Two health tips for new mothers who have gone through a traumatic labour
If you are a new mother and your labour was traumatic and left you with several health issues, here are some tips that should help you to recover, both mentally and physically, from this experience.
Book an appointment with a psychologist
Many women who have bad labour experiences develop psychological issues afterwards. They may, for example, suffer from frequent flashbacks, during which they relive the most distressing moments of their labour, or they may experience insomnia, nightmares or panic attacks on a regular basis,
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, you should book an appointment with one of your local psychologists, as it is possible that your traumatic labour may have resulted in you developing a condition called PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
It is important to do this as soon as you notice your mental health declining; if you wait too long, your symptoms may worsen and you may find it extremely difficult to take care of your new baby.
If it turns out that you do have PTSD (or another mental health issue caused by your traumatic experience), you will probably need to undergo psychological treatment in order to fully recover.
This may include discussing exactly what happened and how you felt throughout the process of giving birth with your chosen psychologist as well as receiving CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), to help you cope with any distressing negative thoughts you may be experiencing as a result of your trauma.
Additionally, your psychologist may recommend that you take a course of antidepressants to help you manage some of the more difficult symptoms caused by your condition.
Start seeing a physiotherapist
If you suffered severe injuries as a result of giving birth to your child, you should also start seeing a physiotherapist (ideally, one who specialises in childbirth injuries), as soon as you feel ready to do so.
The reason for this is as follows; a traumatic labour can often result in long-term pelvic floor problems. Damage to the pelvic floor can cause stress incontinence, prolapse and pelvic pain, and can make vigorous exercise very uncomfortable.
In this situation, a physiotherapist can teach you exercises and stretches which, if performed correctly and consistently, will help the damaged muscles in your pelvic floor to heal and grow stronger.
This, in turn, should improve any incontinence issues you may be experiencing and allow you to participate in any form of exercise that you want to, without experiencing pain.