Where are these symptoms coming from?

Posted by: DrDiBartoGoggin on: May 5, 2011

• In: birth trauma | Healing | Resources
• 1 Comment

Where are these symptoms coming from?

I recently met with Linda at Mother To Mother, a company that supports women during the postpartum and pregnancy period. We talked about our own personal birth stories and the stories of women we meet with who experience post-partum adjustment disorders. The topic of how we both struggled to recognize that our symptoms were related to the birth of our child came up, and we agreed that many women don’t recognize their symptoms until years later. I knew I was having panic attacks almost daily but always blamed my overactive personality. It wasn’t until three years later I connected my symptoms to post-partum PTSD.

Many women have chest pain that they relate to a heart attack. When they go to their doctor, a battery of tests is run with the same result: you’re normal. These women are usually experiencing a panic or anxiety attack, or even a flashback and never relate the pain back to a negative birth experience. Some women even believe they have cancer because of their symptoms. The exact psychology of the symptoms can be hard to pinpoint and most of the time doctors do not think to ask of past psychological or emotional trauma.

If you are experiencing symptoms that seem to have no origin think back to your birth experience and what you went through. Because our minds are so ‘imprintable’ with hormones and the depth of the birth experience, and the fact that we may not even remember what happened to us, but our subconscious does, we will exhibit symptoms related to trauma, panic, anxiety, depression, PTSD. Write down all your symptoms that you can think of and talk to your provider. If they don’t think that ‘birth trauma’ exits for a mother, find a new doctor and talk to a psychologist trained in working with mothers.

Start attending support groups even if you don’t think you have post partum adjustment symptoms and share your stories. Learn more about what you are going through and allow others to help you heal and recognize your symptoms. Click the link to find a local group near you.

Tags: adjustment disorder, birth trauma, post partum, psychology, support groups, symptoms