Birth Trauma
5 Talks
One in three women and birthing people will experience trauma as a direct result of their birth experience. This boxset explores the science, psychology and impact of birth trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on both service users and midwives and considers practical steps to improving services both proactively and reactively in response to trauma.
Childbirth Trauma
2015 | 26 mins | Birth Trauma
In their talk Emma Mathews and Helen Smith, Perinatal Mental Health Midwives, discuss the development of their service supporting those with PTSD following birth. Their mixed methods research found that healthcare professionals’ knowledge of PTSD is poor, and as such unevidenced-based and inappropriate care is often provided, including debriefing. Following this, an innovative service has been developed to provide appropriate assessment, psychological first aid and psychoeducation, alongside training for midwives and the multi-disciplinary team. This talk discusses the pathway and outcomes of their care for PTSD postnatally.
Emma Mathews, Perinatal Mental Health Midwife
Helen Smith, Perinatal Mental Health Midwife
The development of trauma informed maternity services programme
2020 | 41 mins | Birth Trauma
Birth trauma is common within maternity services and requires a significant system-level approach to address the issues. Lucy Marks, clinical psychologist, and Jane Gibbons, perinatal clinical psychologist, discuss the development of trauma-informed maternity services in Tower Hamlets. Providing a foundation in the nature of the problem and the underlying cause, they go on to discuss their novel approach. Considering nurturing compassionate cultures within maternity services, reflection, communication, and training are promoted as tools to improve understanding of trauma and its application to improving services.
Lucy Marks, Independent Consultant in Clinical Psychology
Jane Gibbons, Independent Consultant in Clinical Psychology
Preventing PTSD post childbirth through compassion: how the interactions between women, midwives and maternity services influence women’s childbirth experiences and subsequent trauma
2019 | 22 mins | Birth Trauma
Relationships and interactions form a strong basis of midwifery care; this is essential given perceptions of interactions are the strongest predicator of PTSD. In her talk, Dr Jenny Patterson, Midwife and Research Follow, Edinburgh Napier University, present her research carried out with Dr Diane Ménage. Jenny shares a powerful film representing the struggles of relationships and interactions of midwifery care highlighted within their research. This talk explores how both midwives and women felt, also highlighting the balancing act required of midwives during care episodes, and the importance of tea.
Dr Jenny Patterson, Midwife and Research Follow, Edinburgh Napier University
Pregnancy subsequent to a traumatic birth – the early postnatal period
2016 | 14 mins | Birth Trauma
In this talk, PhD student at the University of Hull, Mari Greenfield, discusses their qualitative research exploring pregnancy following a traumatic birth. Mari takes us through the journey of pregnancy from the point of view of service-users based on their interviews, exploring information gathering and scrutinisation, making plans, and maintaining choice and control. Emerging themes discussed include mistrust with healthcare professionals, absence of midwives and partner involvement. Mari concludes by highlighting the difference between the perception antenatal and postnatal decision-making and its relationship to trauma.
Mari Greenfield, PhD student, University of Hull
Finding myself again: establishing a midwife-led clinic to treat birth trauma
2019 | 25 mins | Birth Trauma
With a basis in the incidence and neuroscience of birth trauma and PTSD, Susie Moore, Associate Professor at Swansea University, discusses Birth Trauma Resolution Therapy. The talk explores the implementation of a birth trauma clinic, including communication, relaxation, and rewind therapy, following a case study though the service. Susie concludes by looking forward to wider implementation of birth trauma services.
Susie Moore, Associate Professor, Swansea University
