Prenatal & Birth Trauma
The word
"trauma" is particularly emotive. It conjures up the worst images of war,
famine and disaster – conditions that few people in modern-day western
society encounter. However, what is not commonly recognised, is that whilst
few of us experience these extreme events, trauma plays an important part
in all of our lives. Resolving its grip upon us can liberate us from a
wide range of physical, emotional and psychological problems.
The most significant traumas that affect us are those that occur in the
earliest stages of our life – throughout the three trimesters of pregnancy,
during the birth process and the early years of childhood. It is true
to say that the earlier the trauma, the more significant its impact upon
us. This is because these events set a foundation upon which we build
the structures of our later life. In fact, the degree to which we respond
to, and are able to recover from, stress in later life is directly determined
by the degree of unresolved prenatal and birth trauma that is present.
Birth trauma is something of a paradox. It is probably one of the most
extensively studied of all traumas that affect large numbers of people,
yet it is an area in which the majority of the population remain completely
unconscious. There is very little awareness amongst the public as a whole,
and particularly amongst health professionals that the birth journey itself,
as well as any interventions that might accompany it can be a source of
significant physical, emotional and psychological stress and trauma.
Medical science uses the term birth trauma to describe severe physical
injury suffered by the baby as a result of mechanical forces experienced
during the birth. However, what is not understood is that even when there
has been no obvious injury, there can still be adverse effects that arise
as a result of some aspect of the birthing process. These effects can
range from being quite mild to extremely debilitating, and in many cases
can significantly affect our well-being for years to come.
The birth process is more than just the means through which we come into
this world. It is a major period of transition in our lives. This transition
from our experience of being intimately connected with our mother, whilst
in the womb, to gradually separating and individuating, once we leave
the womb, affects us physically, psychologically and spiritually. If our
birth was relatively easy and stress-free, we will have a completely different
orientation to life than if we experienced our birth as deeply traumatic.
For further details see Our
Earliest Experiences
The following is a list of commonly occurring situations that can be potentially
traumatising to a baby:
Pregnancy
• Unwanted pregnancy
• Accident, illness or injury during pregnancy
• Divorce or separation of parents
• Death of a loved one
• Domestic strife, worries or other tension
Birth
• Premature birth.
• Difficult, fast or long labour.
• Forceps or vacuum extraction.
• Use of pain-relief medication and/or anaesthetics
• Premature cutting of umbilical cord.
• Cord around the neck
• Caesarean section
For a more complete list of causal factors in prenatal and birth trauma
see Causes of Early Life Trauma