Tips to Help You Recover from a Traumatic Birth

Last Updated on February 23, 2024 by Joshua Isibor

Giving birth is a life-changing experience that every mother must go through. And while some have it easy, others go through a harrowing episode where parents sometimes lose their leaving behind their tiny tots.
It can be you had prepared yourself for a natural birth process, but complications arose, and you had to give birth via c-section. Other traumatic experiences during birth include long labor, perineal tears, and excessive blood loss. You’ve also heard of instances where the mother was advised on complete bed rest to prevent miscarriages and other issues, such as pre-eclampsia. These traumatic birth experiences can make you dread having another child. These tips will help you overcome the birth trauma if you have a challenging birth process.

What are the effects of a difficult pregnancy or birth process

As mothers, our wish is to have a smooth pregnancy and delivery. However, this is not always the case, as the unexpected happens. And if you happen to have a difficult pregnancy and birth process, you are bound to experience the following issues.

• Low self-esteem
• Relationship problems with your partner
• Problem sleeping
• Anxiety
• Postnatal depression
• Hard time bonding with your baby
• Feeling like you failed your baby
• A lack of trust in the medical system
• Fear of getting pregnant again

People should realize that birth trauma is not only experienced by women; men also experience it. This can be by being in the room as their partner gives birth. Or by being restricted from being in the room. All in all, both parents must be given sufficient time to heal from the trauma.

7 Tips to Help You Overcome Traumatic Birth Experience

Apply these tips to overcome a traumatic birth experience and enjoy parenthood.

1.Don’t Blame Yourself

After a difficult childbirth process, as a parent, you might feel like a failure or guilty. This may come from you feeling like you did not take all the necessary precautions or did not prepare well. You may also feel like your partner was not supportive enough.
And this may leave you feeling like you won’t be a good parent. You should know that things happen, and you are never guaranteed a smooth birth process. As such, believe that you did your best and be happy that you and your baby are healthy and safe.

2.Therapy

After a challenging childbirth, you and your partner may struggle to navigate parenting and process your feelings. In addition, childbirth can have lasting physical and psychological impacts on the parents, making it tough for them to bond with the child. It can also create distress and distance between a couple.
You can reach out to your mental health specialist. They will help you process your birth process. And the best part of talking to a therapist is there is no judgment so that you can talk about anything.
Your therapist may recommend different treatments, and the most popular is vagus nerve stimulation which relaxes and recuperates your body. It’s excellent for mothers as it has therapeutic and healing effects on their health and well-being. The vagus nerve device is easy to use and can be incorporated into your daily routine.

3.Talk to a Trusted Friend

After childbirth, many mothers spend months in the house, which can lead to loneliness. This may accelerate mental issues if the mother has a traumatic birth process. As such, as a mom, you should invite your closest friend or family who you can to talk without filters. Lay out all your feelings. It should be a plus if a fellow mum has undergone childbirth. This is because they have experience and can validate your feelings.
Having someone to tell about your experience will give you a sense of relief and reduce the likelihood of getting flashbacks or nightmares about the traumatic birth process.
So, if your friend or family has given birth, offer you support and be a person they can lean on when the going gets tough.

4.Allow Your Body to Heal

Difficult childbirth is tough on women as it takes longer for the physical wounds to heal. For instance, if you gave birth through a c-section, it will take months before you can do any hard work, and don’t even talk of standing days after surgery as it is excruciatingly painful.
The natural birth process isn’t better; you can experience perineal tears, which must be sutured. And the healing process will give you goosebumps just thinking about it.
Therefore, after giving birth, give your body time to heal. If you don’t have a family to offer support, consider hiring a nanny to help with the baby, and you can have a food service to deliver meals. Your partner should also provide full support to ensure you get plenty of rest.
It would be nice to have family near as they can take turns cooking and caring for your family.

5.Don’t Compare Your Birth Process to Other People

No one birth process is similar to the other. So please don’t compare your birth process to another, as it can leave you unhappy or stressed. So focus on your experiences and try to move on from them.

6.Self-Care

Many mothers let themselves go to compensate their children for the traumatic birth process. And this only makes the situation worse as the mother can feel resentful towards their child or partner over time.
New mothers who went through a traumatic birth experience are advised to take care of their physical and mental health. Childbirth changes your body, and you must develop self-love to love your body.
Your body needs massage and pampering, so once every two weeks, you can schedule a spa time. You also need to take care of your nails and hair.
Remember to drink plenty of water, eat healthy, take a short walk, pelvic floor exercises, and rest. A mother can only be 100% present if she is happy and healthy.

7.Schedule a Postpartum Debrief

You can schedule a debriefing service if something goes wrong during childbirth. This is where the doctor or the midwife present during the birth provides a walkthrough of everything that happened. They can also allow you to look at your maternity notes. And they also answer any questions you may have.

Things to Do to Avoid Birth Trauma

Although childbirth may not go as planned, there are things to can do to lower the chances of a traumatic birth experience. These include:

• All pregnant mothers must go for antenatal classes.
• Have regular discussions with your partner about your expectations during childbirth and how to cope with the unexpected.
• Use the services of a postpartum doula
• Create a childbirth and postpartum plan
• Have a support team
• Please work with your midwife and let them educate them on everything to do with childbirth.

Final Thoughts

Giving birth is a rewarding experience but can also be traumatic with a challenging birth process. Although we all want a smooth birthing experience, parents should prepare their minds for the unexpected and work on their coping mechanisms. If you have a traumatic birth, the tips above will help you overcome the trauma and enjoy parenthood.

Originally posted 2023-06-12 13:15:43.