Problems in childbirth are common, in fact Philip Steer, Professor of Obstetrics and gynaecology at the Imperial College London who has assisted in more than 8000 hospital births states that around 50% of mothers develop complications from high blood pressure to diabetes and a further 25% develop problems that may require emergency transfer to hospital which can be very traumatic even when things turn out well.

This means 1 in 4 mothers are likely to have experienced birth trauma and many suffer in silence because they feel it is just another woman’s problem that they mostly just bear. Symptoms of trauma can include feelings of detachment or depression, general anxiety and panic attacks. Some may constantly relive what happened in their mind and may experience nightmares, flashbacks, feeling overly emotional, angry or hyper vigilant. This chronic stress and long term emotional upset can deplete natural cortisol production and cause hormone imbalances and adrenal fatigue.

The second half of this story is that if the mother found the experience traumatic then it is only natural that the child would also have experienced trauma. Some signs can be seen as a baby but become more obvious as a toddler these may include;

Problems sleeping

Feeling depressed or grouchy

Hyper vigilance, nervous, jittery, guarded

Short attention span               

Have trouble feeling affectionate

Angry outbursts

Night terrors               

Sensitivity to sounds, smells,

Have trouble focusing           

Have problems in school

Act younger than their age, such as thumb-sucking or bedwetting

Have physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomach aches

The natural bond between a mother and their child is so strong that children are very sensitive to their mothers moods and emotions. When trauma is present it is beneficial for both mother and child to seek help together. Activities they can do together to calm body and mind and improve the natural bond are, to play together, particularly in nature, take off your shoe’s and walk on the grass or paddle in the sea. Turn of the TV, soften the lighting and play board games, or go to bed early and read them a story in bed that will help them to wind down from the day and give them a quiet time every day where they can talk about anything that is on their mind.

It is very important that mothers reduce stress as much as possible whether that is present stress or from the past.

Amanda Roe is a Trauma therapist and Mind coach. She uses a range of holistic therapies to help clients improve their mental, physical and emotional health.  To book a FREE 15min Consultation with Amanda click here.