Birth trauma is the distress a mom experiences during labor or when giving birth. It can be physical, emotional, or psychological.

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Moms with birth trauma feel numb, are anxious, have panic attacks, fear going down memory lane, and they battle endless guilt and numbness. Are there factors that make women susceptible to birth trauma though? Indeed there are. Let's explore them.

Medical Interventions For The Baby After Birth

It's traumatizing if labor ends with a baby recovering in the NICU or preparing for surgery. During delivery, moms endure immense pain while anticipating meeting their bundle of joy. When this expectation ends with a medical team working on their baby immediately after birth, it can be devastating and really take a toll on a mother.

Preemie moms are prone to birth trauma because their babies are born before their organs and fully developed so they have to be closely monitored by doctors and nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for sometimes many months. Due to preemies’ fragile state, some moms have to wait a long time before being able to touch their baby's hand or hold them in their arms. Living this experience for days, weeks, or months can cause anxiety and panic attacks to a mom.

If a baby is born with birth defects or disabilities, the mother will likely have to process trauma related to the experience and diagnosis. A mom may feel guilty about her lifestyle during pregnancy even when the problem was not her fault. This guilt can slowly become birth trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder.

If a baby is wheeled away right after birth without the opportunity to have skin-to-skin connect time with its mother, this too can lead to birth trauma. The feeling that a mother could lose her baby before connecting to him or her can be too overwhelming and cause panic. In addition, the mom has no control over the situation, and there isn't much she can do except hope and cry. These emotions can cripple a mother’s birth experience.

Suffering A Miscarriage Or A Still Birth

A positive pregnancy test is always a cause for joy for expectant moms but in the event of a miscarriage, a pregnant mom is left shattered and depressed. Losing a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy can be very traumatizing to a mom.

Delivering a stillbirth can also have the same effect on moms. Doctors opt to induce labor to deliver the stillborn or perform dilation and evacuation procedures. Regardless of the method used during delivery, the experience can scar a mother's experience of birth and create intense anxiety around the idea of childbirth in the future.

A Neonatal Death

When a baby dies 28 days after delivery, it is known as a neonatal death. Moms who lose their baby this early are at risk to suffer birth trauma. Death knocks on their door before their bodies have physically healed from giving birth. A neonatal death can inflict physical, emotional, and psychological damage to a mom.

A Long, Difficult Labor

Most moms have expectations before going to labor. If the delivery is different from what they pictured, their birth experience can be traumatic. An example is when a mom spends long hours and days in labor without having an epidural. Birth Trauma Association explains that being subjected to this intense pain can create future panic attacks on the mom.

Besides, if a mom experiences long labor, she may feel like a failure particularly after watching other moms deliver their babies so much easier. She may also feel like her body is to blame for the terrible experience resulting in birth trauma.

Labor Complications

For some women, child delivery includes labor complications. Moms who have postpartum hemorrhage or retained placenta are more prone to birth trauma. Besides, if the baby is breech, the doctor may need to use tools to assist with delivery. This, too, can be traumatizing.

Baby Has Birth Injuries

A birth injury is any damage that a baby suffers during the birth process. These injuries occur as doctors assist a mom during delivery. Delivering a newborn with red bruises and scratches on the head can be disturbing for some moms. Luckily, these scratches heal on their own without medical intervention.

However, there are more traumatic birth injuries. The American Baby and Child notes an infant may also suffer clavicle fractures, oxygen deprivation, infections, facial paralysis, and cerebral palsy during birth. Since these injuries happen during delivery, a mom may feel guilty and not want to give birth again.

Previous Birth Traumas

If a mom experienced birth trauma in her previous delivery, she is more susceptible to triggering another according to Pregnancy Birth and Baby. Being in the same situation twice can be overwhelming. These moms will fear a recurrence of their previous traumatic experience. This can trigger anxiety, fear, and helplessness.

Moms With Previous Traumatic Experiences

Parenting Science explains that sexually abused women have a higher risk of suffering from birth trauma. Enduring pain during labor can trigger anxiety and fear. Also, if a mom's family has a history of psychological problems, she is more susceptible to birth trauma.

Neglect From The Medical Staff

Moms who had a great support system when giving birth have a positive outlook during the birthing process. But when a mom has a disrespectful medical team, which does not listen to her concerns, she is more likely to feel helpless and fearful during birth. Besides, if the staff denies a pregnant mom pain relief medication, labor can be difficult. This can lead to birth trauma.

There are ways to prevent birth trauma. Pregnant moms can attend antenatal and birthing classes to prepare for delivery. They can even hire a doula to help during labor. When a mom has an idea of labor and delivery, she will be less likely to suffer birth trauma. Moms should be well prepared and walk into the delivery room with realistic expectations. Being realistic will help a mom remain calm during delivery and prevent birth trauma.

Having a support system can also help moms stop birth trauma. When a mom surrounds herself with people who care about her, she is less likely to develop anxiety and depression. Note: if a mom has had previous traumas, anxiety, and depression, it is best to seek medical help. Moms who had high-risk pregnancies and difficult labor should seek counseling too. Through counseling, these moms can get closure about their birth experience and learn how to move on.

NEXT: 15 Life-Changing Birth Trauma Stories

Sources: Pregnancy Birth and Baby, Birth Trauma Association, Parenting Science, American Baby and Child.