Authors :
Lamnunnem Haokip
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 9 - September
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/2whdxw5z
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26sep195
Note : A published paper may take 4-5
working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and
ResearchGate.
Abstract :
Birth is a life-changing moment; to some, it is exciting and hopeful, like fulfilment; while for others, giving birth
may be terrifying or daunting or even traumatic. Birth trauma is when a woman may feel psychologically or emotionally
distressed due to her childbirth experience, which she considers threatening, scary, or overwhelming. It might happen after
an unplanned emergency caesarean section, or protracted/complicated labour, acute pain, post-natal complications such as
obstetric haemorrhage or assisted reproductive delivery of the newborn, supplemented by severe maternal complications
during birth or medical interventions and even induced separation from their baby. Importantly, birth trauma is subjective,
and a medically uncomplicated birth may be experienced as traumatic by the mother.
Some of the emotional impacts following a traumatic birth include: fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt, helplessness and
loss of control, as well as lower self-esteem and difficulty adjusting to motherhood. In some women, these symptoms become
prolonged and can develop into post-traumatic stress, depression or an anxiety disorder. Birth trauma may affect outcomes
related to breastfeeding, maternal–infant bonding, subsequent pregnancy plans, and a woman's relationship with healthcare
services.
Keywords :
Birth Trauma, Emotional Recovery, Nursing Intervention.
References :
- Ayers S, Horsch A, Garthus-Niegel S, Nieuwenhuijze M, Bogaerts A, Hartmann K, Karlsdottir SI, Oosterman M, Tecirli G, Turner JD, Lalor J. Traumatic birth and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder: International expert consensus recommendations for practice, policy, and research. Women and Birth. 2024 Mar 1;37(2):362-7.
- Webb R, Uddin N, Constantinou G, Cheyne H, Ayers S. Prevalence of birth trauma and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder in UK women: results from the international survey of childbirth-related trauma. Women's Reproductive Health. 2026 Jan 2;13(1):16-27.
- https://joinphoenixhealth.com/resourcecenter/birth-trauma-statistics/
- https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240045989
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539831/
- https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240058262
- Prado M, Camprecios M. Impact of childbirth Post-traumatic stress disorder on the Mother-Infant Bond: a systematic review. Psychology, Health & Medicine. 2026 Feb 15;1–22. doi:10.1080/13548506.2026.2628980
- Rehberg F, Rihm L, Göbel A, Thiel F, Büechl VCS, Even M, et al. Perinatal PTSD and the mother-infant bond: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2025 Aug;114:103050. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.103050
- World Health Organization. (2022). WHO recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience. Geneva: World Health Organization.
- Hendrix YMGA, Van Pampus MG, Hofman A, Henrichs J, Van Der Horst HE, De Jongh A. Treatment of traumatic birth experience with postpartum early eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy: a randomized clinical trial. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2025 Dec;233(6):654.e1-654.e25. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2025.07.051
- Middleton, L. (2026), Understanding Healing From Psychological Birth Trauma: A Lived Experience Perspective. J Midwifery Womens Health., 71: 70-75. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.70052
- World Health Organization. (2022). WHO recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience. Geneva: World Health Organization
Birth is a life-changing moment; to some, it is exciting and hopeful, like fulfilment; while for others, giving birth
may be terrifying or daunting or even traumatic. Birth trauma is when a woman may feel psychologically or emotionally
distressed due to her childbirth experience, which she considers threatening, scary, or overwhelming. It might happen after
an unplanned emergency caesarean section, or protracted/complicated labour, acute pain, post-natal complications such as
obstetric haemorrhage or assisted reproductive delivery of the newborn, supplemented by severe maternal complications
during birth or medical interventions and even induced separation from their baby. Importantly, birth trauma is subjective,
and a medically uncomplicated birth may be experienced as traumatic by the mother.
Some of the emotional impacts following a traumatic birth include: fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt, helplessness and
loss of control, as well as lower self-esteem and difficulty adjusting to motherhood. In some women, these symptoms become
prolonged and can develop into post-traumatic stress, depression or an anxiety disorder. Birth trauma may affect outcomes
related to breastfeeding, maternal–infant bonding, subsequent pregnancy plans, and a woman's relationship with healthcare
services.
Keywords :
Birth Trauma, Emotional Recovery, Nursing Intervention.