Birth Trauma Counseling
You did not have the birth you envisioned.
In fact, your labor and delivery experience may have been extremely far off from your plan.
Everyone is telling you, “be thankful, you have a healthy baby.”
Maybe you cannot stop thinking about the details of your birth.
Maybe it feels like it is haunting you at times.
Maybe you are experiencing nightmares, flashbacks, or intense anxiety.
This is normal.
You are not alone.
We can help.
Brain Anatomy in Birth Trauma
Your brain is extraordinarily complex, consisting of many different parts, each serving their own respective functions in your day to day actions. Your reptilian brain, or your primitive brain, is the first part of your brain to develop, and is responsible for your body’s vitals, such as your heart rate, breathing, and your body temperature. Your mammalian brain, or limbic brain, is responsible for your emotional functioning. This part of your brain is responsible for behavioral and emotional responses, especially when it comes to danger or survival. Your amygdala lives in your limbic brain, which is a small piece of your brain responsible for continually scanning the environment for threats or danger. The most complex part of your brain is your neocortex, or your thinking brain. This is the part of your brain responsible for reasoning, problem solving, or creativity. The neocortex consists of roughly 70% of your brain.
During normal, nonstressful events, the three parts of your brain work together to achieve tasks and goals in your daily routine. However when you are under stress, or when a threat is perceived, your brain and body work differently. Your reptilian brain and limbic brain overpower your neocortex so you can survive the danger at hand. Once your amygdala perceives a threat, all of the blood in your neocortex is pushed to your body, as well as your limbic and reptilian brain. This is your body’s protective mechanism built in to survive the threat at hand. The threat that your amygdala perceived will trigger a threat response in your body of fight, flight, or freeze. This is not something you have a choice over; rather it is your body doing what it needs to do to survive the threat at hand.
Research tells us one in three to four of moms will have a traumatic birth experience. To take things a step further, it is not only the moms who can experience birth trauma, but also dads, or other witnesses to the birth. A traumatic birth can also be a risk factor for a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, or postpartum depression, anxiety, or other postpartum mood disorder.
Signs You May Have Experienced a Traumatic Birth
- You are experiencing flashbacks or nightmares of your birth
- You feel anxious when thinking about your birth, or things associated with your birth, such as hospitals, doctors, or more
- You are having insomnia or a difficult time sleeping
- You find yourself avoiding situations that remind you of your traumatic birth
- You frequently feel tense or “on edge”
- You may struggle remembering key things of what happened in your traumatic birth
- You may feel guilty, or that you should have done something differently
What we want you to know…
These are all normal, human reactions to birth related trauma. If you are having feelings like this, know that you are not alone. Our bodies and brains do unique things to cope and heal from trauma, and your response may look very different than another person’s response to birth trauma.
Our Approach to Birth Trauma Counseling in Ohio
First and foremost, it is important to note that no two birth trauma counseling journeys are the same. You will not feel this way forever, and your birth trauma does not define you as a person or parent. In counseling, we will work with you to create a safe and comfortable therapeutic environment for you to process through all of the details of your traumatic birth. We will always let you guide the ship of processing trauma; it is important that you are in control of each and every aspect of the process. Our role is to be a supportive figure, helping you to identify skills and practical tools to clear your mind and relax your brain and body, while also offering space for you to process through the tough parts of your birth in manageable ways. We’ll discuss all things relating to motherhood, parenting/adjustment to parenting, loss, expectations, boundaries, and more, while finding ways to care for yourself and love yourself along the way. We will collaboratively develop a treatment plan that is unique to you, your symptoms, and your goals. Whether we are meeting in our office in Uniontown, Ohio or through telehealth, the counseling process will be supportive, trauma-informed, and empowering.
Not sure if you are ready for counseling yet?
We get it – therapy can feel both overwhelming and intimidating! We are big supporters of coming as you are, whether that be in your yoga pants or with tears streaming down your face. We understand the value of your time, and will help you with practical tools for you to feel better and have symptom relief. Therapy is an investment in yourself, and a process in which you will learn and grow as an individual, parent, and spouse/partner. Whether you are newly postpartum, pregnant after a previous traumatic birth, or if your traumatic birth was years ago, we are happy to support you and provide effective, fun, and compassionate counseling for you and your concerns. We can set up an appointment for you to begin birth trauma counseling today.