Birth Trauma
Birth is a natural process, but at times things can go awry. Sometimes this is because something goes wrong and birth becomes an emergency. Sometimes it’s because of painful tears or broken tailbones. Many times it’s because your autonomy is taken from you. You’re poked, prodded, and touched without your consent. If you have a history of sexual trauma this can be especially triggering. For some parents, they don’t have the support they need in the room while delivering, while others feel traumatized by how their baby was handled or treated. Maybe your birth plan went right out the window and you felt completely out of control. When things don’t go as planned we can be left to feel traumatized, confused, and alone.
I know this story all too well. My baby sat in my birth canal for 2 HOURS, ready to push with no nurse or doctor in sight. Yet, I didn’t know anything was wrong other than noticing my doula looking increasingly more alarmed as time passed. My birth plan might as well have been tossed out of the window. Once our son was out, I was elated for the skin-to-skin contract. He was placed on my chest for less than a minute, then whisked away by a nurse whose touch was far from gentle. She started shoving a tube down his throat repeatedly while he screamed in distress. My husband tried to stop her to ask what she was doing, but all she would say is “fluids.”
Fortunately our little guy was okay and was returned to me. I’ll spare the details, but the nurse continued to be rough with both my me and my son.
As my epidural wore off, I felt on fire from my waist down. When I first got up to walk, I could barely get out of bed, let alone stand. I was in excruciating pain, but they didn’t seem too thrilled about giving me pain medicine. It wasn’t until 3 months later than I found out I broke my tailbone.
We are now thriving as a family, but looking back, the experience of a highly medicalized birth was highly overwhelming and a bit traumatizing.
Many things can fall into the category of birth trauma and you can even develop symptoms of PTSD with intrusive images, flashbacks, bodily reminders, etc.
Please know that it’s okay if you need support around processing your birth story and finding peace again.
At Safe Haven Trauma Services, we specialize in trauma-informed care. We understand how things can go wrong and feel so overwhelming. On top of experiencing a traumatic birth, you’re also raising a new baby.
Trauma-symptoms can wreck havoc on your brain and body, not to mention disrupt the bond between you and your baby. We can help you process your traumatic birth and move forward to have a joyful relationship with your baby.
If you need support, please reach out to us!
Natalie LeQuang, LPC-MHSP is accepting new parents as clients.