The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS,
a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA
The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS,
a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA
|
Better pregnancy nutrition can grow a healthier baby, keep perineal tissues intact and support VBAC
In my experience, there are significant
things a pregnant woman can do to improve
the integrity of the tissues and thus help
to reduce complications. The
Better Baby Book: Use nutrition,
your environment, and your mind to create
the healthiest, smartest, autism-free baby
possible by Lana Asprey, MD, and Dave
Asprey, "To help parents gift their
children with better health and higher
intelligence for life." It's available
either on Kindle or paperback. This book was written by a couple who
know more about pregnancy nutrition than
anyone I've ever heard, met or read about.
|
Humiliation - If you had a birth
experience
that involved humiliation, please contact research Belinda Diamond
about
her research project, "Humiliation in the Medical Setting and Its
Relationship
to PTSD". The e-mail domain is yahoo.com, and her username
is
diamondbelinda.
Please make sure to put the words "birth trauma" in the subject
line.
Postpartum depression may be caused by a variety of
factors,
but
nurturing the mother can only help! It's very important to
realize
that this does not always mean "taking care of the baby so the mom
can
rest". The mom's strongest instincts are going to be
nurtured if
she is supported in caring for her own child. Obviously, if
the
mother
is unable to connect with the baby during some periods of time,
someone
else may need to be caring for the baby. But taking over the
baby's
care can worsen a mother's feeling of inadequacy.
A fabulous book - MOTHER NURTURE - A Mother's Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships
Mother Nurture offers
One of my very wise clients said that when she started to feel
any
kind
of postpartum blues, she would then refocus on her children and
bring
the
family circle closer together. This seems like a very good
first
remedy.
This study concludes that omega-3 fatty acids are less helpful than supportive psychotherapy, but if you aren't able to get supportive psychotherapy, the omega-3 fatty acids may still be a good idea. And we know they're good for baby's brain development.
Omega-3
fatty
acids and supportive psychotherapy for perinatal depression: a
randomized
placebo-controlled study.
Freeman MP, Davis M, Sinha P, Wisner KL, Hibbeln JR, Gelenberg AJ.
J Affect Disord. 2008 Sep;110(1-2):142-8. Epub 2008 Feb 21.
CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference between omega-3
fatty
acids and placebo in this study in which all participants received
supportive
psychotherapy. The manualized supportive psychotherapy warrants
further
study. The low intake of dietary omega-3 fatty acids among
participants
is of concern, in consideration of the widely established health
advantages
in utero and in infants.
A
new
paradigm for depression in new mothers: the central role of
inflammation
and how breastfeeding and anti-inflammatory treatments protect
maternal
mental health
Kathleen Kendall-Tackett
International Breastfeeding Journal 2007,
2:6
doi:10.1186/1746-4358-2-6
Breastfeeding fights depression
08 May 2007
International Breastfeeding Journal 2007; 2: 6
MedWire News: Breastfeeding can help new mothers fight depression, research shows.
Kathleen Kendal-Tackett (University of New Hampshire) says that depression is common among new mothers, and affects anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent of postpartum women.
"Since depression has devastating effects on mother and baby, it's vital that it be identified and treated promptly," she adds.
Kendal-Tackett says that new mothers experience an increase in inflammation due to high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Common experiences associated with new motherhood such as disturbed sleep and postpartum pain can also act as stresses that cause pro-inflammatory levels to rise, she says.
Breastfeeding can reduce women's stress levels so that their inflammatory response systems remain inactive. This then reduces their risk of depression.
But Kendal-Tackett notes this is only true when breastfeeding is "going well."
"When breastfeeding is not going well, particularly if there is pain, it becomes a trigger to depression rather than something that lessens the risk."
She concludes: "Mother's mental health is yet another reason to
intervene
quickly when breastfeeding difficulties arise."
Dietary
folate
and vitamins B(12), B(6), and B(2) intake and the risk of
postpartum
depression
in Japan: The Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study.
Miyake Y, Sasaki S, Tanaka K, Yokoyama T, Ohya Y, Fukushima W,
Saito
K, Ohfuji S, Kiyohara C, Hirota Y; The Osaka Maternal and Child
Health
Study Group.
J Affect Disord. 2006 Jun 29
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that moderate consumption of
riboflavin
may be protective against postpartum depression.
