Women who have felt, regardless of the circumstances, powerless and threatened (either themselves or their baby) will likely walk away from the birth feeling traumatized.

Many people in our culture feel conditioned to believe that we shouldn't carry negative feelings about our baby's birth. Some of the messages we hear are:

All that matters is that you have a healthy baby
You should be grateful for medical interventions because 100 years ago, you or your baby could have died
A birth is just a moment in time which is nothing compared to the lifetime you now have to be with your baby
You can always try again next time for a different experience

While those things may be true, a traumatic birth often leaves women feeling:

Loss/sadness
Anxiety
A sense of failure
Low confidence as a mother/woman
Self-doubt
Depression
Difficulty bonding
Fear of another pregnancy
Anger at self or care providers
Mistrust of or betrayal by her own body

Healing

Processing trauma is crucial to allow our brains, minds, hearts and bodies to come to peace with our experiences. EMDR continues to be the technique I use to help women do this important processing.

If you would like to talk more about birth trauma, feel free to call me at 303-916-6929 or e-mail me to set up an appointment.