North Yorkshire Mum shares experience of birth trauma to help others
Olivia Hicklenton is encouraging others to get support after suffering with PTSD following birth
A mum from York who developed PTSD after giving birth says it's really important that the issue is being talked about so publicly.
It's after earlier this week we told you how 30,000 women a year experience trauma before, during or after labour.
Olivia Hicklenton is a midwife from York, she also runs a business to help women learn more about giving birth.
She gave birth 18 months ago: "For months of my postpartum experience, I was having all of the PTSD symptoms, so I reached out to the talking therapies locally and was immediately seen by a therapist and had rapid eye movement treatment, which is what they give to soldiers for PTSD."
"I am back at work and I work on delivery suite and I've been in theatre and all of that sort of stuff and it was difficult and I found it hard at the beginning. But I'm now in a place where actually I just want to see make sure that I'm trying to make a difference for women."
"Women are amazing, and your body and your brain will get you through some of the most difficult and hard moments of your pregnancy and your labour. But I think having as much information as possible about what could happen is vital."
What is birth trauma?
Her experience echoes that of thousands of women each year, who come away from childbirth having gone through trauma.
Each case can be very different. Some reflect very long or very short labours, others are about physical issues while some are to do with thoughts and emotions.
Some birth trauma can be about concerns for baby's health, while others are about issues with the level of care on offer to mums at the time.
Around one in 20 new mums will develop PTSD as a result of their experience, and around 1% of birth partners also develop issues as a result of what they've witnessed from a bedside.
Where to get support if you're affected by birth trauma
If you've been impacted by birth trauma, and want to see what help is out there, the Birth Trauma Association has email support and a helpline you can call. They can also provide access to a private Facebook group.
Bliss offers support for people affected by sick or premature babies.
And there's more information about birth trauma, and further links to support via Make Birth Better.
If you want to find mental health services where you are, visit the Hub of Hope.