Birth trauma can leave lasting scars on new mothers, but taking steps like reaching out to medical professionals and loved ones for help can aid their recovery. If you’re suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD after birth, you might not know how to process the feelings you’re experiencing or what they all mean. However, learning about it and how common these feelings are can help you recover and rebuild your life.
How can new mothers overcome birth trauma guilt?
Birth trauma can create serious friction in a new mother’s relationship with her newborn. The good news is that there are several steps a mother can take to overcome birth trauma:
Don’t blame yourself
The last thing any mother should do is blame herself for feeling guilty about having birth trauma. This condition occurs for several reasons, none of which are the mother’s fault:
- Forceps birth
- Being ignored
- Short, painful, or long labor process
- Emergency C-section
- Treated impersonally
- Lack of information or privacy
- And more
Seek out support for PTSD after birth
One of the most important things to do is to seek out both practical and emotional support if you’re feeling birth trauma guilt. There are many different resources that can be used to cope with the trauma.
It could be talking with friends and family who can simply listen and provide you with the emotional support needed. Also, counselors can be an emotional outlet; professional guidance and trauma therapy can aid your recovery.
PTSD after birth: Processing feelings toward your child
It’s not something any mother wants to discuss, but you may feel as if the trauma you’re experiencing is partly due to your child. You may blame them for your sense of guilt and not know how to handle it.
It’s best to acknowledge the feelings and review the events that occurred to change the way that you see your child. That’s part of coping with PTSD after birth.
See if you have a birth injury claim
If you’re experiencing birth trauma guilt, your child may have also suffered negligent care from their doctors. It’s possible that your child was injured during the birth process.
This makes it important to speak with a childbirth injury attorney to determine the correct course of action to build your case and obtain compensation.
Give yourself time to heal
Birth trauma guilt impacts many different aspects of your life and you likely feel pressure to “get over it,” even if no one is telling you to do so. It’s important to give yourself space and time to properly heal.
Your progress toward recovery can prove to ultimately be more sustainable and lasting when you acknowledge your condition. Give yourself the space to recover.
What if you’re not recovering from PTSD after birth?
If you’ve given yourself time and space to heal but don’t think you’re making any progress, don’t hesitate to speak out to a professional. You may be suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder and require professional assistance to aid your recovery. With a little help, you could navigate away from the feelings you have and enjoy a better relationship with your child.
Birth trauma can cause scars that take years to heal, and some which never do. Unfortunately, the condition is often coincident with the trauma inflicted on a child. If the mother’s care is inadequate, it’s likely their newborn didn’t receive adequate care either.
If you’re suffering from birth trauma, it’s important to take the steps to obtain compensation and determine whether your child is entitled to any as well. Recovery can take a long time, but the process can begin once you identify the problem and if you and your child have been negatively impacted by poor medical care.
About today’s writer
Katherine Webre is a passionate writer with years of experience in legal. She has dedicated her career to representing the most vulnerable among us, children who have suffered severe injustice.
Beyond legal action, Katherine also takes up the pen to raise awareness and inform audiences about birth injuries. By sharing her expertise, she hopes to empower people to act against any prejudice and works as a collaborative editor for a birth injury lawyer.
It is good to address such issues and not ignore them. Recovery can happen sooner that way.
A very interesting article, Christy. Sharing.