Postpartum treatment key for depression: study - Jul 6/05 -- The key to preventing postpartum depression may be individual support provided after birth by a health professional and tailored to a mother's needs, says a University of Toronto researcher.
"The evidence suggests postpartum depression may be preventable, says Dennis. In analyzing the prevention strategies used, Dennis found an overall 19 per cent reduction in postpartum depression. Individual assessment and intensive support provided by a health professional to at-risk women after they give birth was the most successful approach to preventing postpartum depression; group-based strategies weren't as effective. Risk factors for postpartum depression include past psychiatric history, a significant number of life stressors and lack of support."
Contact: Cindy-Lee Dennis, Faculty of Nursing, (416) 946-8608; e-mail: cindylee.dennis@utoronto.ca
Psychosocial
and
psychological
interventions for prevention of postnatal depression:
systematic review.
Dennis CL.
BMJ. 2005 Jul 2;331(7507):15.
CONCLUSIONS: Diverse psychosocial or psychological interventions
do
not significantly reduce the number of women who develop postnatal
depression.
The most promising intervention is the provision of intensive,
professionally
based postpartum support.
Evaluation
of
the
Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale using Rasch analysis.
Pallant JF, Miller RL, Tennant A.
BMC Psychiatry. 2006 Jun 12;6:28.
Psychological
interventions
fail
to prevent postnatal depression - " . . . intensive
postpartum support provided by a healthcare professional showed a
clear
preventive effect."
Baby
Blues
Mood
Remedy from Cascade
Depression
After
Delivery (Postpartum Depression) - this has an easy-to use
detailed
chart to help you evaluate your own postpartum depression.
Beck Depression
Inventory
- a sytem of assessing level of depression that is considered much
more
accurate than the Edinburgh PDS.
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
(EPDS)
Beyond the Blues by Pec
Indman
EdD, MFT is a concise and up-to-date book for women needing help
with
prenatal
(pregnancy) and postpartum depression and anxiety.
Handouts
and
Short
Articles on Depression in New Mothers
Resourcess
For
Prenatal
and Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders from Pec Indman
EdD, MFT
Help, information, and support for prenatal and postpartum illness
What Is Postpartum Depression? by Pec Indman EdD, MFT
Pregnancy and Postpartum Myths by Pec Indman EdD, MFT
Support or Postpartum Dad by Pec Indman EdD, MFT
Perinatal Medical Updates by Pec Indman EdD, MFT - With the right treatment, you will be well again.
Omega 3 Fatty Acid for treatment of prenatal and postpartum depression
Articles
by
Pec - helping you cope in pregnancy and postpartum
Knowledge
Path:
Postpartum
Depression has been compiled by the Maternal and Child
Health (MCH) Library at Georgetown University.
MedEdPPD - Comprehensive
resources
about postpartum depression.
http:
Postpartum Stress
Center
- The Center was established to provide a better understanding and
comprehensive
clinical intervention for any woman who suffers from the range of
postpartum
psychiatric disorders.
postpartumprogress.typepad.com/
- An award winning blog by a surviovor and board member of
postpartum
support
intl.
Katherine
Wisner discusses some of the medical issues surrounding the
correct
treatment for postpartum depression. (video)
Solace For Mothers, An
Online
Community For Healing Birth Trauma is for women who have
experienced
trauma around the process of giving birth. For these women, giving
birth
has left them feeling deeply disappointed, traumatized, or even
violated.
We want these women to know that they are not alone, that birth
trauma
is very real, and that other women have had similar experiences
and
feelings.
We have created an online community as a place for women to begin
or
continue
their healing journey.
Postpartum
Distress
Support from Postpartum Education for Parents in Santa
Barbara.
PRENATAL
?
POSTPARTUM 'BLUES', DEPRESSION, STRESS ? ANXIETY from radiantmother.com
PSI: Postpartum Support
International
(They used to be Depression after Delivery)
The Postpartum Depression Center
of
San Antonio
Tips
for
Addressing the Baby Blues by Lois V. Nightingale, Ph.D.
Notes from a Talk on Postpartum
Depression
Sacred Window Ayurveda for
Mothers
and Children, where You May Discover How to Avoid Depression
and
Colic And How to Enjoy Profound Rejuvenation!
This
study
by
Pauline Dillard, M.S., focused on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) differences between women who have had cesarean
sections
versus
those who have had natural childbirth.
Women are encouraged to e-mail
a letter of hope and recovery to add to this collection.
