"Am I my body?" Mind-body-spirit in childbirth (Part three) - Healing from childbirth-related trauma
Introduction
In the previous two installments of my series on the mind-body-spirit connection in childbirth, I delved into the importance of spirituality and the integration of the mind, body, and spirit in the childbirth experience. I also discussed mindful practices that can help women enhance their childbirth experience. However, not all childbirth experiences go as planned, and some women may be left feeling traumatized. This trauma can have a lasting impact on the well-being of not only the mother but also her partner and even future generations. In this blog, I will begin by sharing a real-life story to illustrate the concept of childbirth-related trauma and its effects. I will then delve into the steps and principles of healing for women who have experienced such trauma. Additionally, I will emphasize the importance of holistic healing programs in empowering and supporting women through the healing process, allowing them to live their lives with meaning and purpose.
A real childbirth story
About 30 years ago, a young couple, both healthcare providers, were expecting their first child. The mother was in her 25th or 26th week of pregnancy when she suddenly went into labor. The birth was imminent, and before they knew it, their baby boy was born prematurely and with very low birth weight. The little one was rushed to the NICU, where he required several brain surgeries in order to survive. Thankfully, the baby pulled through, but the premature birth left him with physical and intellectual disabilities.
The unexpected outcome of the childbirth left both parents feeling overwhelmed and traumatized. They were extremely disappointed and filled with anxiety, stress, and shame. The guilt they felt about their child's condition was immense, and it was hard for them to accept the reality of having a disabled child. They kept their painful emotions bottled up for years, not wanting to talk about it or ask for emotional support. As time passed, the couple grew apart, developing different interests, values, and goals. Eventually, after eight years, the husband filed for divorce and left the mother to care for their disabled child on her own.
What is trauma? What is childbirth-related trauma?
Many psychologists have seen that the range of human problems is vast and that the majority of these problems are caused by trauma.
Trauma is an individual's emotional response to an event or experience that exceeds their ability to cope with it. It is not only defined by the event itself but also by the individual's reaction to it. Trauma occurs when a person's normal coping mechanisms, which provide a sense of control, connection, meaning, and safety, are overwhelmed by the event. In other words, trauma is anything that happens to us that exceeds our ability to cope and threatens our sense of physical or emotional safety.
Trauma can be classified as acute, chronic, or complex depending on the onset, duration, frequency, and nature of the event. Trauma is unexpected, unpredictable, unavoidable, and uncontrollable. It can be a major event, such as war, injury, or abuse, or it can be a small event, like interpersonal conflict or prolonged stress.
Trauma is widespread in our lives. It can happen in the past, now, or in the future and affects people from all populations, genders, cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses. No one is immune.
Childbirth-related trauma is a specific type of trauma that is related to pregnancy, labor, birth, and postnatal experiences and exceeds a woman's ability to cope with it. This can include events such as pregnancy loss, premature birth, induction of labor, postnatal depression, breastfeeding difficulties, and more. Each woman's trauma response to these experiences can also be very different from others.
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Four main trauma responses
When humans face danger or experience trauma, our bodies rely on instinctual survival or defensive mechanisms to keep us safe and alive. These mechanisms can be broken down into four main types: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn.
The Fight and Flight responses are the most familiar, as they involve fighting back or fleeing a stressful situation as quickly as possible. The Freeze and Fawn responses are less well-known. The Freeze response occurs when the nervous system is activated, and the person is unable to fight or flee. The Fawn response is when the person shows appeasing behaviors in an attempt to avoid conflict or trauma.
These four main instinctual trauma responses are built-in neural structures in our brains. When an experience triggers these responses, the brain sends messages to the cells in the body, and the memories of the experience are also stored in the body, which can result in physical discomfort.
When an unexpected event during childbirth overwhelms a woman's trauma responses, it can alter her mind, brain, and body. The trauma can result in feelings of self-reflexive anxiety, such as fear, shame, guilt, helplessness, and powerlessness. The woman may feel threatened by who she is or who she may become.
