Childbirth is a highly charged emotional event which can positively exceed our expectations when all is going well or have a very damaging, negative impact when our experience is shockingly wide of the mark.
Our evaluation of childbirth is subjective and measured against the expectations and beliefs we have before the birth. Our judgement is based on the emotional and physical care we receive throughout this life defining event, whereas midwives and clinicians assess each birth based on the delivery of a healthy baby and adherence to protocol.
The sudden escalation from a planned natural delivery to an emergency caesarean may be embraced as a positive and necessary step by one couple, a traumatic diversion from the hopes and expectations of another and a perceived necessary intervention by attending medical staff.
A mother reflecting on her birth experience may report feeling a lack of control, an inability to cope with labour pain, a sense of exclusion from key facts where intervention levels escalated or extreme fears of loosing her baby or dying in childbirth.
The emotional overload of a traumatic birth may materialise immediately or in the days following birth, causing emotional distress in the form of sleep disturbances, flashbacks, anxiety and extreme panic. Coping mechanisms often involve the avoidance of people, places, procedures, events and a host of other potential triggers. Trying to cope with the demands of a newborn under these circumstances can feel overwhelming and bonding can be incredibly difficult too.
Whilst the emotional impact of a traumatic birth is commonly associated with mothers, fathers can also be affected too. They frequently report feeling ill-prepared for events that unfolded plus a lack of knowledge and skills to help their partners manage the discomforts of labour.
Counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy have until recently been the therapies prescribed for birth trauma and postnatal PTSD sufferers however, they often involve lengthy treatment programmes and can take considerable time before improvements are felt.
The therapy programme offered here uses methods which are comparatively brief and do not necessitate the sharing of painful memories, making it a preferred form of treatment for many parents dealing with the emotional overload of birth trauma. Therapy only requires you to mentally associate with the traumatic events in the privacy of your own mind so that the associated emotional aspects can be treated and cleared. Once the emotional triggers no longer exist, memories of the birth can no longer sabotage daily life and equalibrium is once again restored.
To talk further about treatment for birth trauma or postnatal PTSD click here.
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