Preparing for Another Baby After Experiencing Birth Trauma
Experiencing birth trauma is one of the most overwhelming and frightening things a new mother can go through. Whether you experienced physical or emotional trauma (or both), it often leaves lasting effects.
Things like prolonged labor, delivery complications, fear for the baby’s life, or even a lack of support during delivery can trigger birth trauma, and those feelings don’t go away any time soon.
If you’re now preparing for another baby, the impact of your trauma might be creeping forward again. Unfortunately, that can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, which isn’t good for you or your baby.
Thankfully, it’s possible to keep moving forward and heal while you get ready for this little one. Let’s look at a few strategies you can use to make things easier.
Open Communication
Now isn’t the time to be silent about your feelings, including your needs and concerns. Discuss openly with your partner, family, and medical team any concerns and anxieties you may be experiencing. Sometimes, simply being able to get those things off your chest can make a difference. You’ll recognize that you aren’t alone and you have a support system surrounding you.
Speaking of support, decide who you want around you throughout your pregnancy and during the birth. Your partner, family members, and even friends can all be there to help you when things start to feel a bit overwhelming. However, it can also be helpful to have someone like a doula on your team. They work with women who have experienced birth trauma and have the skills and temperament needed to guide you through the delivery as peacefully as possible.
Be More Mindful
Mindfulness is the practice of staying grounded in the moment. Of course, it’s difficult to focus on anything but the moment when you’re giving birth. However, when you’ve been through a traumatic experience before, those emotions and memories are likely to creep in as delivery draws near.
Ground yourself and fight back against the fear by staying in the present. Try deep breathing exercises to calm your mind and body. Focus on the things around you as you inhale and exhale. What do you see? What can you hear or smell? This practice will allow you to feel more centered and less focused on the “what ifs” as you give birth.
Create a Birth Plan
Many women work with their doctors to create a birth plan before delivery, but if you’ve experienced birth trauma in the past, putting one together is extremely important. While you can’t control everything about the delivery experience, a birth plan allows you to prioritize the things you can control. That includes your medical team, who you want with you, and the type of environment you prefer.
Having people on your team that you trust will also give you a stronger voice. You’ll have an easier time advocating for yourself and your new baby when you’re comfortable with those around you.
No mother should ever have to experience birth trauma. Unfortunately, it happens far too often. Thankfully, trauma therapy can help you heal and move forward no matter what stage you’re in.
You don’t have to wait until after you give birth again to start benefiting from therapy. It will help you better understand the root of your trauma so you can take steps forward to move past it. You deserve to have a happy and comfortable birth, rather than living in fear as you remember the past.
Wellness Matters therapists who can help. Feel free to contact us today to set up an appointment. You can connect with the Wellness Matters Intake Coordinator by texting or calling (218) 616-1276
At Wellness Matters, the intake process is all on-line and can be done in less than fifteen minutes. On-line appointments make it possible to attend appointments from the comfort from your home or office. In-person services may also be available for people living in northern MN.
