When Survivors Give Birth
Even the best of births includes some potential reminders of a woman's past trauma. Overwhelming sensations in the pelvic area may be associated with memories of pain, shame, or terror. A woman may panic because she feels helpless to control what is happening to her body. Sharing the most private areas of her body with impersonal caregivers may feel like a re-violation of her personal boundaries.
A trauma survivor's fear of birth may not be obvious, even to herself. It may surface as an intense distrust of her doctor or midwife, as a refusal to tolerate any of birth's sensations ("I want an epidural as soon as labor begins"), or as a dark skepticism about the birth's outcome. Some women feel numb or apathetic, passively allowing their caregivers to make all of the relevant decisions.
Fortunately, no woman is hopelessly doomed to a dismal birth. There are many ways to create a supportive, empowering environment for pregnancy, labor and birth:
Knowledge of the birth process helps a woman realize that birth is something she can do rather than something that is done to her. Prenatal classes, videos, and books assist her to set well-informed priorities and to plan realistically for the birth she wants. The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger is an excellent resource for affirming women's active role in birth.
Counseling may be especially helpful during pregnancy to help a trauma survivor come to grips with the vulnerability of birth. It is important to find a counselor who is not overly fearful of birth herself.
Somatic therapies, such as Trauma Touch Therapy™, can also help a woman learn to cope with any physical panic responses or numbness that lingers from past trauma. Such therapeutic bodywork is always done with the utmost respect for a woman's boundaries and sensitivities.
A respectful doctor or midwife, who is willing to listen carefully and to plan cooperatively for the birth, can help reduce a woman's fear that she will be powerless in the birth drama. It may be necessary to interview several caregivers before finding one who is sensitive to the special challenges faced by trauma survivors in childbirth; but the benefits of rapport and trust are well worth the search.
Good labor support is essential for creating an emotionally safe atmosphere for birth. Studies have shown that although women value the presence of their husbands/partners, they greatly benefit from the additional support of another woman. Trauma survivors need to carefully choose a woman whose outlook on birth is positive and who can actively support the laboring mother's need for privacy, flexibility, and sensitive care.
When a woman feels that she has given birth with strength and dignity, she experiences a completely new awareness of her own capabilities. If she is a survivor of trauma, such a birth may also restore her belief in her identity as a woman. She moves beyond the role of a survivor to become an active creator of new life.
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