Birth Trauma & PTSD

Navigating pregnancy and postpartum in a new country, Lisa felt increasingly isolated without familiar support around her. When her newborn was taken to the special care nursery without explanation, and her concerns were repeatedly dismissed, she was left feeling unseen, unheard, and not held for years.

When Amber-Lee found herself unexpectedly pregnant, she knew life would change — but not in the ways she experienced. Through two pregnancies complicated by hyperemesis, a traumatic birth, and a challenging postpartum period, she navigated trauma, mental ill health, and the pressure of being ‘the strong one’ while silently struggling.

Kristy had long coped with anxiety and depression by staying busy, but after infertility, birth trauma, and a decline in postpartum mental health, those familiar coping strategies no longer worked. As she struggled with the stillness of motherhood, an unexpected ADHD diagnosis reframed everything she thought she knew about herself.

Chloe’s story moves through a series of places that marked the height of her anxiety and melancholic depression — from hospital wards after a retained placenta to the streets where she pushed her pram while fighting suicidal ideation. From emergency departments to a mother-and-baby unit admission, she navigated severe symptoms and the challenge of accepting help.

Dayna’s story reflects what it can feel like when trauma compounds. After a complicated emergency caesarean and separation from her baby, she was left without the newborn bubble she had hoped for. What followed was ongoing anxiety, panic, rage, and hypervigilance, alongside D-MER and the lasting impact of birth trauma within a strained health system.

After a traumatic first birth, Laura entered her second pregnancy hoping for a different experience — a ‘redo’. But complications and a precipitous labour led to a second postpartum marked by flashbacks, insomnia, panic, and depression — an undoing rather than a redoing. Laura reflects on the impacts of birth trauma, and the process of rebuilding with the support she was able to access.

Birth trauma shaped much of Claire’s early motherhood, impacting her mental and physical health in ways she never expected, alongside the challenges of border closures and a difficult feeding journey. When ‘failure to thrive’ was applied to her son, it became a label she internalised herself. Claire reflects on her experience of anxiety, PTSD, and learning to reconnect with herself as she redefined what it means to thrive.

With a background in child development psychology, Siobhan expected to feel prepared for motherhood. Instead, a traumatic birth and intense sleep deprivation during lockdown led to a postpartum experience marked by anxiety, depression, and, at its most severe, hallucinations and suicidal ideation. Siobhan reflects on the impact on her sense of self and the supports that helped her move towards recovery.

Monique’s birth may have been quick, but its complications and long-term impacts were anything but. Following a traumatic birth, severe complications, and a near-death experience, she was left navigating the physical and psychological aftermath, which she describes as a ‘storm’ she is still weathering. Monique reflects on the realities of birth trauma and the supports that have helped her feel less alone.

With a history of anxiety and depression, Jess entered pregnancy with a plan to protect her mental health. But when her son required urgent medical care and a prolonged NICU stay, her own wellbeing was overshadowed by the demands of caring for a critically unwell baby. She reflects on the lasting impact of the NICU experience, and the journey of finding herself again in motherhood.

After years of infertility, IVF, and complex pregnancies, Emma entered motherhood already carrying a significant emotional load. Antenatal anxiety, birth trauma, and further life stressors compounded her mental health, eventually leading to an admission to a mother-and-baby unit. Emma reflects on her journey towards prioritising her own healing, and how her experience has shaped her advocacy for other mothers.

Like many mothers, Sarah struggled during pregnancy to distinguish between normal symptoms and something more serious. With a history of health anxiety and chronic illness, this uncertainty was heightened — and at 35 weeks, her concerns were validated when she developed severe pre-eclampsia and nearly died. Sarah reflects on the trauma of a life-threatening pregnancy complication, the challenges of bonding with her baby afterwards, and the role of support and planning in recovery.

As a self-confessed ‘flaming extrovert’, Lauren struggled with the isolating and repetitive rhythm of early motherhood. With a history of IVF, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, and traumatic births, the intense love she felt after both births was overshadowed by the onset of postpartum depression by six months postpartum.

Despite her expertise as a midwife and academic, Helen describes her perinatal mental health experience with one word: ‘blindsided’. She developed post-traumatic stress disorder following a traumatic pregnancy marked by pre-eclampsia, IUGR, and a NICU admission, compounded by baby loss and ongoing IVF uncertainty. She reflects on the profound impact of psychological trauma in the perinatal period, both personally and professionally.

Like everything else in her life, Jess had carefully planned for motherhood — but during pregnancy, she was confronted by an all-consuming sense of dread and anxiety that went unrecognised. After the premature birth of her daughter at 28 weeks and a prolonged NICU stay, that anxiety briefly lifted, only to return more intensely once they arrived home. With the support of her care team and loved ones, Jess slowly found relief and began to experience the moments of motherhood she had long hoped for.

At 18 weeks pregnant, Aimee’s waters ruptured — but against all odds, her pregnancy continued and she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Despite the outcome she had hoped for, she felt as though she was living the worst-case scenario she had feared. Aimee hid her suffering for weeks, until her husband found her in a heap on the floor.

Rebecca had spent most of her life imagining motherhood — but not the mental breakdown that led to a psychiatric admission just days after her son’s birth. In part two, she reflects on a postpartum experience, shaped by OCD and PTSD, that unfolded in ways she never could have imagined.