A defiant journey through postnatal PTSD
PTSD after a traumatic birth doesn’t just disappear – but you can learn to manage it. Dr Miriam Mazal Tasgal, a therapist who experienced her own traumatic birth, has found that it’s possible to transform your experience into something meaningful
To anyone struggling after a traumatic birth: you’re not alone. I’ve walked that path too as both a therapist and a mother, and I want to share what I’ve learned. In 2011, I experienced a traumatic birth. Even after fourteen years, I still can’t find words that truly do justice to what happened that day. My clinical work focus since then has been on life beyond traumatic births.
What I can talk about is my determination to alleviate and recover from the post-traumatic stress that followed. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), “The onset of symptoms is usually within the first 3 months after the trauma, although there may be a delay of months, or even years, before criteria for the diagnosis are met.” My symptoms started straight after the trauma. At first, I did not recognise what was going on, and when I mentioned it to the GP, I was brushed off.
Trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk writes in The Body Keeps the Score that our bodies often remember what our minds cannot fully articulate. My body was keeping score. I struggled for years with trauma-induced infertility. That, coupled with nightmares and triggers, made me realise I had to take my recovery into my own hands. No one was coming to save me.
There is no one way to recover from PTSD. This is what I discovered as I began to tackle it for myself. I also met many women who said none of the normal treatments resolved the PTSD for them. What seemed to have good results was a combined approach. Through my professional work, listening to women’s accounts of their birth traumas, and my personal therapy sessions, having EMDR or CBT alongside talking therapy with two different therapists was more powerful than just one or the other.
This combined approach makes sense because trauma both hyper-fixates and is avoidant at the same time, giving the person experiencing PTSD conflicting messages about what they need. Indeed, Judith Herman was one of the first to argue for a staged, flexible approach to trauma therapy, combining safety, remembrance, and reconnection, implying different methods may be needed at different stages.
There was also another element I noticed about those women, myself included, who were slowly managing their PTSD better. These women were able to transform their experience into something meaningful. In my case, it became the basis of my PhD. For another, it might be founding a supportive charity.
I’m intentional about using the word “manage” rather than “recover” or “get better.” The reality is PTSD doesn’t simply disappear. It’s something we learn to recognise, navigate, and manage more effectively, especially with the right support system. I often meet women who feel disheartened, wondering why their trauma hasn’t vanished. But this expectation can set us up for failure. Trauma, at its core, is the psyche’s way of trying to protect us. It’s a survival mechanism, albeit extreme and often disruptive, and while not always helpful, it can’t be fully ‘switched off’ without compromising our innate capacity for self-preservation.
Starting the journey of healing from PTSD can feel overwhelming and uncertain, but it’s also a profound act of courage and self-love. Remember, managing trauma isn’t about erasing the past it’s about reclaiming your life, step by step, in your own time. With patience, support, and compassion for yourself, it’s possible to find peace, resilience, and moments of joy again. You are not alone on this path, and every small step forward is a powerful testament to your strength.
Biography:
I am a mother and counselling psychologist with experience in the NHS Talking Therapies service and private practice. I also lecture PhD students at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling, affiliated with Middlesex University.
