What is Birth Trauma | Infano | Pregnancy and Childbirth

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Ask your lady friend about her childbirth experiences and chances are that 8 out of 10 friends will tell you how traumatic the experience was. Most women always talk about how painful, difficult, traumatic their birthing experience was, and as a day they won’t forget in their life. Some are totally unaware of what to expect and are often caught by surprise at the whole thing. Some others experience medical complications that add to the existing labour. And many times, blatant apathy by medical professionals makes it a harrowing time.

Whether you have had natural childbirth or a Caesarian section, labour is a difficult time. ‘Birth trauma’ is the distress experienced by a mother during or after childbirth. It is referred to the emotional and psychological trauma suffered during this phase and is not just about what happened during labour and the birth but also about how the mother is left feeling afterwards.

Why is it important to speak about birth trauma?

A distressing labour experience can leave the mother feeling overwhelmed. This can translate to a long term psychological condition like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Postpartum Depression. It can result in flashbacks, anxiety, being on the alert always, avoiding triggers that remind the trauma. It is very important therefore to ensure how the experience has left the mother feeling later and to give her all the support required for her to ‘heal’ from the damage because it can become difficult for the mother to bond with the baby.

Women who undergo birth trauma don’t find much support because others may find it difficult to understand this, even other mothers. This can make sufferers lonely and depressed and guilty as a result. It is important to create awareness, have conversations, safe spaces and support groups where women feel welcome to talk about their experiences without being dissed or dismissed.

“All women need access to antenatal care in pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth. All births should be assisted by skilled health professionals, as timely management and treatment can make the difference between life and death for both the mother and the baby.” – UNICEF India

How can we ensure a safe and comfortable birthing experience?

Education

Knowing what pregnancy encompasses and how births take place prepares a mother for what’s to come and the entire process so she is ready. Talking to the gynecologist or a birthing consultant/doula/counselor can help understand the process better and help her

Awareness

Awareness of birthing options is a right that every woman should have access to. Safe, painful, and easy delivery is the right of every woman. Understanding natural vaginal birth, underwater birth, cesarean section, epidurals, and the pros and cons of each can help the mother to decide what she feels most comfortable with.

Support

Every woman needs to have a supportive doctor/doula, partner and family to help her make the choice of birth that she wants to go in for. Respecting her options and making her comfortable should be utmost for the caregivers instead of belittling her or criticizing her choices saying how she is overthinking the whole thing or how all women give birth every minute and it’s the most natural thing, and dismissing her fears as not being valid, is not the kind of support system or caregivers that she needs to be surrounded with at this very important phase of her life.

Having a trustworthy partner/caregiver (can be a friend, family, relative) by the side during labour can help ease the trauma in the labour room and should be discussed and decided beforehand, as many hospitals still don’t allow that in India.

Choice of medical professional

Choosing the right doctor and birthing facility is of utmost importance. If your doctor is rushing through your appointments, dismissing your questions as being too silly, won’t take out the time to educate you about the whole pregnancy and birthing process, does not ask you for your birthing options, does not respect your discomfort during physical examinations, violates the comfort zone with your body, then you need to rethink your options.

Most times, the kind of medical consultants are responsible for the kind of experience they provide in the labour room and that stays for life, affecting you mentally with future birth experiences too. How a doctor makes you feel during your labour and their patience levels will stay with you for life. So do not compromise on that experience. Medical complications that may arise during labour may not always be controlled but how that will be dealt with is a choice that can be made beforehand.

A positive birthing experience is the right of every woman.

Today, birthing centers, birthing courses, birthing options are slowly being made available but all women may not have privilege and access to the same. Just because childbirth is the most common or natural thing does not mean that a woman has to go through a birth trauma experience for the same. Respecting and caring well for a woman during this time will make sure that the whole family is benefited from it because a mother cannot ‘give’ if she is emotionally disturbed or physically depleted of care and nourishment.

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It’s raining babies this season. Right from Kareena Kapoor to Amrita Rao to Anushka Sharma, many other celebs too announced their pregnancy. Looks like some couples made really good use of the lockdown *wink wink*

Celebrities announcing their pregnancies on Social Media

That being said, these celebrities have been raising maternity fashion to new heights with never a dull look. Yup pregnancy doesn’t have to be all loose and boring dresses. With some special wardrobe tricks and fashion tips, you can also use most of the clothes from your old wardrobe to create some new and interesting looks and make a style statement as you make those heads turn.

With a little bit of glamour, combined with some sass and the confidence of a diva, you can own any outing or event even with a baby bump.

1. Jeggings, leggings and yoga pants can be a great choice over regular denims in case you don’t want to spend buying maternity wear. These are stretchable and will accommodate the growing baby bump for a few months.

2. Low waist jeans can be worn for up to a few months. Use a rubber band or a scrunchie to secure the buttons if you have difficulty closing them.

3. Tight clothes can be camouflaged with a jacket or a shrug. Depending on the season you could go in for a long sleeveless shrug for the summers. Wear these over your regular salwar kamees or kurtis which still fit. These also look great over dresses or a skirt and top.

4. Peplum tops are quite flattering. While choosing dresses, go in for midis or maxis as the growing belly will raise the hem higher of short dresses. Pair with a stylish purse or clutch.

5. Crop tops can be a great alternative instead of regular saree blouses while draping one. Also adds oomph to your style quotient.

6. Buying solid colours instead of large prints can be a wise thing to do. Pair it with contrasting colour accessories or bold printed stoles. If you are going in for prints choose vertical ones over horizontal as they will stretch across the tummy. But who cares if you can carry it off with panache.

7. Dungarees, jumpsuits and bodysuits look great if only you could manage your frequent peeing sessions unbuttoning those in time (Tip: panty liners can be real saviours here).

8. If going in for front opens, wear a size bigger shirt or jacket that will close easily over the belly. Wrap coats and oversized pullovers can be a great idea for winter wear.

9. Invest in Bra extenders for the first few months. These will help you even with the weight gain postpartum. If you are buying new bras, it’s better to invest in feeding bras right away and wear the same through your last trimester if you plan to breastfeed your baby.

10. Buy sandals or platform heels and avoid pumps and stilettoes because they may strain your lower back and also put pressure on the veins in your legs. Many women suffer from edema and varicose veins so investing in a good pair of breathable comfy sandals is a great idea. Shoe laces can be a challenge to tie with that tummy: slip on shoes or sneakers with elastic bands can be picked instead.