Thank
you!
Postpartum
Depression - Overview article [12/4/07] [Medscape
registration is
free]
PSI: Postpartum Support
International
The Safe Motherhood
Quilt
Project
is a national effort developed to draw public attention to the
current
maternal death rates, as well as to the gross underreporting of
maternal
deaths in the United States, and to honor those women who have
died of
pregnancy-related causes since 1982.
What Does Safe
Motherhood
Mean?
- Safe Motherhood means that no woman should die or be harmed by
pregnancy
or birth.
Emotional
Recovery
After
Birth - a homeopathic approach
Pregnancy
blues
worsen
with age [10/12/04] - Older mothers are more anxious
during their pregnancy and less likely to have the social support
younger
mothers enjoy, a study has found. But they are also less
starry-eyed
about
parenthood, and will perhaps make better mothers for it.
Postnatal
Depression
or Childbirth Trauma? - For some women, childbirth has all
the
characteristics
we associate with trauma. Professionals should abandon the easy
assumption
that childbirth is not traumatic just because it is within the
normal
range
of experience, and adjust their treatment accordingly.
Postpartum
Symptoms of PTSD Are Higher Than Expected By Jamie Habib |
September 24, 2012
"More than 25% of women may exhibit symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth, a new
study reports."
Overall, 25.9% of women in this study experienced some PTSD symptoms after giving birth. The authors noted that being a first-time mother did not predispose women to postpartum PTSD. A significant protective factor against PTSD was perceived social support.
Although it is impossible to accurately predict which patients will experience symptoms of postpartum PTSD, the authors suggest that obstetricians can help mitigate these symptoms in patients who may be predisposed to this disorder by discussing options for analgesia during delivery early in the pregnancy. According to the authors, this is the first study to link postpartum PTSD with a discomfort with nakedness during delivery.
- Sufficient social support was a protective factor against postpartum PTSD.Action On
Puerperal
Psychosis (APP) from the University
of
Birmingham
The Effect of Birth Experience on Postpartum Depression by Michelle A. Bland
The
Effect
of
Birth Experience on Postpartum Depression: A Follow-Up Study
by Michelle A. Bland
Puerperal
Psychosis/Postnatal
Depression
The Postpartum Stress
Center
in Rosemont, Pennsylvania - Clinical Director is Karen Kleiman,
MSW,
author
of "This Isn't What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression"
This brief article on Deep
Tissue
Vaginal Massage has some really good information for women
experiencing
physical or emotional pain in their genitals after birth.
The
Mystery
of
Postpartum Depression - By Pamela Gerhardt, Washington
Post, Tuesday, March 14, 2000
Great set of links about
birth-related
psychology and emotions
1. As a Functional Medicine
oriented Chiropractor, I am seeing more frequent women with pre
and post pregnancy sex hormone, adrenal and thyroid hormone
imbalances. This would in and of itself predispose to
increase PTSD. I do not however attribute correlation with
higher PTSD to un-medicated childbirth, but to imbalances in
measurable levels of 2-hydroxyestrones and
16-alpha-hydroxyestrones, which predisposes and is associated with
depression. This is becoming more common, according to
research because of exposure to hormonal disruptors in the
environment such as pesticides, BPA in plastic exposure, exposure
to GMO foods, and even "hidden environmental" exposures like
outgassing from new carpets and materials in new buildings.
2. I'm seeing more frequent
and previously undetected Hashimoto's thyroid disorders, partially
I suspect from the above environmental and personal exposures, as
well as the fact that often by the time the woman sees me, they
have been frustrated because they have seen their primary care
physician or OB-Gyn who does not have a Functional Medicine
approach, and they have had "all the tests, but they came back
normal", but the doctor didn't test a total thyroid panel
including TSH, totT4, totT3, freeT3, reverseT3, TPO and
Thyroglobulin Antibodies. Therefore they are literally being
"Miss Diagnosed".they are missing the real diagnosis! They
are erroneously being told nothing's wrong, but they know
something is, and then they are put on antidepressants because the
doctor attributes it to being "all in their head" or to
depression!
