Traumatic Childbirth

Cheryl Tatano Beck, Jeanne Watson Driscoll, Sue Watson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9781135021139
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Gynecology, Obstetrics & Midwifery

Postpartum depression has become a more recognized mental illness over the past decade as a result of education and increased awareness. Traumatic childbirth, however, is still often overlooked, resulting in a scarcity of information for health professionals. This is in spite of up to 34% of new mothers reporting experiencing a traumatic childbirth and prevalence rates rising for high risk mothers, such as those who experience stillbirth or who had very low birth weight infants.

This ground-breaking book brings together an academic, a clinician and a birth trauma activist. Each chapter discusses current research, women's stories, the common themes in the stories and the implications of these for practice, clinical case studies and a clinician's insights and recommendations for care. Topics covered include: mothers' perspectives, fathers' perspectives, the impact on breastfeeding, the impact on subsequent births, PTSD after childbirth and EMDR treatment for PTSD.

This book is a valuable resource for health professionals who come into contact with new mothers, providing the most current and accurate information on traumatic childbirth. It also presents mothers' experiences in a manner that is accessible to women, their partners, and families.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Dedication
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• 1 Introduction
• 2 What Is Traumatic Birth and Posttraumatic Stress Due to Childbirth?
• 3 Jeanne’s Introduction to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Secondary to Birth Trauma
• 4 Review of Literature on Risk Factors for Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress Response
• 5 Women’s Narratives of Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress Response
• 6 Assessment and Diagnosis
• 7 Case Study 1: Carol
• 8 Instruments to Screen for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• 9 Impact of Traumatic Childbirth on Breastfeeding
• 10 Anniversary of Birth Trauma
• 11 Subsequent Childbirth after a Previous Traumatic Birth
• 12 Case Study 2: Anne
• 13 Selected Treatment Methods for PTSD
• 14 Case Study 3: Sheila
• 15 Fathers and Traumatic Childbirth
• 16 Trauma and Birth Stress (TABS)
• 17 Secondary Traumatic Stress
• 18 Epilogue
• Index