Coping With Traumatic Birth Experiences

Birth can be joyful — and it can also be frightening, confusing, and painful in ways that leave long-lasting effects. If your birth felt traumatic, you are not “overreacting.” According to a recently developed maternal mental health and birth trauma fact sheet created by the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, one in three birth mothers reported experiencing a traumatic birth, and one in five reported being mistreated in pregnancy, birth or postpartum. Many people experience intense emotional and physical reactions after difficult births, and a portion go on to develop childbirth-related post-traumatic stress. This post explains what that can look like, what research shows about causes and treatments, and how our team at Attuned Therapy + Wellness can support you with a trauma-informed approach.

What is “Birth Trauma” and How is it Different From PTSD?

“Birth trauma” is a lived experience: feeling terrified, powerless, or profoundly harmed during labour or delivery. When distressing reactions persist and meet diagnostic criteria (intrusive memories, avoidance, negative mood and hyperarousal) for longer than a month and cause significant disruption, this may be childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD). Not everyone who has a traumatic birth develops PTSD, but childbirth is a recognized trigger for PTSD in some new parents.

Key Indicators — What to Watch for After a Difficult Birth

If any of the following are ongoing (several weeks or more) and are interfering with daily life, consider reaching out for professional support:

• Intrusive memories or flashbacks of the birth, including nightmares.
• Avoidance of reminders (e.g., medical settings, talking about the birth, being alone with the baby).
• Emotional numbness or detachment — feeling cut off from your baby, partner, or yourself.
• Hypervigilance and startle reactions, constantly on edge, trouble sleeping.
• Strong physical reactions when reminded of the birth (sweating, racing heart, trembling).
• Persistent fear, guilt, or shame about what happened, or feeling that you failed.
• Difficulties with breastfeeding, bonding, or parenting that feel out of proportion to what you’d expect.

These clusters reflect standard PTSD symptom groups (intrusion, avoidance, negative changes, arousal). If symptoms last more than a month and cause distress/impairment, that meets the clinical threshold for PTSD assessment. Treatment is important to process your traumatic birth experience and help manage your mental health symptoms.

Common Causes and Risk Factors for Birth Trauma

Research identifies several frequently implicated factors — some medical, some relational or systemic:

• Emergency or unplanned interventions (e.g., emergency cesarean, instrumental delivery) are strongly associated with higher risk of CB-PTSD.
• Perceived loss of control, poor communication, or feeling coerced — sometimes described as “obstetric violence” — increase psychological harm. Social support and respectful care are protective.
• Prior trauma or mental-health vulnerability (history of PTSD, antenatal depression/anxiety, fear of childbirth) raises risk.
• Medical complications (severe bleeding, neonatal distress) can create terrifying experiences that later become traumatic memories.

Notably, how the event was experienced (felt danger, loss of control, poor communication) often predicts trauma more than objective measures alone. Oftentimes, how a mom or dad is supported by their care team is connected to how safe they feel throughout the birthing process, helping to release fear even when scary procedures or unexpected events during birth are involved.

Evidence-based treatments and supports

Good news: there are effective treatments for childbirth-related PTSD and trauma symptoms.

• Trauma-focused psychological therapies — such as trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and prolonged exposure — have evidence for reducing PTSD symptoms in postpartum populations. Early interventions that are trauma-focused show benefit.
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) has promising results in reducing trauma symptoms after childbirth, including studies of early postpartum EMDR.
• Brief interventions like structured debriefing alone are not consistently helpful; targeted trauma therapies delivered by trained clinicians are preferred or atleast combined with talk-therapy approaches.
• Practical supports (breastfeeding help, parenting support, social connection) and making sense of the birth experience in a safe therapeutic relationship are also important parts of recovery. Postpartum trauma can occur in situations where parents are not provided appropriate care or compassionate understanding.

Unfortunately, screening for birth trauma is not yet routine in many services. If you’re struggling, please request an assessment from your health provider, or seek help from someone who is able to advocate for your needs. Therapists trained in perinatal mental health are great supports when parents are considering becoming pregnant again after a traumatic birth, or if needing someone to advocate with health care providers.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Cope With Traumatic Birth — What That Looks Like in Therapy

Trauma-informed care emphasizes safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment. It is very important that clients who are coping after traumatic birth feel safe and secure throughout their therapy journey.