3. The fact that adrenal
dysregulation problems are associated with depression and at the
underlying cause of many PTSD issues. But again many are
being "Miss Diagnosed". Adrenal gland dysregulation is not
even acknowledged unless the standard methods of blood testing
show up abnormal, but checking adrenal function via standard blood
tests misses all but the most severe disorders of adrenal hormone
dysregulation. And "Adrenal Exhaustion" is still thought of
as not a real condition by most conventional medical doctors
(unless they have been trained in the Functional Medicine
approach). Adrenal dysregulation is becoming more prevalent
for various reasons, including the hormonal disruptors noted
previously. This will manifest often as depression. I
talked about thoughts #2 and #3 in my free e-book available at
http:
4. If the above factors are
not identified before pregnancy, they will often be aggravated by
the toll on a woman's body during pregnancy, and manifest
post-pregnancy, especially in the first few months post-partum!
Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN
Holistic Health
Bay Area (in Rivera Chiropractic Group)
Traumatic birth as Legal
Rape by sheila stubbs
Not
a
happy
birthday - Threatened, intimidated, bullied, violated: this
is hospital birth as many mothers experience it. Amity Reed
reports on
the little-recognised crime of birth rape.
See also: Post-Traumatic
Stress
Disorder
Yahoo! group ptsdafterchildbirth
for women who have gone through traumatic births.
Yahoo! group BirthTraumaSupportGroup
- A safe place for women who have had trauma during childbirth.
Parasites
of
the
Mind - A healing blog for PTSD awareness, education,
treatment
and self-empowered healing.
Solace For
Mothers,
An Online Community For Healing Birth Trauma is for women
who have
experienced trauma around the process of giving birth. For these
women,
giving birth has left them feeling deeply disappointed,
traumatized, or
even violated. We want these women to know that they are not
alone,
that birth trauma is very real, and that other women have had
similar
experiences
and feelings. We have created an online community as a place
for
women to begin or continue their healing journey.
The Pink Kit folks offer an informational CD
for
women
who experienced trauma from giving birth (TABS):
Trauma and Birth Stress - PTSD
After
Childbirth
PTSD
After
Childbirth Blog by Jodi Kluchar, who is a major activist in
awareness
of PTSD after childbirth. She has published a number of related
articles.
The Birth
Trauma
Association supports all women who have had a traumatic
birth
experience.
Bad times make for more accurate memories
"Pleasurable experiences are more fun to relive than negative ones, but a new study by psychologists at Harvard University reveals that memories of good times can be less accurate than those of bad times. Not only that, a person with a positive memory is more likely to be more confident of her or his distorted memory than someone who has a negative memory of the same event. "
Research by Elizabeth Kensinger at Harvard.
See also: Effects of Birth Practices
on
Breastfeeding
Do you think there is a correlation between problems with being
able
breastfeed and traumatic birth/PTSD? For me, breastfeeding would
trigger
a replay of the birth experience. I dreaded and avoided
breastfeeding,
or at least as much as the mother and newborn can avoid a hungry
infant.
I was not able to establish a good supply, and I've even wondered
if
this
is hormonal, specific to PTSD, somehow.
Oxytocin is the hormone that is common to all of our reproductive functions: sexual arousal/intercourse; labor and birth; breastfeeding. A trauma in any one of these areas could result in an aversion to increasing levels of this hormone which accompany any of these functions. This could lead to an anxiety that increases adrenaline, which inhibits lactation, so . . . yes, PTSD could cause breastfeeding problems.
This is similar to one of the mechanisms proposed for the
relationship between inductions and autism:
Childbirth and Narratives: How Do Mothers Deal with Their Child's
Birth?
by Paola Di Blasio and Chiara Ionio
JOPPPAH 17(2), Winter, 2002, p. 143
"ABSTRACT: This research focuses on post traumatic stress
disorders
which arise after childbirth and adds to the literature on
psychological
post partum diseases. The hypothesis of this study was that
psychological
expression of negative emotions could reduce the occurrence of
stress
symptoms
after labour and delivery. A group of 64 women with a
healthy
pregnancy
was examined. Half of them were asked to express their
emotion
experienced
during labour and delivery through a written account. The
results
indicated a significant difference in the number of post traumatic
stress
symptoms between the two groups, underlining the positive effect
of the
emotional disclosure."
How
to
Overcome
a Disappointing Birth Experience By Kristi Patrice Carter
Integrating
A
Difficult
Birth from Karen
Melton's site
What if Your Homebirth Doesn't Happen at
Home?
