Traumatic Childbirth

by Cheryl Tatano Beck, Sue Watson, Jeanne Watson Driscoll

Postpartum depression has become a more recognized mental illness over the past decade as a result of education and increased awareness. Traumatic childbirth, however, is still often overlooked, resulting in a scarcity of information for health professionals. This is in spite of up to 34% of new mothers reporting experiencing a traumatic childbirth and prevalence rates rising for high risk mothers, such as those who experience stillbirth or who had very low birth weight infants. This ground-breaking book brings together an academic, a clinician and a birth trauma activist. Each chapter discusses current research, women’s stories, the common themes in the stories and the implications of these for practice, clinical case studies and a clinician’s insights and recommendations for care. Topics covered mothers’ perspectives, fathers’ perspectives, the impact on breastfeeding, the impact on subsequent births, PTSD after childbirth and EMDR treatment for PTSD. This book is a valuable resource for health professionals who come into contact with new mothers, providing the most current and accurate information on traumatic childbirth. It also presents mothers’ experiences in a manner that is accessible to women, their partners, and families.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Liss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for health professionals to get their heads around the idea that birth trauma exists.

[Caroline Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every perinatal professional!

[sofie jacobsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book published in 2013, some stories are from 30 years ago. This book was very difficult to read because of all of the stories. They were challenging to read and acknowledge that they were true. The statistics on women who experience PTSD because of their labor and delivery is horrifying (33-45%). In addition to including stories of from mothers, it also includes stories from nurses and other care providers who experience PTSD from labors they attend. There were some healing stories shared, some with women who had empowering scheduled cesarean sections.

"What can we do to prevent and/or minimize posttraumatic stress disorder secondary to birth trauma? The basic and fundamental principle is to care and communicate: establish rapport with the patient, stay connected, treat the woman with respect and protect her dignity, and care for [her]." (Page 245)