Ep 4 - How Trauma from Sexual Abuse can Impact your Birthing Experience on a Psychological Level
Why is it important for soon-to-be moms and veteran moms to recognize sexual trauma? It all has to do with what you can do to prevent birth trauma. When we are pregnant and we go into labour and delivery, without recognizing that our body holds trauma, we are at higher risk for birth trauma. There are some physical sensations that can be really intense, which can trigger the trauma that is stored in your body as a survivor of sexual abuse. If we recognize and not minimize our story, then we know what to expect when it’s time to have this baby. You are then able to make empowered decisions about what you want and don’t want when giving birth – unapologetically.
Before you tune into the episode, I want to give you a little warning. If you're a trauma survivor, this podcast episode might be triggering for you, as I talk about trauma in detail and give real-life examples. Please feel free to skip parts of the episode or the entire episode completely if it causes you any distress.
In this episode, I chat about:
- How to make informed and empowered decisions to prevent birth trauma
- Preparing your body to give birth - on a physical and psychological level
- How EMDR therapy can help you release the trauma your body holds before giving birth
- What it looks like to process trauma with EMDR therapy (triggering memory vs sad memory)
- Important realizations that need to happen in order to let healing take place (the tampon question)
- Why it's important to let your healthcare providers know that you have a history of sexual abuse
Connect with Danik:
- Instagram: @danikhelpsmoms
- Website: www.danikbernier.com
- Schedule a free call with me
Quote:
“Trauma already took enough away from you. It doesn't have to take away the [experience of the] birth of your baby too.”
DISCLAIMER
This podcast is not meant to replace psychotherapy from a licensed mental health professional, does not give medical advice, and does not provide a diagnosis. This podcast is meant for educational and entertainment purposes only.
