Giving birth is often described as one of the most profound experiences in a woman’s life.
While it can be beautiful and transformative, it can also be deeply traumatic for some mothers.
Birth trauma (whether due to medical interventions, unexpected complications, or emotional distress) can leave lasting physical and emotional scars, often triggering postpartum depression (PPD), anxiety, and even chronic pain.
As someone who has personally experienced birth trauma, I understand how it can linger long after the birth itself.
Twenty five years ago, I endured 34 grueling hours of labor with my firstborn daughter, only to have forceps used, followed by an emergency C section due to her heartbeat going down.
The trauma didn’t stop there.
I suffered a cracked coccyx caused by the forceps during delivery, an injury that still causes me pain when I sit today.
The experience was overwhelming, triggering PPD and leaving me feeling broken, both physically and emotionally.
If you’ve experienced birth trauma, know that you are not alone.
Healing is possible, and a holistic approach can help you release the pain (both seen and unseen) so you can step into motherhood with renewed strength and joy.
What is Birth Trauma?
Birth trauma is not just about the physical pain of labor and delivery, it can also include emotional distress, feelings of helplessness, loss of control, or medical interventions that left you feeling unheard or unsafe.
Common causes of birth trauma include:
- Prolonged or extremely painful labor
- Emergency C sections or medical interventions like forceps or vacuum extraction
- Complications during delivery (e.g., excessive bleeding, tearing, or injuries to the baby or mother)
- Feeling ignored, dismissed, or pressured by medical professionals
- Loss of a sense of autonomy during the birthing process
- Previous trauma that was triggered by the birth experience
These experiences can leave a deep imprint on the nervous system, often leading to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, difficulty bonding with your baby, and even chronic physical pain (just as I have experienced with my coccyx injury and all of the points mentioned of the above).
Holistic Approach: 5 Ways How to Heal Birth Trauma
Healing from birth trauma requires addressing both the emotional and physical aspects of the experience.
Here are some powerful, holistic approaches that can support your journey to recovery:
1. Somatic Healing and Bodywork
Since birth trauma is stored in the body, somatic healing practices can be incredibly effective in releasing tension, fear, and pain. Consider:
Qigong and Gentle Movement:
Practices like my Inner Qi Flow Qigong classes help regulate your nervous system, release stored trauma, and promote emotional balance.
Pelvic Floor Therapy:
A specialized physical therapist can help realign and strengthen the pelvic floor, relieving lingering pain from birth injuries.
Chiropractic or Osteopathic Care:
These treatments can support realignment, especially for injuries like a cracked or broken coccyx.
2. Emotional Release and Inner Healing
Journaling:
Writing about your birth experience can help you process emotions and identify unresolved pain.
Inner Child Work:
Healing past wounds that may have been triggered by childbirth can be a key step in recovering from trauma.
Therapy and Coaching:
Working with a trauma informed coach like myself, can help you navigate and release deeply rooted emotions.
3. Breathwork and Meditation
Conscious breathing can help release trauma stored in the body. Try:
Diaphragmatic Breathing:
Deep belly breathing to calm the nervous system.
Guided Meditation for Birth Healing:
Visualizing your birth experience in a new, empowered way can help shift traumatic memories and release them so you can move forward.
4. Energy Healing and Chakra Balancing
Reiki and Energy Healing:
Helps clear emotional and physical blocks related to birth trauma.
Sacral Chakra Healing:
Since birth trauma is stored in the sacral chakra (the energy center of creativity and motherhood), focusing on this area through meditation, sound healing or a cranio sacral session can be transformative.
A balanced sacral chakra helps promote womb healing and releasing birth trauma.
Chakradance:
Is a unique and healing dance practice that combines free flowing movements, guided visualizations, and soul stirring music to balance your chakras and awaken your life force energy.
Dancing is a great way to release the sacral chakra and womb trauma.
It also helps us awaken our sensuality and step into our Divine Feminine power.
5. Community and Support
Healing is not meant to be done in isolation.
Surrounding yourself with a supportive, understanding community can make all the difference.
Join my free Facebook group, Empowered Mamas Kicking PPD to the Curb, where we share resources, support each other, and healing tools. Your Mama tribe is waiting to welcome you with open arms!
Attend my weekly Empowered Mama’s Coffee Chat via my FB group on Wednesdays @1 pm EST to connect with other moms who have experienced birth trauma and PPD in a safe, nurturing space.
You Don’t Have to Carry This Burden Alone!
For years, I carried the weight of my traumatic birth experience, feeling like my body had failed me and that I had failed as a mom.
But through holistic healing, I found ways to reclaim my power, nurture my body, and embrace my journey as a mother.
If you are struggling with birth trauma, please know that healing is possible, and you are not alone Mama!
To help you on this journey, I invite you to:
💜 Join my upcoming Rebirth of the Mama Goddess: Conquering PPD 5 Day Workshop, where we’ll dive into tools for emotional and physical healing.
💜 Download my Free Self Care Workbook for Moms, filled with nurturing practices to help you reclaim your power.
💜 Join our Facebook group, Empowered Mamas Kicking PPD to the Curb, for a supportive community of moms just like you.
💜 Sign up for a FREE InnerQi Flow Qigong class, to experience Qigong and how it can help you feel energized, balanced and calm.
💜 Book your complimentary 30 minute Divine Feminine 1 on 1 Coffee Chat call with me! We’ll discuss together and determine how I can help support you on your motherhood journey over coffee or tea.
💜 Interested in trying Chakradance? Join my waiting list to participate in my upcoming LIVE online Chakradance classes!
Healing is your birthright. Let’s walk this journey together. 💜
