Therapy for Birth Trauma
in Long Beach, CA

You imagined and looked forward to the day of your baby’s birth for months, or even years. And then… it didn’t go as planned.

Maybe it didn’t go as planned at all. You expected to feel supported, excited, and joyful during your birth. Maybe instead you felt vulnerable, frightened, confused, powerless, abandoned, or violated. Maybe some of those feelings were so big and frightening that you had to quickly move past them in the moment to function. Then, because you and the baby are both physically “okay”, it feels like everyone expects you to just move on, saying things like “you have a healthy baby, that’s all that matters!” - but you can’t stop thinking about what happened.

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What is birth trauma?

Birth trauma is a profound psychological or emotional distress experienced by the birthing parent and sometimes the baby during the childbearing process. This distress can stem from actual or potential injury or even the threat of death to either the parent or the baby. Beyond physical harm, birth trauma encompasses a range of emotional disturbances that can occur during delivery. Common feelings associated with birth trauma include helplessness, a lack of control, and shock. These intense emotions can linger, leading to significant emotional distress during the postpartum period. In some cases, the severity of these experiences may result in a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Causes and Effects of Birth Trauma

Birth trauma can arise from various factors, including medical interventions, a perceived lack of control, and overwhelming emotional distress. These traumatic events can occur at any stage of the childbearing process, from labor to delivery. The impact of birth trauma on mental health is profound, often leading to symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This emotional turmoil can strain relationships, making it challenging to bond with a partner or child. In some instances, the fear and distress associated with a traumatic birth can lead to the avoidance of future pregnancies or a deep-seated fear of childbirth.

Symptoms of Birth Trauma

Symptoms of birth trauma can manifest differently for each individual, but some common signs include:

  • Recurrent distressing and intrusive memories of the birth trauma

  • Nightmares or flashbacks of the traumatic event

  • Avoidance of thoughts or reminders of the pregnancy or delivery

  • Persistent negative emotions such as fear, anger, or guilt

  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating

  • Feelings of detachment from a partner or child

  • Physical sensations such as pain or numbness

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is crucial to seek professional help from a therapist or counselor who specializes in birth trauma. Early intervention can make a significant difference in your recovery and overall well-being.

My Approach to Birth Trauma Therapy

A third of women report experiencing trauma during or after their birth experience. Lack or loss of control, a difficult delivery, fear for their baby’s safety or their own safety, severe physical pain, emergency procedures, and lack of communication from medical care providers are common reasons for birth trauma. 

Trauma changes your brain. Experiencing birth trauma can cause trouble thinking clearly, make it more difficult to regulate emotions, and increase susceptibility to stress, fear, and hyper-vigilance. Stress and uncomfortable emotions are high, which can leave you feeling raw, scared, exhausted, and in pain. This can look like feeling on edge and always being on the lookout for danger, watching your baby constantly or having trouble sleeping because you feel you need to check on them around the clock. It might look like having nightmares or thinking about what happened over and over again - or avoiding thinking about what happened. You might avoid anything that reminds you of the birth, like avoiding driving by the hospital or talking about your birth experience. Feelings like failure, fear, anger, guilt or shame around your birth experience can make you feel stuck and alone. You are not alone and there is help. 

My goal as a birth trauma therapist is to help you feel better and to heal so you can move forward feeling connected with a sense of control, peace, and safety. If your birth didn’t go as planned or expected, if there was a medical emergency, or if you didn’t feel heard or supported during the birth of your child, you might view your birth as traumatic. If you are suffering after a traumatic birth, therapy for birth trauma can help heal the emotional effects of your birth experience and relieve symptoms of traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. Therapy for birth trauma can help you understand how the birth affected you and begin the healing process. Trauma lives in both the body and the mind, so my approach includes methods that treat both, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness. I also offer EMDR therapy.

If you are ready to start feeling better, schedule a free intro call today.

Why choose Poppy Therapy?

At Poppy Therapy, we deeply understand the profound impact that birth trauma can have on your life. With training in evidence-based trauma treatment methods, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), I provide a safe and supportive environment where you can process your emotions and work through your traumatic birth experience. My goal is to help you overcome birth trauma and develop a more positive perspective on your birth experience. To make therapy services accessible, I offer both in-person and online therapy sessions, allowing you to receive the support you need from the comfort of your own home.

  • Birth trauma can make you feel stuck, making it difficult to move forward. You might experience panic attacks, vivid flashbacks, hypervigilance, feelings of emptiness, a struggle with mothering or life in general, disappointment, emptiness, feeling like something is missing from the birth, a lack of confidence, feelings of failure, and anger. Birth trauma can make you feel disconnected- you might experience bonding and attachment difficulties with your baby, or relationship issues with your partner.

  • The basis for trauma is not just what happened to you, it’s how you feel about it.

    How you feel during and after the birth can affect your response for weeks and months. How YOU experience the birth and your response to it is what indicates if a birth is traumatic. Birth trauma can result from feeling vulnerable, afraid, confused, unacknowledged or unheard, abandoned or isolated, misunderstood, violated, or powerless during or after birth. Medical emergencies or issues for mom and/or baby also contribute to traumatic stress symptoms.

    You might recognize yourself in some of the experiences and symptoms described on this page. You may not relate to all of them, but even if only a few resonate with you and you still don’t feel quite right about your birth experience or you’re not feeling quite like yourself, you can benefit from therapy for birth trauma. You deserve support to process your birth experience and the impact of it with a birth trauma therapist.

  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health diagnosis with specific criteria. Birth trauma is less narrowly defined and is not an official diagnosis in the United States. You may have experienced birth trauma and still not meet all the qualifying criteria for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. You do not need to be diagnosed with PTSD to work with a birth trauma therapist. If something doesn’t feel right about your birth experience, you deserve support. The most important thing is knowing that if you are suffering from distress caused by physical, emotional, or psychological trauma during or after childbirth, your pain is valid and there is help.

  • Therapist for birth trauma can help you:

    • Share and process your birth story and the emotional impact of your traumatic birth.

    • Alleviate symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Order or traumatic stress.

    • Strengthen your relationship with your partner.

    • Connect and bond with your child.

    • Face and manage difficult emotions like failure, guilt, anger, and sadness.

    • Plan for your next birth experience.

Birth Trauma Therapy FAQs

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YOUR therapist in Long Beach, California

Postpartum and early parenting can be so disorienting. I’m here to help you find some solid ground so you can bloom in motherhood.

Hi! I’m Molly.

Get help from a therapist for birth trauma today!

I know how lonely and scary it can be to live with the effects of a traumatic birth.

I see you and I can help. Contact me for a free phone consultation today - I’m here for you.