Grief
within
the Miracle Society for Women - This society has been
created to
give
support and compassion to women who feel they have experienced
trauma
and
abuse at the hands of professionals during the birth of their
child or
children. . . . If you feel any regret, pain, feelings of
humiliation,
visions of moments in birth that you cringe to remember but can't
seem
to forget...then you are in the right place.
I have just received a copy of a book titled, "Reclaiming
the Spirituality of Birth: Healing for Mothers and Babies"
by Benig
Mauger. It was released in USA in March/00, but was previously
released
in the UK in 1998 with the title "Songs
of
the Womb; Healing the wounded mother". I have only read the
intro
and 1st chapter so far, but it is quite good.
"Recovery from Childbirth: An Emotional Healing" by Lynn Madsen -
I
give it to all my 2nd time or more moms if they even hint that
they
were
less than totally happy with their prior birth experiences.
[Ed:
I'm not sure whether there was ever a book by this title, but
there is
a book by Lynn Madsen called Rebounding
from
Childbirth:
Toward Emotional Recovery.]
"Rebounding from Childbirth: Toward Emotional Recovery" by Lynn Madsen is a good book for those wishing to resolve issues related to their birth experiences. Topics include:
Nancy Wainer is occasionally offering workshops on "Grieving and
Healing
After a Disappointing, Upsetting, or Traumatic Birth Experience"
Contact (781) 449-2490 for more information.
Psychotherapy
Services
for
the Childbearing Year - Linda Cozzolino, M.Ed., CPM -
Specializing in counseling for:
Survivors
of
childhood abuse, now preparing for birth and parenting.
Women or
couples
with traumatic previous birth experiences.
Women or
couples
with high levels of fear of childbirth and/or parenting.
BirthWorks
Reading
List - books to help women overcome the negative effects a
difficult past can have on pregnancy and birth
See this recounting of
Six Birth Stories for a true testimonial of overcoming birth
trauma.
The VBAC Companion by Diana Korte has a section on
dealing
with previous traumatic births.
Cesarean Art - for all the
scarred
mothers
Pregnant Feelings by Rahima Baldwin (and a friend?)
Transformation Through Birth by Claudia Panuthos
A Birth Counsellor is a counsellor who is well-versed in the area of birth. The Birth Counsellor helps women and their families in three ways:
For more information, please email birthcounsellingskills@bc.sympatico.ca,
or
call: 1-800-755-3377
I've been wondering about resolving my own birth experiences. Is there anyone out there who has actually done it and could explain the process they took to do that? I know I need to do it, but I'm not quite sure where to start. Any suggestions?
Keeping journal of your thoughts is one thing. Writing letters (to mail or not) to everyone including yourself in which you share your feelings about the birth.
A few books I like:
Attend a Birth Works class if you are planning another pregnancy or if you are pregnant.
If your emotions about your birth seem to be overwhelming-
consuming
you nearly every moment of the day, something that can be helpful
is to
begin to confine those feelings and thoughts to certain parts of
the
day.
For example, say to yourself, you can worrying and think about
this all
day, EXCEPT from 9am- 11am. That's when I am going to think about
different
stuff, do other things. If the thoughts start creeping in, you
say,
"No,
I'm not going to think about that now, that's for later". Then, as
time
goes on, you expand your "clear" times, and shrink your grief
time.
This
is at a pace that is right for you. It may feel good to feel that
you
have
some control over your emotions. Eventually you can put them in a
small
box and deal with them as you need to.
When a bad birth haunts you by Sheila Kitzinger
Notes from Sheila Kitzinger Talk - "Crisis
in
the Perinatal Period".
I can't seem to help HATING myself for being "Stupid enough, at
my
age",
to prevent/stop this from happening to me.
Has anyone else tried to channel these feeling into something
else?
Something that may alleviate feelings like this? I have been
so
angry
for many years concerning my births that I want to stand at the
hospital
entrance and tell birthing Mom's that there is a better way;
Inside
lies
danger! Instead, I am a student midwife and educate everyone
I
can
on hospital and medical interventions. I think if I could
just
save
one woman and child from a horrid birth it would atone for
mine.
I always wished someone had told me how it really was BEFORE I
gave
birth.
Now I make sure I tell who ever will listen. Don't get me
wrong,
I don't stand at the mall next to the Salvation Army guy with his
ringing
bell, stopping shoppers to tell them of the horrors of medicalized
childbirth,
but those who seem interested in my studies and those who are
eager to
talk of their own pregnancies open up a perfect window of
opportunity!
