Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - As a result of a traumatically experienced birth

The birth of a child is a profound experience for many women. Around a third find it traumatic – regardless of how it actually goes (Creedy et al., 2000). 

The subjective experience is crucial: even a medically uncomplicated birth can be traumatic for the woman giving birth. Many women process this experience well over time. Others experience symptoms of acute stress reaction shortly after giving birth. This is a natural, albeit unpleasant, response to an extreme event and usually lasts a few days to a maximum of four weeks. Typical symptoms include dissociative symptoms (e.g. emotional numbness, feeling detached from oneself), strong feelings such as anger or sadness, and pronounced physical reactions (e.g. palpitations, sweating). The acute stress reaction is an attempt by the psyche to cope with what has been experienced.

In some cases, a traumatic birth experience leads to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – a delayed psychological reaction to trauma that can occur within six months of the event. The symptoms must persist for at least four weeks and typically occur in four areas: re-experiencing (e.g. flashbacks), avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and hyperarousal (e.g. jumpiness, irritability). 

PTSD is very stressful for those affected, can prevent them from forming a carefree relationship with their baby and impairs their ability to cope with everyday life. It is not uncommon for affected women to avoid further pregnancies or to experience them with intense fear and stress.