A parent (mother or partner) may experience or witness an event they find traumatic in the perinatal period, such as a difficult or complicated labour or birth, a medical emergency for parent or baby after birth, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or neonatal loss.

Sometimes, labour or birth may not involve medical trauma, but can still be psychologically traumatic for a parent if they feel disempowered, ignored, ill-informed or out of control.

For some people, this trauma will resolve over time without intervention. Some parents may find it helpful to talk about the event, feel supported and heard by others, and be able to process emotions associated with the trauma. Not all people who witness or experience a traumatic event will develop a trauma-related disorder but some do.

Some, however, may also develop a trauma-related disorder indirectly by hearing or learning about a traumatic event.

Acute stress disorder can occur immediately after a traumatic event and is a short-term condition often lasting only up to a month. A person who has ASD experiences psychological distress and its symptoms are similar to PTSD as explained below. ASD is a temporary condition and treatment focuses on decreasing symptoms, improving coping strategies, and preventing PTSD. In dealing with ASD, talking to family and friends and seeking community support is often enough to deal with the effects of trauma if it is not complicated or perceived as life-threatening. If symptoms are ongoing however it can develop into PTSD.

The most widely-recognised trauma disorder is post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD.

Some of the following symptoms may contribute to a perinatal PTSD diagnosis if they are distressing and do not start to recede several weeks after birth:

– Re-experiencing the trauma through vivid and distressing flashbacks or dreams

– Negative thoughts and feelings such as fear, anger, guilt, feeling flat or numb a lot of the time, thinking they are to blame for what happened

– Being in a constant state of ‘alertness’ – watching out for danger to themselves, their baby or other loved ones

– A stress response to noises, smells or sights that remind them of the traumatic event

– Avoiding particular places or situations that may evoke reminders of the traumatic event, for example not wanting to drive near the hospital

If a parent has one or more previous significant experiences of trauma, they are more vulnerable to PTSD in the perinatal period. These include sexual trauma, childhood abuse, bereavement of a significant person and family violence, previous adverse birth or pregnancy-related events.