Post questions or answers to the "Dear Midwife' forum at Pacific Northwest Midwives - send e-mail to: hdw4@msn.com
For a response from professionals that is particularly sensitive to the emotional issues around childbirth, check out the "Ask the Pros" section of Association for Pre- ? Perinatal Psychology ? Health (APPPAH).
You can ask questions from The Midwife Pro (Midge Jolly, LM, CPM) (formerly at Moms Online - oxygen.com)
The obgyn.net Women's Health Forum
There are also some midwives and doctors reading misc.kids.pregnancy who occasionally respond about specific cases.
There are other references at Web Florida - Women and Their Health and T-net inc.
On-Line Medical Advice - this is an extensive meta list!
There are also some women's forums where you might be able to get information from other parents:
Labor of Love Message
Boards
We have it worked into our 2-3 week visit to ask similar
questions:
"Do you have any questions about what happened at your birth? How
did
you
feel about your birth experience in general? What could we have
done to
improved our services?..." This is a good time to get initial
impressions
and clear up any technical misunderstandings about what really
happened
during a birth, but I think a mom's overall feelings about a birth
take
much, much longer to process. If the birth has been traumatic the
mother
is probably working out her feelings about it long after our last
official
contact with her.
Rather than ask the mother specific questions about the birth, I
learned
to do a birth review where I just guide the mother to tell me the
whole
story of the birth, as if I hadn't been there. It's amazing some
of the
feelings that come up when she has control of the story and where
it
goes.
Some moms end up dealing with a lot more than they expected. Especially for a hospital transport, the drama doesn't help, even when the transport was warranted. Even unmedicated vaginal births can be a lot to process afterwards. Sometimes "tincture of time" is the best remedy. AND listening to her, so that she gets to tell her story (over and over is great) in order to make meaning out of it.
Sometimes EMDR is helpful; I don't need to see someone more than a half-dozen or so times for that, if that is their preference. Sometimes, "counseling" sounds like it will be traumatic in itself. It really involves what you are already doing - listening with respect. I usually see the process as offering a doula to the feelings or thoughts. [Ed: The August, 2007, issue of the Birth Trauma Association newsletter has a great piece about EMDR on page 2.]
can also teach "mindfulness based stress management" techniques. This can be helpful in sitting WITH the disappointment, regret, sadness, guilt, or whatever until that can be processed. Sometimes the feelings tie in with other life events that moms don't even realize are re-surfacing until they feel "into" the feelings and see what's there. Once again, it's really similar to birthing - riding the feeling as you would a contraction. (Since we are still paying off my student loan - I'm reluctant to say that my birth work has been at least as valuable as my masters - reluctant to say it to my husband anyway...) You are probably already doing that for her. Letting her FEEL what she is feeling, and not pushing it away is often the best remedy. Often then it will dissipate on its own with time. And your being patient while she does that is the gift.
Comments by Sharon Storton,
MA,
MFTI, IBCLC
Here are some resources
in
the
Silicon Valley area.
STAR is a profoundly transformative 10-day personal growth retreat, a carefully structured program of accelerated self-healing and transformation.
Resource
Directory
Of Practitioners and Programs in Pre- ? Perinatal
Psychology
? Health - Year 2001
I have heard that Phyllis Klaus offers phone counseling sessions
for
birth trauma. (She's one of the founders of Doulas of North
America).
510-559-8000, phyllisklaus@aol.com
I was helped by EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and
Reprocessing.
Basically, by moving your eyes back and forth you can stimulate
your
brain
to integrate right brain and left brain activity, which helps
process
memories.
You can doEMDR while confronting highly emotional memories and it
helps
to release some of the emotion. Also, some counselors do EFT
or Emotional Freedom Technique which has a similar
philosophy to
accupuncture,
except that you just apply pressure with your finger tips.
The
idea
is that we are electrical as well as chemical and strong emotions
cause
electrical disturbances in the body. Applying EFT while
saying
affirmations
or working through the trauma can release a great deal of emotion.
I
think
massage, prayer, yoga, meditation are all wonderful -- anything
that
helps
the nervous system relax. I think the major challenge for
recovery
is that it is so hard for mothers to find the time/money to take
care
of
themselves!!!!!
Shekinah
Birthing offers EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUES: EFT
TELECLASSES FOR
BIRTH
TRAUMA
It can be difficult to find a mental health professional who understands the issues of birth trauma. It is essential to avoid working with someone who will deny that you were harmed by a negative birth experience.