Trauma impacts a person's mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being.
Everyone is born with unique coping mechanisms, but no one is biologically designed to experience trauma. Neuroscience research shows that trauma can have a profound impact on a person's mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being.
Trauma creates negative thoughts in mind and brain and is associated with memories and emotions related to the traumatic experience. It can lead to mental dysfunction such as intense fear, toxic anxiety, toxic stress, eating disorders, self-harm, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or even suicide. Studies have also shown that trauma contributes to cognitive declines, such as memory loss.
The negative emotions associated with trauma can impact a person's identity, sense of safety, sense of self, and ability to manage emotions. This can lead to feelings of irritation, impatience, low self-esteem, shame, guilt, low confidence, fear, stress, unworthiness, powerlessness, and helplessness, which in turn can lead to poor social engagement and connections, affecting overall social well-being.
The memories related to trauma are also stored in the body, as the brain releases toxic stress hormones and chemicals into the body, leading to mutations and changes in the DNA of the brain and body cells. Trauma can also contribute to an inflammatory reaction, unbalanced hormones, and abnormal immune response in the body. Many studies have shown that most human diseases are stress-related, such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, autoimmune diseases, sleep disturbance, and muscle pain. Furthermore, research in neuroscience has shown that trauma can also affect our epigenetics by leaving a chemical mark on a person's genes, which can be passed down to subsequent generations.
Childbirth-related trauma affects not only a woman's well-being but also that of her partner and subsequent generations.
When a woman experiences trauma during childbirth, her normal coping mechanisms are overwhelmed, and unhealthy trauma responses in her mind, brain, and body begin to manifest.
The maladaptive coping mechanisms associated with childbirth trauma can greatly impact the mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being of both the woman and her partner. If a woman has a high-risk pregnancy and faces unexpected challenges such as pregnancy loss or emergency operative delivery, this can also overwhelm her partner's coping mechanisms, leading to feelings of fear, doubt, stress, anxiety, and a sense of threatened emotional safety.
Studies have shown that the negative experience of childbirth holds many negative memories and emotions for both the woman and her partner. Both may feel traumatized and require spiritual expression to cope with the traumatic experience. Research has also found that men who have gone through negative childbirth experiences with their partners often express fears of death and feel helpless watching their partner's distress. They may put their partner's needs first, neglecting their own need for psychological support, potentially impacting the couple's communication, bonding, and intimacy in their relationship.
Trauma can also alter an individual's epigenetics, indirectly changing the body's DNA and passing chemical markers onto subsequent generations. This means that new generations can inherit trauma from their family lines and may not even be aware of the trauma that occurred before they were conceived. Therefore, it is important to be aware of childbirth-related trauma and to address and heal it as early as possible for the well-being of future generations.
Healing from trauma
Healing from trauma involves restoring a sense of well-being and normal function to damaged tissue, and it must take into account the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. Self-awareness of unhealthy trauma responses, recognizing the impact of trauma on overall well-being, and reflecting on negative responses can help individuals build healthier coping mechanisms. This process requires self-love, self-awareness, self-compassion, and spiritual connectedness to shift the mind and let go of old ways of thinking.
It's important to note that the experience of trauma is unerasable. The goal of healing is not to erase the painful experience but to alleviate the suffering caused by trauma. Like an injury, simply covering it up with a bandage won't heal it. To heal, one must acknowledge, accept, face, examine, and manage it.
We are all born with a powerful mind and an innate connection between the mind and body. By managing our thoughts, emotions, and actions, we can acknowledge and accept negative emotions without suppressing them and still maintain peace and love in our lives.
Conventional trauma management is heavily influenced by biomedicine, which often sees negative emotions as a mental illness and uses medication to suppress or control symptoms. This biomedical model of care fails to take into account the whole person and often leads to feelings of shame and a loss of identity for those experiencing trauma. Additionally, this model of care is often fragmented and disconnected, making it ineffective.
