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Understanding Healing From Psychological Birth Trauma: A Lived Experience Perspective
1School of Social Work, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Journal of Midwifery & Women'S Health
|November 18, 2025
Summary
Healing from psychological birth trauma is a gradual, nonlinear process. It involves finding peace with the experience and integrating it into life, rather than reaching a final destination. This understanding is key for supporting survivors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Perinatal Mental Health
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Psychological birth trauma affects a significant proportion of birthing individuals globally.
- Prevalence estimates range from 18% to 45% perceiving birth as traumatic, with 4% diagnosed with PTSD.
- The lived experience of healing from birth trauma is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how individuals understand healing from birth trauma.
- To investigate the lived experience of recovery from psychological birth trauma.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
- 11 participants with diverse birth trauma experiences were purposively sampled.
- Semistructured interviews were conducted and analyzed using IPA.
Main Results:
- Healing is understood as a process, not a destination.
- Healing involves achieving peace with the traumatic experience.
- Healing means holding multiple truths simultaneously.
- Participants described healing as an active, nonlinear journey with milestones and integration of the experience.
Conclusions:
- Trauma recovery is a gradual process, emphasizing the importance of safe spaces for storytelling.
- Acknowledging the capacity to hold both challenging and positive emotions is crucial for healing.
- Further research should center the individual's lived experience and involve diverse participants and researchers.
- Integrating lived experiences is vital for developing client-centered support initiatives for birth trauma recovery.
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