certain parts of it over and over, either while you’re awake or dreaming–sometimes this includes a feeling of trying to change the ending of your story

Sensitivity to other people’s birth stories

Anxiety, racing thoughts, and insomnia

Nightmares, especially about the birth setting

Avoidance of your birth setting
(For example, avoiding postpartum care or going out of your way to bypass driving past the hospital)

Each of us has an innate ability to heal ourselves.  

I’ve learned a great deal about birth trauma as an advocate, working with and interviewing hundreds of women who are dealing with a spectrum of birth trauma that includes PTSD. I have had the privilege of working personally and professionally with trauma experts, as well as doing lots of reading and research. 

Excellent therapy for birth trauma is available in some places. However, many people don’t have access to the kind of traditional therapy they would like or need, either for financial reasons, or because they don’t have the time, social support, or emotional capacity. 

And, importantly, birth trauma is not part of medical and mental health education for practitioners. Without that training, professionals may draw instead from their cultural biases about childbirth and women, leading to interactions that are invalidating and harmful for the person seeking help. Some women report they finally gathered the courage to talk to their doctor or therapist only to be told, “At least you have a healthy baby,” or, “You’ll be fine once your hormones balance out.” So, choose wisely when seeking professional help for birth trauma–find someone who is trained and experienced in helping people like you.  

Whether or not professional therapy is an option for you, remember that you were born with powerful healing tools of your own. 

Holistic Peer Counseling (HPC) has been incredibly helpful to me and is extremely accessible compared to traditional therapy modalities.  It can be used as a stand-alone practice or complement to other therapies.  Learn more about HPC here.

“The real experts on trauma recovery are people who have recovered from trauma. As a specialist, I can say that what I know about trauma recovery, I know from people who got better.”
– Nekole Shapiro, Founder, Holistic Peer Counseling

Psychologists have even identified a phenomenon called posttraumatic growth, where the traumatized person is able to rebuild their shattered identity into something even stronger than it had been.  Posttraumatic growth has been observed in cancer survivors, survivors of domestic violence, and military veterans.

Posttraumatic Growth is not a typical or likely outcome for trauma, but survivors should know it is possible.  Learn more about post traumatic growth here.

Among the hundreds of birthing people and medical professionals I have worked with, I have seen a remarkable rate of growth and healing when they receive appropriate care afterwards.  This leads me to believe that, with the right resources and support, healing is achievable more often than not, including for people with complex trauma histories that predate their birth trauma.

– Cristen Pascucci

“My garden saved my life.  We call it my Anger Garden.  I poured all of my grief and rage into those plants.” – Caroline

“It took me a long time to trust myself that I would heal at the pace that was best for me. I found I could quiet my brain by using my hands methodically–puzzles, knitting, coloring.  It was like during therapy sessions, there was this intense deep dive into the trauma for a short period of time, and then I could get back into balance while I quietly worked on something.  It was just the right amount of engagement for my brain and body to start to even out.” – Laura

“The first time I shared my story, it was crazy.  I was emotional and felt out of control.  Well, I just kept sharing my story.  It gets easier and easier and I feel more and more like the story belongs to me instead of like it was this awful thing that happened to me. I just keep talking and talking.  And every time someone else says, ‘I’m so glad you said that out loud because something like that happened to me, too,’ I heal a little more.” – Chantel

“I don’t even like to say this out loud, but I’m so much stronger now.  I want women to know that you can heal from a traumatic birth, from PTSD, from whatever. YOU are still in there! The trauma is not you, it is something that happened and, no, you will never be the same–there will be a new normal. But I would never have started the journey to healing from things that happened to me in childhood, and I would never have known how much I have to say, if there hadn’t been this whole process. I am still healing but I am more myself than I ever was.” – Jennie

“I am still healing every day. Every day I have to face it and every day I find that I am able to do it.” – Maria

Read more

LEARN MORE: Selected Books on Birth Trauma

Online and National Support Resources 

birth trauma PROFESSIONALs

Find professionals in your area who specialize in birth trauma, from trained doulas to licensed therapists