In recent decades, holistic spiritual practices for trauma healing have emerged and continue to grow in popularity. These practices recognize the importance of connecting the mind, body, and spirit in the healing process and have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms and improving overall well-being.
It's important to understand that everyone is a whole being with an interconnected mind, body, and spirit and that healing from trauma cannot occur without addressing the spiritual aspect. Healing is an ongoing process, and healthcare providers can only facilitate the process, the true healing comes from the person themselves.
Healing from childbirth-related trauma
The ABCD self-regulation steps for healing from childbirth-related trauma are based on neurosciences and can be a helpful guide for those who are looking to heal from this type of trauma.
A- Self-awareness is the first step, where individuals recognize the traumatic experience of childbirth and understand the triggers, warning signs of negative emotions, and toxic behaviors. By being present and observing the situation, one can separate the grief from childbirth from other emotions and not get trapped in toxic trauma responses.
B- Building beliefs and visions for healing is the second step, which involves developing self-compassion and envisioning who one wants to be in the future. By having faith, strength, courage, and visualization, one can build resilience and healthy coping mechanisms.
C- Conscious connectedness is the third step, where individuals understand that they are the true healers and have the power to change their thoughts, emotions, and actions. By being mindful and resilient, one can shift their energy and vibration to a new reality.
D- Discovering healing resources is the final step, where individuals find professional support and guidance to facilitate the healing process. This includes self-learning, one-to-one coaching, and being part of a supportive community. This can help individuals feel safe to talk and ask for help and develop strategies to build resilience during the healing process.
Overall, it's important to understand that healing from childbirth-related trauma is a process that requires time, patience, and the right resources. It's important to reach out for support and be kind to oneself throughout the journey.
Holistic healing programs for childbirth-related trauma
Childbirth-related trauma is a real and significant issue for many women. The trauma can have a profound impact on a woman's mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being, as well as that of her partner and subsequent generations. Conventional trauma management, heavily influenced by biomedicine, often fails to consider the person as a whole and can lead to feelings of shame and a loss of identity.
That's why at Childbirth Collective, we believe in holistic healing programs that empower women to take control of their healing journey. Our programs are women-centered and focus on self-awareness, self-compassion, and spiritual connectedness. We understand that healing from trauma takes time and can be painful, but by connecting with a supportive community, women can find hope, experience love, and gain the power to rethink, feel, develop brain resilience, and choose the life they want to live.
Our holistic programs integrate the knowledge of neuroscience, neuroplasticity, complementary medicine, midwifery, and spirituality to heal women as a whole and improve their overall well-being. We believe that by nurturing a woman's spirit, strengthening her mind, and restoring her body functions, we can help her become the true healer of her trauma.
If you or someone you know is dealing with childbirth-related trauma, we encourage you to visit our website at https://www.childbirthcollective.com/ to learn more about our holistic healing programs and how we can support you on your healing journey.
Conclusion
In conclusion, childbirth-related trauma is a significant emotional response to an unexpected and unpredictable event during childbirth. It can cause emotional stress and painful memories, negatively impacting a woman's well-being. Healing from this trauma is crucial for the well-being of not only the mother but also her partner and future generations. A holistic approach, incorporating spirituality and treating the woman as a whole, is necessary for effective healing. Support from a community, holistic healing programs, and a commitment to self-improvement are all important factors in overcoming childbirth-related trauma.
References:
https://trauma-recovery.ca/introduction/the-mind-body-and-spirit-connection/
https://acim.org/acim/lesson-199/i-am-not-a-body-i-am-free/en/s/607
https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_health_and_wellness/index.htm
https://drleaf.com/blogs/news/how-to-identify-understand-heal-ptsd-with-kati-morton
https://drleaf.com/blogs/news/the-main-signals-of-depression-how-to-find-healing
https://drleaf.com/blogs/news/good-memories-as-an-insurance-policy
https://resources.soundstrue.com/transcript/trauma-the-invisible-epidemic/
https://www.verywellmind.com/common-symptoms-after-a-traumatic-event-2797496
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-03642-4_21
