Birth trauma research

Further reading for health professionals and people interested in learning more about birth trauma.

There is now a substantial body of research on the causes, incidence and effects of birth trauma. Here are some articles you may find helpful.

Ayers S, Eagle A and Waring H (2006) The effects of childbirth related PTSD on women and their relationship: a qualitative study. Psychol Health Med 2006 Nov 11 (4) 389-98.

Ayers S, Bond R, Bertullies S and Wijma  K (2016)  The aetiology of post-traumatic stress following childbirth: a meta-analysis and theoretical framework. Psychological Medicine, 46 (6). pp. 1121-34. 

Dikmen-Yildiz P, Ayers S, Phillips L (2018) Longitudinal trajectories of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after birth and associated risk factors. J Affect Disord. Mar 15;229:377-385. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.074. Epub 2018 Jan 2. PMID: 29331697.

Etheridge J, Slade P (2017) “Nothing’s actually happened to me.”: the experiences of fathers who found childbirth traumatic. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.; 17:80.

Garthus-Niegel, S et al (2018), The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective Study Front. Psychol., 9 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01728

Heyne, C et al (2022) Prevalence and risk factors of birth-related posttraumatic stress among parents: A comparative systematic review and meta-analysis Clinical Psychology Review. 94.

McKenzie-McHarg, K et al (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth: An update of current issues and recommendations for future research. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 33(3), 219–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2015.1031646

Nicholls K,Ayers S (2007) Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder in couples: a qualitative study. Br J Health Psychol. 2007 Nov;12(Pt 4):491-509. doi: 10.1348/135910706X120627. PMID: 17931469.

Are we missing something? Get in touch if you know of research not listed that would benefit health professionals’ understanding of birth trauma.

Training videos

As part of our educational work with health professionals we created a video training course on birth trauma and trauma informed care. Here’s the trailer – view the full videos and download training materials on our training page, and find out more about prevention and diagnosis across our site.

Birth Stories

Birth Stories
Susan’s story

Both of my children were born at Northampton General hospital. My daughter was born in March 2006 and my son January 2008. My daughter was in back-to-back position. Meconium was present. I was screaming that I wanted to die because the pain was horrendous. I was given pethidine with no effect

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Lizzie’s story

After a traumatic first birth with a 3b tear and operation I was petrified of giving birth again. I opted for an elective c section to try and get more control.
My elective c section went badly wrong.

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Jess’s story

I had a healthy pregnancy until I reached 36 weeks, when a scan found the baby was on the bigger side. I went into labour nine days before my due date, and was repeatedly turned away from the hospital until eventually being admitted. I was given medication for raised blood pressure, as well as gas and air, which did nothing for the pain.

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