Healing From Birth Trauma
It’s birth trauma awareness week.
What is birth trauma? I allow it to be defined by the person who experienced it but could include experiences like:
Severe illness during pregnancy
Being induced
Having an unexpected C-section
Use of forceps
A lengthy, painful labor
A lack of medical support
Medical invalidation and maltreatment during birth
A lack of privacy or care during birth
A lack of information or explanation about what is happening to you during birth
A baby who is taken to the NICU immediately after birth
The birth of a deceased baby
Fear that you will lose your baby due to medical complications or another concern
Almost dying from birth
Having a birth complication, such as unusual bleeding
Many of my patients have experienced some form of birth trauma and feel really alone in recovering from that experience. It has affected some of them for years afterward and impacted their decision about having additional children.
Some experience common symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder like:
Vivid, terrifying memories or nightmares of the event
Feeling dissociated or "out of your body"
A fear that the event will happen again
Avoidance of people, places, topics, or situations that may remind you of the event
Feeling guilty or ashamed about the trauma you experienced
Feeling hypervigilant, jumpy, or hyperalert
Difficulty sleeping, eating, or practicing self-care
Difficulty connecting with your newborn child, if applicable
The good news? Acupuncture can help relieve the symptoms of trauma by down regulating your nervous system. It can help take you out of a state of chronic stress and “fight-flight-freeze” response.
Maya abdominal therapy can help you gently and safely reconnect with your belly and womb space. I find that my patients who have experienced birth trauma are disconnected from this area of their body, are fearful of having it touched or touching it, feel unsafe in their belly and womb space and still hold a tremendous sense of grief and loss. Maya abdominal therapy can offer a path to healing; safely, gently, on your terms.
You don’t have to do this alone. If you live in Longmont, Boulder Country or surrounding areas schedule a free consultation and we can see if acupuncture and/or Maya abdominal therapy is a good fit for you.