What is Birth Trauma?

Perhaps you have reached Momma Trauma by chance, or through the sharing of a friend (thanks friend!), or perhaps you have experienced Birth Trauma yourself. Wherever you are in your journey of life, "Birth Trauma" is now in your mind. So what is it, exactly?

The Birth Trauma Association tells us it is something which occurs in a mother when she gets PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or at least some of its symptoms after childbirth.

So what does that brief and broad description mean?

Over the next weeks and months to come, Momma Trauma will answer these questions and many more. Birth Trauma is a term used when a mother feels, well, traumatized from her childbirth experience. Something happened during her experience to set off bad vibrations in her, bad enough to create immense emotional dealings within herself. We're not talking common baby blues, or an euphoric momma who's elated every time her bundle of joy coo's. When we say Birth Trauma, we are talking about a myriad of emotions, triggers, problems, bad memories, flashbacks, trouble sleeping or eating, depression... Birth Trauma affects each person differently, and it's not just the mothers! This could affect the father, partner, birth attendants, etc. Every persons' experience with Birth Trauma will be different.

Why would a mother get PTSD from childbirth of all things? Baby is healthy, Momma is healthy, what's the problem?

First off, let me begin this question with this: That has to be one of the worst things you can say to a Birth Trauma family. The problem is that emotions are important and can really take over your life when you least expect them to do so. We'll get into that "everyone is healthy" statement at another time. Back to the question at hand: Why would a mother get PTSD from childbirth? Birth Trauma is not something every family experiences, and I'd venture to say not even most families experience Birth Trauma. But for those of us who have had the misfortune of dealing with PTSD from childbirth, the reasons vary by the hundreds. The important thing to remember is that PTSD and Birth Trauma are very real and we need to be open and willing to support families who are going through these situations in their lives.

Ultimately, Birth Trauma is relative. A mother could have Birth Trauma that stemmed from having to go through a cesarean delivery when she was expecting a natural birth. It could happen because she was sexually abused earlier in life and childbirth triggered that abuse all over again. There are countless reasons one might have to deal with Birth Trauma. You don't have to agree with them, you may not even understand. What you should understand is that emotions are real. This mother or family dealing with Birth Trauma is dealing with real, raw emotions that they probably cannot control yet. 

And they need to know that is okay.