Does debriefing about a difficult birth stop it turning into trauma?

For some women, the birth of their baby is one of the happiest days of their lives. Others remember it as a frightening, overwhelming or deeply distressing experience. Around one in three women report their birth experience as traumatic.

Women can be traumatised during birth when there is a medical emergency such as a caesarean section, heavy bleeding, or a newborn baby needing intensive care.

But it’s not always the emergency itself that leaves a lasting impact. Women also experience trauma…

© La Conversation - mardi 8 septembre 2026