Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2023 and MumSafe

Birth Trauma Awareness - 16th - 23rd July 2023

Alongside our team of MumSafe Trainers we stepped up and forward action and support for safer births and better healing by joining the first annual BIG Step Challenge in support of @birthtrauma.org.au.

We all took 110,000 steps during Birth Trauma Awareness Week.

That's one step for every family impacted by birth-related trauma in Australia each year.

Even on a tiny budget and with a volunteer workforce, ABTA delivers national support services for parents who have experienced birth-related trauma which is so incredibly needed.

This includes their online and in-person, peer-led support services, education resources, and a growing body of advocacy work that consists of the collection of critical data to shed light on this issue.

It's Birth Trauma Awareness week and this years focus is on Postpartum PTSD. So what is it?

Postpartum PTSD as a consequence of traumatic birth. It’s a condition that affects around 4% of women who give birth

.

Approximately 15,000 Australian women each year, and an estimated 4.7 million worldwide.

1 in 3 women find some aspect of their birth experience traumatic but may not meet a diagnosis of PTSD, but that does not mean you are suffering any less. Trauma is completely individual.

Common symptoms include

- Flashbacks
- Nightmares or intrusive thoughts about the birth
- Avoiding reminders about the birth
- Feeling irritable, jumpy or agitated
- Noticing other changes in mood

Postpartum PTSD is not the same as postpartum depression and should be treated differently.

We will share more about this during the week, if you're after support services head to birthtrauma.org.au

DAY 2: Words

If you're wondering if you have experienced or are experiencing Birth Trauma, here are some signs & symptoms that you might experience.

Some of the risk factors include:

- Fear for yourself, your baby or your partner
- Feeling out of control or forced into making decisions about care
- Having procedures performed without informed consent
- Needing emergency interventions such as an emergency caesarean or an assisted delivery (forceps or vacuum)
- Experiencing significant pain
- Feeling not being listened to or respected e.g. having concerns dismissed and feeling judged or criticised
- Feeling alone or unsupported by your partner or health professional
- Having a long difficult labour or a very quick delivery
- Being separated from your baby e.g. mum or baby needing to be in a higher care setting such as ICU or NICU/special care
- Having a premature baby
- Not feeling informed
- Any other shocking or unexpected experiences during birth

Day 3:

Trauma isn't straight forward, neat or tidy in lots of ways. There is a ripple effect, it can impact:
- Parenting
- Bonding with your baby
- Future Family planning
- Partner relationship
- Sense of identity
- Relationships with friends and family
- Ability to work
- Trust in the medical profession

It's not something to ignore, I know you're a Mama and will likely try and get on with things, but this here, this is the important stuff, because you don't have to suffer alone.

Day 4: Trauma & Taboo

Read that again, 86%. That's how closely birth injuries and mental health challenges are linked. Physical birth trauma may include:
- Perineal tears
- Bladder damage
- Pelvic floor muscle damage
- Pelvic organ prolapse (POP)
- Infected stitches
- Incontinence/leaking of wee or poo
- Pelvic fractures (public bone, coccyx, sacrum)
- Caesarean wounds
- Pudendal neuralgia (nerve pain/damage)
- Wound dehiscence (wound breakdown/separation)
- Hysterectomy (removal of womb/uterus)
- Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH/secondary PPH)
Other injuries that may not have been categorised here.

As a MumSafe Trainer I want to share with you, that you are important and so is your physical or emotional experience of birth. This is why getting to know you, asking about your birth story , creating a safe space for you and referring you to supportive allied health professionals is so important.

Day 5:

There is growing data on the prevalence of birth trauma-related disorders in doctors, midwives, and other maternity care workers who have witnessed or been involved in traumatic births. Research shows more than two-thirds of midwives (67.2%) report having witnessed a traumatic birth event and that 17% of midwives met the criteria for probable post-traumatic stress disorder.

This equates to almost one in every five midwives who are attending a birth or supporting new parents doing so while impacted by their own trauma, exposing themselves to re-traumatisation and reducing their ability to support new families.

Day 6: Getting Help

One-third of women experience giving birth as traumatic; as a result, 3-6% of women will go on to develop postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with many more going undiagnosed
PTSD is different from postpartum depression, although depression can occur at the same time as trauma.

Treating PTSD during the postnatal period requires specialist care. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, please seek help from a trusted health professional.

Speak to your GP, Maternal Child Health Nurse or other health professional that can refer you to support services. Speaking with your GP will enable you to select the care plan that best suits your needs. Your GP may complete a mental health care plan and refer you to a mental health professional who has experience in supporting people after trauma.

For more support visit birthtrauma.org.au