Birth Trauma effects those who gave birth, their partner, children, family members, and birth professionals.
"Research suggests that about 3% of women who give birth go on to develop postnatal PTSD, or birth trauma...
"An estimated 30% experience some symptoms of PTSD, but not the full-blown condition.
"We know that witnesses to a trauma can also experience PTSD. This means that some partners suffer PTSD after witnessing a traumatic birth. We don’t know the numbers, but they are likely to be smaller. One research study showed that a third of midwives who had experienced traumatic perinatal events have PTSD symptoms.
"When a new mother tells her [primary care provider] that she’s been feeling anxious or jumpy or replaying the birth in her head, it’s easy to reach for a diagnosis of postnatal depression (PND). Because many people still aren’t aware of postnatal PTSD, some women will accept the PND diagnosis, even while feeling it’s not quite right. But treatment pathways for depression and PTSD are very different, so it is important to ask about women’s symptoms in detail.
"The four symptoms of PTSD are: re-experiencing the trauma (e.g. flashbacks and nightmares); avoidance (the woman avoids any reminder of the trauma); negative cognitions and mood (such as feelings of guilt); and arousal (such as hypervigilance). In effect, the brain is still in flight-or-fight mode, constantly alert to the threat of danger."
-Retrieved from The Birth Trauma Association
"An estimated 30% experience some symptoms of PTSD, but not the full-blown condition.
"We know that witnesses to a trauma can also experience PTSD. This means that some partners suffer PTSD after witnessing a traumatic birth. We don’t know the numbers, but they are likely to be smaller. One research study showed that a third of midwives who had experienced traumatic perinatal events have PTSD symptoms.
"When a new mother tells her [primary care provider] that she’s been feeling anxious or jumpy or replaying the birth in her head, it’s easy to reach for a diagnosis of postnatal depression (PND). Because many people still aren’t aware of postnatal PTSD, some women will accept the PND diagnosis, even while feeling it’s not quite right. But treatment pathways for depression and PTSD are very different, so it is important to ask about women’s symptoms in detail.
"The four symptoms of PTSD are: re-experiencing the trauma (e.g. flashbacks and nightmares); avoidance (the woman avoids any reminder of the trauma); negative cognitions and mood (such as feelings of guilt); and arousal (such as hypervigilance). In effect, the brain is still in flight-or-fight mode, constantly alert to the threat of danger."
-Retrieved from The Birth Trauma Association