Shaima’s story is not an unusual one, but she is not a war veteran, she is a mother.
Her story plays out like that of a soldier haunted by the ghosts of the battle fields, the sleepless nights, flashbacks, the constant irritability, the inability to concentrate to name just a few. Shaima suffers from what experts describe as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition most of us associate with a traumatic event or events that we have experienced at some point in our lives, which includes labour and birth experiences.
Women like Shaima who perceive their labour and delivery as traumatic are learning that perhaps it is not the experience of labour and delivery alone that plays a role in developing this disorder, but rather the symptoms of PTSD can be related to events and experiences they appraise as harmful or threatening prior to or during the pregnancy.
“(W)omen with fear of childbirth appraise the forthcoming delivery more negatively than others—thus their appraisal may be as important as the event itself,” says Susan Garthus-Niegel and others in their study “The impact of subjective birth experiences on post-traumatic stress symptoms: a longitudinal study.”
Depressed pregnant woman: “I have a healthy baby,” Shaima says, “and I am grateful for that, but I can’t help but look back at my birth experience as negative, and I keep wondering why I feel this way.”
Shaima is not alone in her sentiments. In fact studies have shown that up to one-third of women view their labour and delivery as traumatic, and people need to know that traumatic reactions to childbirth are an important public health issue, says Garthus-Niegel’s study.
What is important to remember is that not everyone who experiences a traumatic birth goes on to develop PTSD. Women who have experienced prior trauma in their lives whether in the form of violence, losing a loved one violently, or having the mere perception of a threat to ones life increases the chances of a woman developing PTSD after birth.
“It was my first pregnancy, I did not know what to expect,” Shaima recalls. “I only heard negative stories from other women about their deliveries, I was terrified that something bad would happen to me and my baby—I felt helpless.”
PTSD and postpartum depression are not the same. Although some of the symptoms can overlap, the causes are much different. PTSD is often a reaction to a traumatic event or a perception of a traumatic event and can be classified as a stress reaction. Postpartum depression on the other hand is a mood disorder caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain and is mediated by hormonal changes.
The symptoms of PTSD can generally be grouped into three categories:
- Re-experiencing (reliving the birth)
- Avoidance (avoiding another pregnancy or anything that reminds the mother of the traumatic experience)
- Increased arousal (exaggerated startle reflex, irritability, insomnia)
PTSD however can develop into postpartum depression and even postpartum psychosis if not recognized and treated appropriately.
Psychologists recommend seeking out a professional who is trained in postpartum PTSD. This will help to target the causes of the disorder and enable women to receive care that focuses on their particular needs.
All is not lost for Shaima and the women like her. Experts believe that having the right kind of support during the pregnancy, labour and delivery appears to have an effect on reducing the chances of developing PTSD when women perceive that support as caring and compassionate.
For a fee, the article The impact of subjective birth experiences on post-traumatic stress symptoms: a longitudinal study By: Susan Garthus-Niegel, Tilmann von Soest, Margarete E. Vollrath, Malin Eberhard-Gran can be reviewed in full. Please see the link below:
By Salimah Moffett
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