Hannah's Story - Placental Abruption, PTSD & the Healing She Was Denied For 6 Months

Today I’m joined by Hannah, who shares with us about the traumatic experience she encountered when she was nearing the end of her pregnancy with her second baby. Having had a very straightforward first birth in a birth centre, Hannah had opted for a home birth with her second. But when she began haemorrhaging at 36 weeks, her plans for a peaceful, gentle home birth were foiled. She was experiencing a placental abruption which ultimately resulted in a very rushed emergency cesarean.

The final moments before Bradley was born were the source of Hannah’s PTSD symptoms that haunted her in her postpartum journey. Despite asking for help from the professionals she was repeatedly declined support and reminded that actually she was one of the lucky ones, that under the circumstances she was lucky to have a healthy baby. This did nothing to relieve Hannah of her depression and anxiety, and only served to fuel the guilt and shame that she held surrounding her experience.

At 6 months postpartum she finally received the care she needed to begin her healing process. A brilliant psychologist used EMDR therapy with Hannah and the PTSD symptoms immediately started abating. Two years on, Hannah is now a birth doula. Primarily she hopes to change the story for others who experience a traumatic birth and are pregnant again.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• placental abruption at 36 weeks
• emergency cesarean with inadequate anaesthesia (then GA)
• PTSD - description of symptoms
• lack of access to trauma support
• anti-depressant medication
• EMDR therapy for PTSD
• managing the resurfacing of birth trauma on child's 1st birthday

To train in holistic birth trauma support with me (Carla), visit:

https://www.healingbirth.co.nz/training-with-carla

Or to find healing after a traumatic birth through 1:1 support with me:

https://www.healingbirth.co.nz/healing