Here are some resources that might be helpful:
Finding a
Therapist
Outside the San Francisco Bay Area
DrScore is a web site that
collects
and displays ratings of doctors. You can contribute your
ratings
or read others' ratings.
RateMDs.com is
changing
the
way the world looks at medicine by providing patients with the
unique
opportunity
to rate and read about their doctors.
Unhappy
With
Your
Maternity Care? File a Complaint! from Citizens
for Midwifery
Privacy concerns may prevent a professional midwife or doula from
filing
a complaint about the quality of care at a birth, or even a
hostile or
punitive attitude towards a homebirth transport. One option
is
for
the birth professional to write a letter of complaint and then
have her
client sign it.
In a situation where the parents are concerned about the care
they
were
or are being provided I suggest speaking with the Charge Nurse,
hospital
Ombudsman, hospital chaplain, Head of the department, (oB or Peds)
and
also out in the wider world. The nursing Board and the California
Medical
board also have mechanisms of action to complain about care given.
How
Complaints
Are Handled from the Medical Board of California
Childbirth
-
The
Rights of Childbearing Women from the
Boston Women's Health Book Collective, Inc., reposted with
permission
from Childbirth
Connection
It is so important to provide feedback to your care providers - how else will they ever learn what helped and what hindered your birth experience?
I know it can be incredibly hard to look back on a difficult birth experience. Who really wants to give another second's worth of energy to thinking about the physical trauma, the emotional trauma, the betrayal by seemingly benevolent care providers? Some women feel violated on every level - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Writing letters of complaint may even feel like a perpetuation of the trauma, much as victims of stranger assault can feel victimized by having to testify against their assailant.
So . . . why bother?
The answer is simple. You're doing it for your sisters, your cousins, your daughters, your nieces, and your eventual grand-daughters. If we don't start working now to change the system, your loved ones are likely to have the same horrible experience when they're ready to give birth.
At the very least, simply write a letter expressing your disappointment that your experience was so different from what you were led to expect.
And don't forget to write thank-you letters to the care providers who treated you well! I especially like to address the letters to an entire practice or to the entire nursing staff, giving honorable mention to those who deserve it. When it's addressed to multiple people, it's often posted in an employee lounge or somewhere where everyone will see it and wish they'd been nice enough to be mentioned. If you address it just to the nice people, they might be reluctant to show it about or post it publicly.
If somebody had walked up to you on the street and done this, you
can
bet they'd be interested in pressing charges; being a doctor
doesn't
give
somebody permission to assault you any more than a stranger on the
street.
In addition to writing a letter of "concern" to the relevant provider, it is essential that you send copies to public boards and medical societies. This is important because it's the only way to make sure the individual practitioner will ever have to worry about any consequences. And, perhaps more importantly, it will help put the fear of god/dess into every other OB who realizes that women really, really don't like having their bodies and their lives messed with against their will.
Please, do use your energy to write letters and to help educate
other
women in the e-mail lists, Web forums and Usenet newsgroups
instead of
taking it out on yourself or your loved ones!
How to File a Complaint in California
How to Respond to Bad Hospital Treatment
Writing Letters to Caregivers About Your
Birth
Experience
These people DO investigate pt complaints. Complaints are taken from any one who wishes to file one, and can be made without giving your name. It is best to give the pt name and date of stay as well as what happened that you think was wrong.
Not all complaints result in a 'punishment'. However, the hospital is put through a 'ringer' every time the JC comes in and the hospital will often 'fix' the problem before the JC comes in and destroy the evidence. This makes it harder top punish, but makes it easier for the next pt.
Not all hospitals are accredited, and a simple call to the
hospital
administration receptionist will let you know if they are or not.
Make sure you have the woman's permission before using her
name
in
a complaint.
There is a great book by Christopher Norwood "How To Avoid A Cesarean Section" wherein the author suggests what she believes an effective alternative to suing is sending "detailed, written complaints to administration of the hospital, its chairman of obstetrics, the local and state health departments, and to the professional society regulating obstetricians in your area." She suggests that in the end the doctor will feel more pressure to rethink his cesarean decisions than if he/she was sued.
This is a gentle, forthright book about vaginal birthing that is
not
outdated even though written in 1987.
