Campaigners raising awareness of mental health struggles in pregnancy
Calls for women to reach out for support
To mark Birth Trauma Awareness Week, Sam Naughton, Founder and CEO of Harrogate-based Cocoon Healthcare, has stressed the importance of acknowledging mental health challenges that extend throughout pregnancy, often overshadowed by societal expectations of joy and celebration.
She champions broader discussions, recognising that trauma can begin well before labour due to prior pregnancies, anxiety, and fertility struggles, placing women in survival mode amidst external pressures.
"That's why we exist really as Cocoon," Sam said, "because we're very aware that people experience trauma surrounding birth. It can be because of previous experiences or the unknown of what's to come."
From her own experiences after losing her baby, Willow, Sam recounts her pregnancy fears, saying, "My heart rate didn't go back to normal until I was past 20 weeks. Even then you can't relax, because you have in a moment had that taken away from you."
Addressing the influence of social media, Sam reflected, "People expect everything to be perfect, and there can be a lot of shame associated with failing in some way, when actually you haven't failed at all."
"Social media is the best and the worst because people will post how amazing everything is or how awful everything is. The reality of the ups and the downs can be lost."
Kate Mortimer, Cocoon Healthcare's Lead Midwife, further discussed the importance of support systems: "You're not alone; there's so much support out there. Birth trauma isn't just limited to birth, it often begins right at the start of pregnancies, through labour, birth, and into the postnatal period."
Addressing stigma, Kate remarked, "We often feel we have to put on a brave face or just get through it. It's important to challenge these narratives and reach out for support."