Birth trauma is a very difficult thing to track, evaluate, and to create statistics about. Because of that, it’s even more challenging to hold the practitioners responsible for birth trauma accountable.
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By definition, trauma occurs when someone experiences extreme fear in a circumstance that is prolonged and where they are feeling out of control. Throw into that mix the coercion and manipulation that goes on in many maternity care settings and you’ll find that such disrespect, gaslighting and dishonesty compounds the feeling of trauma for the mother as well as her partner.
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Over the past couple of years we have seen scenarios that are extremely ripe for breeding birth trauma. Hospitals full of dying people, scary contagious disease, the prohibition of any type of support including partner support during a period of time as well as the absolutely invisible process that birthing people went through when they entered the hospital setting.
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We have heard the stories, heartbreaking stories, over the past two years and statistics are just nonexistent. There cannot be any change until there is accountability and there cannot be accountability until there is data.
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Have you experienced birth trauma? Do you understand how having a Doula there to support your emotional health as well as provide explanation as to what’s going on and to help slow things down when stuff feels like it’s getting crazy?
Just being treated with respect and open communication during the birthing experience can make all the difference.