Mom Writes Letter to OBs Who Did
Unnecessary
Cesareans
One of my favorite mild preventives or treatments for PPD is the
herb,
Blessed Thistle. I like the non-alcoholic version from
Tri-Light
herbs; it's slightly sweet and can be used as a sweetener in tea
if
moms
find it too sweet to take directly. It has the bonus of
being a
galactagogue,
stimulating milk production. It's worked wonders for
second-time
moms who had PPD and difficulty breastfeeding a first baby.
Motherwort
may also work wonders for helping to induce a more mellow mood.
Renee Smith's music
is
a wonderful combination of more traditional lullaby styles with
more
nurturing
lyrics. My personal favorite is her Angels
? Mermaids CD, with her Lullabies
For
My Little Angels a very close second. Her Seeds
? Songs To Make 'em Grow is a wonderful collection for
"older
children",
i.e. toddlers and pre-schoolers, not to mention their
parents! I
don't know what it is about this music, but it always makes me so
happy!
Cheaper than therapy and lots more fun; I call it my "audio
prozac".
Ellen
Roos
- Passion
Flower
Music - Songs that see and stir, love and forgive, lift,
bless and
free! Her first album is Lavender
and Morning Sun.
Natural Progesterone for Post-partum
Depression
and PMS Psychosis
- general dose is 20-60 mg/daily (applied anywhere on the body)
for 2
weeks each month.
Counseling As Effective As Prozac for
Postpartum
Depression
Unnecessary
Cesarean
with
General Anesthesia resulting in severe postpartum depression
Jenny's Tale - Saga of a Birth Gone Wrong
or Yes, It Can Happen To You
Jenny Strikes Back - A Set of Letters and
a
Meeting
about the Unnecessary Cesarean
I went to hear Anne Dunwald (?) speak a few years ago. She's got a book out now available through Cascade's book catalog I believe. She's a psychologist who specializes in women's concerns and does lots of counseling for post partum depression. From what I remember post partum psychosis involves major things like religious or satanic beliefs that are irrational, such as 'my baby was the devil and an angel told me to kill it' type of hallucinating AND the woman is acting on such beliefs. Unless PPD has progressed to acting upon thoughts of harming herself or her baby, the speaker did not recommend hospitalization.
I've known a mother with severe PPD. A hospital birth experience
made
her remember being raped many years before and she believed that
triggered
her PPD. It is true that PPD is more common in women who've had
interventive
births. Also much more common in women with a history of
depression.
DHA
found in long chain omega-3 fatty acids is effective in prevention
of
PPD
according to researchers at the Children's Nutrition Research
Center
however
their studies are not complete. DHA is found in fish oils, cold
water
fish,
flaxseed oil, carrots, spinach, and some supplements. I might be
able
to
copy the tape I have of Anne Dunwald's speech if you need it. Most
all
antidepressants can be safely taken by breastfeeding mothers. St.
John's
Wort might also be tried.
Child sexual abuse that has been buried deep in the psyche can sometimes be brought up during the powerful physical and emotional feelings in labor and birth. This also explains the "type a " personality traits of wanting to be perfect. This energy is used to keep those nasty memories at bay sometimes. Sexual abuse is so rampant that I'm more likely to believe it has occurred in a woman's past than not these days.
This would be my first suspicion with a woman suffering this type
of
psychotic episode.
New - online support group - BirthTraumaSupport
at egroups.com
Resourcess
For
Prenatal
and Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders from Pec Indman
EdD, MFT
Help, information, and support for prenatal and postpartum illness
Postpartum Support
International
www.postpartum.net
Call the PSI Postpartum Depression Helpline: 1.800.944.4773
Postpartum Adjustment Support Services(PASS-CAN)
Canadian Resource
(905)844-9009
The Postpartum Stress
Center
Rosemont, PA Office, 610.525.7527
Voorhees, NJ Office, 856-745-8847
National
Anxiety
Foundation
(for both Professional referral list and information resource)
1-800-755-1576
National Institute
of
Mental Health
Hot Line about Panic
With info on support groups
1-800 64-PANIC
For information about "safe" anti-depressants postpartum: Medical
Professional
Involved in Relevant Research on PPD. MD who is known for her
research
on the use of Medication for PPD during breastfeeding. She is a
good
resource
about Meds.
KATHERINE WISNER -
Pittsburgh
Mind-Body Center
Professor of Psychiatry, OB/GYN, Epidemiology, and Women’s Studies
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