In practice we as perinatal therapists at Attuned Therapy + Wellness:

• Validate your experience and normalize distress after frightening births.
• Prioritize safety and pacing; we won’t push you to re-tell the whole story before you’re ready.
• Offer evidence-based trauma treatments (if appropriate) and tailor them to parenting needs (e.g., scheduling around feeds, including infants, offering telehealth).
• Support practical parenting challenges (bonding, feeding, sleep) alongside trauma work.
• Work collaboratively with other providers (OB, midwife, family doctor) when helpful and with your consent.

How Attuned Therapy + Wellness Can Help Parents Heal After a Traumatic Birth Expereince

If your birth felt traumatic, our team of nurse psychotherapists and registered psychotherapists provide attuned presence and compassionate, non-judgmental care. We offer:

• Trauma-informed assessment of post-birth distress.
• Trauma-focused therapy options (EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, brainspotting, internal family systems, stabilization and skills work).
• Practical supports for parenting and bonding concerns.
• Flexible appointments (in-clinic in Kincardine, Ontario supporting clients across Huron, Grey and Bruce County, or virtual throughout Ontario) and family-friendly scheduling.

You don’t have to “be fine” right away. Processing your birth experience and being supported throughout your postpartum recovery journey deserves to be a priority. Recovery is possible with the right kind of help, allowing you to grieve the losses you have experienced, make peace with what is, and find enjoyment now in the present.

When to Seek Urgent Help for Birth Trauma

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, or if you are unable to care for your child because of emotional distress, seek emergency help immediately. Please go to your nearest emergency department or call the suicide crisis line by dialing 9-8-8.

If you are not in crisis but need help, reach out to your family doctor, midwife, or contact us at Attuned Therapy + Wellness for an intake and assessment. We will respond as soon as possible to book you in for your first appointment.

Support to Cope with Birth Trauma

If parts of your birth still feel overwhelming, intrusive, or hard to talk about, you don’t have to carry that alone. If you are finding yourself tearing up when thinking back to your birth months after your baby was born, you deserve to process and release the pain you still carry. Psychotherapy for birth processing can make a meaningful difference.

At Attuned Therapy + Wellness, our team supports new parents who have experienced difficult or traumatic births with a trauma-informed, compassionate approach. We take time to understand your experience and assess how trauma may be showing up for you now. We work at a pace that feels safe and manageable. Therapy can help you process what happened and reduce distressing symptoms. With the help of your therapist, you can rebuild a sense of trust in your body, your parenting, and yourself.

You’re welcome to reach out whether your birth trauma feels recent or years in the past. We offer both in-person and virtual sessions, and our client care coordinator can help match you with a therapist who fits your needs.

If you’re ready, you can book a consultation or intake appointment through our website, or contact our office directly to learn more about how we can support you. Healing is possible — and you deserve care that honours your experience.

References

Furuta M, Horsch A, Ng ESW, Bick D, Spain D, Sin J. (2018). Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Psychological Therapies for Treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Women Following Childbirth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry. Nov 20;9:591. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00591. PMID: 30515108; PMCID: PMC6255986.

Grisbrook, M.-A., Dewey, D., Cuthbert, C., McDonald, S., Ntanda, H., & Letourneau, N. (2024). The Association between Cesarean Section Delivery and Child Behavior: Is It Mediated by Maternal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Maternal Postpartum Depression? Behavioral Sciences, 14(1), 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14010061

Horsch, A., Garthus‑Niegel, S., Ayers, S., Chandra, P., Hartmann, K., Vaisbuch, E., & Lalor, J. (2024). Childbirth‑related posttraumatic stress disorder: Definition, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 230(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2023.09.089

Kopmeiners, E. H. M., Hollander, M. H., van Voorst, N., & Stramrood, C. A. I. (2023). Effect of early postpartum EMDR on reducing psychological complaints in women with a traumatic childbirth experience. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2023.2229010

Silva-Fernandez CS, de la Calle M, Arribas SM, Garrosa E, Ramiro-Cortijo D. (2023). Factors Associated with Obstetric Violence Implicated in the Development of Postpartum Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review. Nurs Rep. Nov 1;13(4):1553-1576. doi: 10.3390/nursrep13040130. PMID: 37987409; PMCID: PMC10661273.

Verreault, N., Da Costa, D., Marchand, A., Ireland, K., Banack, H., Dritsa, M., & Khalifé, S. (2012). PTSD following childbirth: A prospective study of incidence and risk factors in Canadian women. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 73(3), 257–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.07.010