A lot of women dream of becoming mothers. You crave the experience of being pregnant and can’t wait to hold your newborn in your arms seconds after giving birth. It’s one of those magical moments that people dream about. You build it up in your head for nine months, preparing for that day you finally get to meet your little one for the first time. But sadly, sometimes things can go horribly wrong.
Traumatic birth experiences are unfortunately more common than a lot of people realize. Giving birth is already a difficult, painful experience for a lot of mothers. A traumatic birth may involve a sudden change in the situation, a dangerous turn of events for you and your child, or general feelings of being overwhelmed by the whole experience. It may also involve a birth injury or damage to you or your child.
While no one ever plans for things to go wrong, sometimes your experience may not go exactly as planned and that can cause lasting effects on your emotional and mental health. It becomes easy to blame yourself, feel shame, or grieve the loss of a natural experience. Remember that you are not alone. Thousands of women around the world are dealing with the same emotional complications from trauma. As you start to heal, physically and emotionally, remember to rely on people who can help lift you out of the fog and help you reengage and start a beautiful relationship with your baby. Here are just a few tips to heal your emotional side after a traumatic birth experience.
Find a specialized therapist.
Going through an emotional or traumatic experience like a complicated birth can affect much more than just your body. Your mental health may also suffer and hinder your relationships with your partner and/or your child. Negligence is not the answer when it comes to your mental health. It may be beneficial to process your emotions with a mental health professional through individual therapy or group therapy. You can find expert counselors who focus on inclusiveness and compassion at therapistsinbaltimore.com.
You may be dealing with a lot of shame surrounding your childbirth experience, and a therapist can help you get out of your own head. A counselor will be there with you every step of the way to help you find the joy of being new parents and moving forward from your traumatic experience. Whether you need group therapy to talk with other individuals with birth trauma or marriage counseling to repair your intimate relationships, the right counselor is the best option to help you recover emotionally. A counselor who knows what they’re doing will show you nothing but warmth and compassion as you unpack your birth trauma and find a way to move forward and repair any relationship difficulties you may be facing.
Get the full picture of what happened.
After any traumatic experience, there can be a lot of confusion surrounding what really happened in that moment. Complicated childbirth can often involve speedy decisions or rushed operations. A natural birthing process is typically pretty straightforward, so why did yours look so different? One of the ways to begin your healing process is to fully understand exactly what happened in your situation. Speak with medical professionals like obstetricians to figure out the clear picture of your birthing experience. This will help you process with facts rather than be left wondering. While it may be hard to relive that traumatic experience, these insights will help you move forward to the next stage of life with your newborn. Learn and understand the past so you can own that experience and move forward from it.
Pursue avenues for financial compensation.
Once you see the full picture, you may be able to explore a free consultation or the possibility of filing a lawsuit if your birth trauma was caused by medical malpractice, carelessness, or negligence. Beyond your emotional trauma, you or your child may be suffering from serious injury or a birth defect due to a rushed or messed up delivery process. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may have a birth injury case. While this won’t necessarily take away your pain, a birth injury lawyer in Chicago can help you get financial compensation for your medical care or birth injuries.
Rely on your support system.
During any rough experience, it is important to remember the people around you who love and support you. Rely on your friends, family, and support system during this time. While it can feel natural to pull away and isolate yourself, it is more important to reach out to the people who can help lift you up. Whether you grab a bunch of bibles for sale and start a bible study group or get involved in a weekly walking group, find something that brings you comfort and compassion during this difficult time.
Don’t judge or compare your experience.
Some of the quickest routes to sadness are comparison and judgment. Especially as you’re processing a traumatic childbirth experience, it can be easy to compare your poor or complicated experience with people who have beautiful ones. The biggest favor you can do for yourself is to resist the urge to pass judgment on yourself or compare your experience to others. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. It isn’t your fault and you did absolutely nothing wrong. Work to give yourself grace and understand that you are not bad or wrong just because you had a different experience compared to other mothers. Your story is still being written and the bumps along the road are what makes it unique and beautiful.
Start off a healthy relationship with your baby.
Another side effect of a traumatic birth is having difficulty developing a healthy relationship with your infant. Because their birth brings back traumatic or difficult memories, you may not feel as connected to them or there may be a mental block there. It may feel like your baby isn’t really yours because you didn’t have a normal birthing process. Try and ease into getting to know your infant. The best contact form is to gradually ease into skin-to-skin contact. Hold your child close to you so you can both get to know each other.
Another healthy option is to try breastfeeding. Again, this may be difficult at first after a traumatic birth because your milk may not be ready to come in yet. Feeding your infant formula does not make you a bad mom. Everyone has a different experience, and this is yours. Don’t blame or let that be a setback in getting to know your baby. As long as you show them love and care, they will give it right back to you.
Take care of your physical health as well.
A traumatic birth can also cause serious injury for you beyond your mental health. Make sure you’re also consulting healthcare professionals to repair your body and your mind. Feeling like yourself again physically can greatly improve your emotional state. Getting up and moving every day after a rough birth can help you feel motivated and back to your natural state. Overall, the most important thing is to take care of you. You will be the best mom you can be once you feel healthy and whole again. Your physical and mental health go hand in hand, so make sure you’re talking about and taking care of both of them.
