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Birth Trauma: The Causes and Consequences of Childbirth-Related Trauma and PTSD

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Women's Reproductive Mental Health Across the Lifespan

Abstract

Birth can be a time of great joy for women. While difficult, it can be empowering and satisfying. But for some women, childbirth is psychologically traumatic and, in some cases, leads to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This chapter outlines the DSM-V diagnostic criteria for PTSD and reviews recent studies that document the incidence of birth in the USA and in other parts of the world. Traumatic birth can also have a negative impact on breastfeeding, yet breastfeeding can also be healing for women who experienced traumatic birth. Risk factors for traumatic birth include the actions of health care providers, prior perinatal loss, history of previous abuse or trauma, and ethnicity. The phenomenon of vicarious traumatization is described, specifically how health care providers can be traumatized by witnessing the experiences of others. Finally, posttraumatic growth and possible interventions are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas Tech University School of Medicine, Amarillo, TX, USA

    Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Ph.D., I.B.C.L.C., F.A.P.A.

Authors
  1. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Ph.D., I.B.C.L.C., F.A.P.A.
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Correspondence to Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Ph.D., I.B.C.L.C., F.A.P.A. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for Postpartum Health, Sherman Oaks, California, USA

    Diana Lynn Barnes

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© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Kendall-Tackett, K. (2014). Birth Trauma: The Causes and Consequences of Childbirth-Related Trauma and PTSD. In: Barnes, D. (eds) Women's Reproductive Mental Health Across the Lifespan. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05116-1_10

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