Overview
Welcoming a baby is often described as a joyful moment — but for some parents, the experience of birth can be frightening, overwhelming, or distressing. This can lead to birth trauma.
Birth trauma can affect anyone who has given birth, and sometimes their partner or support person. It can be physical, emotional, or both.
What is birth trauma?
Birth trauma is when you feel distressed, anxious, or upset after your baby’s birth because of what happened during labour or delivery.
This might be caused by:
- A complicated or emergency birth
- Medical interventions you didn’t expect (such as forceps, vacuum, or emergency caesarean)
- Severe pain or heavy bleeding
- Feeling ignored or not listened to during birth
- Your baby needing urgent medical help after birth
- Past trauma being triggered by the birth experience
It’s important to remember that trauma is about how the experience felt for you, not just what happened medically.
Common signs of birth trauma
Birth trauma can affect both your emotional and physical wellbeing, sometimes for weeks, months, or longer. You might notice:
- Flashbacks, nightmares, or strong memories of birth
- Feeling anxious, sad, angry or numb
- Avoiding places, people, or conversations related to birth
- Difficulty bonding with your baby
- Changes in your sleep or appetite
- Changes in your relationship with your partner
You are not alone
Birth trauma is often not discussed, and many parents may feel ashamed of having negative feelings about their experience. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with the right support network can help you recover and heal.
When to seek immediate help
Contact a health professional straight away if:
- You have ongoing flashbacks or nightmares that affect your daily life
- You feel hopeless, numb, or disconnected from your baby
- You have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
If you ever feel unsafe, call 000 in Australia or contact:
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
Finding the right help
ForWhen
ForWhen Navigators are experienced, local, mental health experts. They will listen and understand the challenges you’re facing, and help you access the right help and support. You can call the ForWhen Helpline on 1300 24 23 22.
Karitane offers free, expert support for parents recovering from a distressing birth:
- Parenting Centres – In-person or virtual one-on-one sessions with child and family health nurses to support your emotional adjustment and parenting journey.
- Virtual Mental Health Services – Telehealth consultations and group programs for postnatal anxiety, depression, or trauma-related stress.
Call the Karitane Careline on 1300 227 464 or visit or submit a referral here and one of our nurses will be in touch to help find the right service for you.
