Birth trauma | Right Decisions

Following a psychologically traumatic birth, women/birthing parents and partners may a range of symptoms, from acute distress to post-traumatic stress symptoms or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Standard care should include individualised support, ongoing monitoring and the provision of information to support help-seeking should symptoms persist. Provide parent-centred, trauma-informed opportunities for review of what happened during the birth shortly afterwards and again at 6 weeks.

Symptoms extending beyond 3 months may be indicative of more serious disorder and require appropriate referral to mental health teams for assessment and monitoring.

Psychosocial and psychological therapies

Offer women/birthing parents who have post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from a traumatic birth a high-intensity psychological intervention (trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing).

Do not offer single-session high-intensity psychological interventions with an explicit focus on ‘re-living’ the trauma to women/birthing parents who experience a traumatic birth.

Offer women/birthing parents, who have a subsequent pregnancy following a traumatic birth experience, the opportunity to speak with a member of their multidisciplinary team (eg midwife, anaesthetist, obstetrician) prior to and/or post delivery.

Pharmacological therapies

Pharmacological treatments are in line with those for people with anxiety disorders (see pharmacological therapies section). See use of pharmacological treatments section for general principles of prescribing during the perinatal period

Depending upon the woman/birthing parent’s post-traumatic stress symptoms, consider the use of pharmacological treatments, alongside a psychological therapy.