Giving birth is one of the most challenging things a person will do in their lifetime. If a negative experience takes place, it makes healing even more difficult.
You are vulnerable, facing changes left, right and center, and responsible for the care of a tiny baby and these things alone mean it is an incredibly emotive situation. This guide has five ways you can heal after a traumatic birth occurs.
Take Time to Breathe and Process
When emotions are running high and your hormones are all out of sync, taking time to breathe may not be at the top of your to-do list. However, it is a highly effective way to build strength, resilience and begin to process what’s happened.
There is a strong possibility that you are still in shock or completely exhausted. Fortunately, the body and mind post-birth are powerful things, and tapping into this energy is only possible if you encourage yourself to rest and think about your experience on a deeper level.
Speak to a Therapist
Therapy is one of the easiest ways to work through a traumatic event. Talking to and being listened to by a trained professional with niche experience is invaluable during such a vulnerable time and will be a positive step toward long-lasting healing.
Thousands of therapists are offering online services post-pandemic, so you won’t even have to leave your bed if you are still physically suffering.
Request a Birth Report
Looking through your birth report can be useful too. This document is from the hospital or birthing establishment and will represent the facts of what happened including who treated you, what medicines were administered, and how long certain events took. Having the facts will enable you to process better.
Seek Compensation
Many parents decide to begin a traumatic birth injury lawsuit with the help of an attorney. This is a path towards receiving compensation for expenses incurred by the birth and anything that happened afterward. It is a reliable way to get a better sense of closure and can facilitate a speedier financial recovery during this traumatic time.
You can claim for the emotional side of this journey, too, as long as evidence is brought forward that supports what you are saying, like therapist statements or a journal denoting symptoms and impact.
Find Ways to Connect With Your Baby
Traumatic births may sometimes make it difficult to begin the bonding process with a newborn. When you are in such a fragile and vulnerable state of mind and in high amounts of physical pain, doing anything demanding feels impossible. However, that baby is yours and you will be amazed by the powerful healing properties that build a relationship in the early days. Take it as slowly as you need to and rely on the support of those around you to facilitate the process too.
Healing after a traumatic birth is different for everyone. Sometimes, injuries are severe and other times, mental health is more intensely impacted. Whatever the case for you, finding a resolution and moving forward is important.
