TRAUMA AND BIRTH STRESS - PTSD AFTER CHILDBIRTH

* * * * * If you would like to have TABS run a Study Day (with Midwifery Council approval for 10 points) in your centre, please contact Sue@tabs.org.nz * * * * * The one day PTSD Study Day course is approved by the Midwifery Council as an elective course with 10 points allocated - for more details email studydays@tabs.org.nz * * * * *

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered as a result of a traumatic birth experience has only recently been recognized.

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Becoming a mother can put women under a lot of psychological pressure. Post-natal (or post-partum) depression (PND or PPD) is a well-known and very common experience. Potentially much longer lasting and more insidious, however, is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) arising from events before, during, after or throughout the whole of the birth experience.

What is PTSD?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the psychological term for a set of reactions anyone may experience when something traumatic, scary or bad happens.

It is a normal reaction to an event that involves the threat of death or injury to self or others. Only recently has it been recognized that PTSD may be suffered as a result of a traumatic birth experience.

First identified in soldiers during the Vietnam War, and previously known as Shell Shock during World War I, it is common for rape or road accident victims. Frequently we hear of events likely to result in people possibly suffering PTSD, eg bombings, hostage taking, shipwrecks, armed hold-ups, disasters like the hillsborough stadium crush, as well as natural disasters . . . . having a baby, also, can be such an event.
 

NEWSFLASH:

The article reporting the results of the study into the impact of Post-Partum PTSD on Breastfeeding has now been published in the July/August 2008 issue of the US Journal, "Nursing Research." You may hear an interview from the Wall Street Journal web-site on the subject with the lead author, Professor Cheryl Beck - if the podcast does not play when you click on it, right-click and save it, before playing it with a mp3-compatible player of your choice.

FOR MOTHERS AND SUPPORTERS

Disclaimer:
This material has been written in good faith by the members and or friends of TABS. It is in no way intended as a therapeutic exercise but rather a intended to be of assistance only.

  1. Is it PTSD?
  2. The differences between PTSD, Post Natal Depression (PPD).
    the following pages were still under construction at 06.05.08:
  3. Am I to blame?
  4. Working through the trauma yourself.
  5. Working your trauma with professional help.
  6. Looking after oneself.
  7. Participating in research??
  8. Offer your story??

This is a new section of this website, specifically intended for use by mothers and their supporters.

This page last updated on 06.05.08.
NEXT TABS STUDY DAY

Auckland, 13 February 2009.

The Registration Form is now available.

TABS STUDY DAYS

If you would like to have TABS run a Study Day (with Midwifery Council approval for 10 points) in your centre, please contact Sue@tabs.org.nz.

Note for Educators, Students, Researchers and Health Professionals

A new Study on PTSD ... "Subsequent Childbirth after Previous Birth Trauma"
In order to help clinicians provide better care to mothers who are having a subsequent childbirth after suffering through a previous traumatic birth, Cheryl Beck (Professor at the University of Connecticut) and Sue Watson (chairperson of TABS) are now conducting a research study on this topic. Women who have had another child after having experienced birth trauma are invited to participate in this research study.

Just like Professor Beck's previous studies on birth trauma and PTSD after childbirth, this study will be conducted over the Internet. Mothers will be asked to describe their experiences during pregnancy, and labor and delivery after having suffered a previous traumatic childbirth.

If you are interested in participating in this research or wish to find out more about this study, please contact Professor Cheryl Beck directly at the University of Connecticut. Her email address is Cheryl.Beck@uconn.edu.
Copy of authorised recruitment advertisement.

This website has been created to provide information for:

PTSD sufferers
Expectant mothers and their partners
Family members
Support people
Caregivers
Health professionals

"When PTSD happens after childbirth, it's been termed "birth trauma." One text book estimates that 7% of women suffer it after birth, though it may never be diagnosed as this, and the symptoms may overlap with those of depression."

"National Childbirth Trust, Book of Postnatal Depression" by Heather Welford.

NOTE: If you are using any information from this website for presentation, study or reference purposes, PLEASE acknowledge this website as appropriate AND notify us that you are using this material. We would also like to receive a copy of your findings. To contact us, please email us at website-reference@tabs.org.nz.
We are making this request because we are aware that considerable use is being made of information from this site, and we would like to see what good things you are doing with it.
Thank you
TABS Committee
1 January 2005

TABS expresses its heart-felt thanks to the J R McKenzie Trust, Wellington, New Zealand, for their generous gift enabling us to develop and maintain this website.

TABS also wishes to acknowledge with gratitude the gift from Rachel from TABS towards this website, and the on-going sponsorship by:

Naturo Pharm Limited
 
Naturo Pharm logo		 Kiwi Baby Limited,
or email to
kiwibaby@slingshot.co.nz or lisa@kiwibaby.com
 
Kiwi Baby logo

Finally, we wish to thank you, our visitors. Since we began, the use that you have made of this site has lifted the number of visits from about 800 a month to over 700 a week - an increase of over 250% in just over three years. Our statistics show that visitors come from many nations and from every continent. Thank you for your support - your continued interest is an enormous encouragement to us.

This Website was published on 31 March, 2003
Last updated on 23 October 2007

DISCLAIMER: The materials provided at this website are for informational purposes and are not intended for use as diagnosis or treatment of PTSD or as a substitute for consulting a caregiver competent to diagnose and recommend treatment for PTSD.

 

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