Birth Trauma Masked As Postpartum Depression or Postpartum Anxiety

Sometimes birth and postpartum aren’t what you expect. Your birth may not have gone as planned. You may have experienced a disregard for your birth plan, violations of your trust and autonomy. Or you may have experienced far more pain than you were expecting. There’s also tearing, emergency c-sections, or separation from your baby. Seeing your baby struggling or needing a NICU stay can also be shocking and overwhelming. But you might just be told, be glad you’re okay. Be glad you’re baby is okay. You question why you’re feeling so defeated or like something is off. 

For some this can mask as feeling disconnected from yourself and your baby. For others it can look like feel obsessive and preoccupied with the safety of your baby. You might be told by your provider that you need to take medication for postpartum depression or anxiety. While this is appropriate in some cases, it may just mask symptoms of trauma and PTSD. 

Without resolving the root cause, mothers and fathers can find themselves feeling lost and confused. You might wonder why you don’t feel bonded to your baby. Or you might not know why you can’t stop obsessing over your baby’s breathing when they sleep. 

Under the layers of disconnection and anxiety can be the experience of trauma, dissociation, and hypervilance. 

In my practice, I have helped families resolve trauma from the birth experience and feel more present, connected, and calm. 

If you are newly postpartum or have been for a while, I can help you work through your experiences so that you can feel more connected to yourself and your baby moving forward.