Did your birth leave you with difficult emotions?
1 in 2 women experience an aspect of their birth as traumatic. If your birth felt frightening, overwhelming, or out of your control, it makes sense that it’s still with you.
And if you’re a (birth) partner, it’s possible to come away with trauma from what you witnessed too. In addition, the term birth trauma also includes trauma incurred in the weeks before and after, such as breastfeeding trauma.
At Mothering Minds, we provide birth trauma therapy with specialist therapists who can help you to gently rebuild a sense of safety and process the feelings that overwhelmed you at the time.
You can access our sessions from anywhere – whether you’re based in London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, or abroad – and work with a professional at a time that suits you.
You don’t need a diagnosis. You definitely don’t need to be at breaking point. We’re here for you wherever you’re at.
Questions? Book a free 15 minute consultation to speak to our team.
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Book in to speak to experts who truly understand Birth Trauma
Birth trauma can stem from a range of triggers. Here are some of the most common ones we see in therapy:
- Emergency C-sections, instrumental births, or other high-intervention deliveries
- Loss of control or respect during labour
- Stillbirth or neonatal loss
- Birth injuries (to mother or baby)
- Medical trauma or feeling dismissed by healthcare professionals
- Previous trauma re-triggered during labour
- Birth trauma symptoms, even after "routine" births
- Secondary or vicarious birth trauma (trauma from witnessing a birth)
- Breastfeeding trauma
If any of the above are part of your journey, you are not doomed. It simply means that it is worth keeping a closer eye on your mental health, and if possible, acting earlier rather than later. If you'd like to discuss your situation with a therapist, simply book in with us below.
How do I know if I have Birth Trauma?
A traumatic birth doesn’t always involve medical emergencies – it’s defined by how you experienced the birth, and the weeks before and after. You might be struggling with:
- Flashbacks or nightmares about the birth
- Severe postnatal anxiety or panic attacks
- Fear of future pregnancy or hospitals
- Guilt, shame, or a sense of failure
- Feeling numb, angry, disconnected from or hyper-protective over your baby
If any of these persist beyond a few weeks post-birth, they could be signs of unresolved postnatal trauma, which deserves specialised care and understanding.
It is also common to experience delayed onset, where you develop symptoms weeks or months after the traumatic period or event. No matter how long it has been – if you’re struggling, get in touch.
Questions? Book a free 15 minute consultation to speak to our team.
Our Approach to Birth Trauma Therapy
Our approach integrates multiple therapeutic modalities to support recovery from traumatic birth experiences:
Somatic Trauma Work
Gentle body-based techniques to restore connection, safety, and physical ease.
EMDR Therapy
Effective for processing flashbacks or distressing memories related to childbirth
Narrative Therapy
Reclaim and rewrite your birth story from a place of power and healing.
Trauma-Focused CBT
Reframe unhelpful thoughts, manage triggers, and reduce anxiety after birth.
All our therapeutic approaches are evidence-based and trauma-informed. Our therapists are trained in multiple approaches and are able to adapt therapy to your needs.
Questions? Book a free 15 minute consultation to speak to our team.
Don't just take our word for it
Birth Trauma is treatable.
Book a clinical assessment session with us today and speak to your therapist in a matter of days.
Or if you’re not quite ready, get in touch with our team for a free 15 minute consultation.
FAQs
Birth trauma refers to feeling frightened, powerless, or deeply distressed around the time of or during birth. Confusingly, it encompasses the weeks leading up to birth, the birth itself AND the postnatal period, especially breastfeeding.
It can arise from medical emergencies, from feeling ignored, dismissed or patronised, from unmet expectations and a loss of control.
Symptoms can include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of reminders, and feeling constantly on edge.
It is incredibly common:
Some statistics indicate that 1 in 2 women experience an aspect of their birth as traumatic – so if that’s you, you’re not alone.
Birth trauma can be effectively treated with specialist Birth trauma talk therapy, using trauma‑informed approaches such as CBT, DBT, EMDR and other evidence‑based methods.
No. There is no time limit on when you can seek support. If you still feel affected and notice symptoms such as avoidance, intrusive thoughts, overwhelming memories, or strange physical sensations when reminded of birth, your trauma is still active and can be addressed.
Therapy can help you process the experience and its impact on your life, relationships, and future pregnancies.
Yes. Partners can also experience trauma, anxiety, and low mood after a difficult birth. This is often called secondary or vicarious birth trauma. Sometimes, they are more affected than the birthing person – being the one who perhaps witnessed many of the graphic details, whilst feeling the pressure to appear calm and strong.
Mothering Minds offers support to anyone affected by a perinatal mental health condition, either individually or as a couple, depending on what feels most helpful.
If you’d like to talk about how you have been affected by birth , you might approach your midwife, GP or health visitor with simple language such as: “I’ve been having flashbacks and anxiety since the birth and I think I might be struggling with birth trauma.”
You might be offered a birth debrief – many hospitals offer this to go over your birth notes. It is important to remember that the emotional validation or acknowledgment you may crave after a difficult experience might not be provided in these settings – they are foremost designed to provide medical facts.
You might also be pointed towards the perinatal mental health team, and if this is not offered, you can ask to be referred.