Birth Trauma and the Professional

Nearly 4 million babies are born each year in the United States, with statistics showing a slight decline in births in 2021 to 3.7 million. Currently, the majority of births (98.4%) happen in hospital settings (MacDorman & Declercq, 2019). Before the pandemic, one quarter to one third of birthing parents reported their births as traumatic (Simkin, 2016). The US has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations, with an exponential number of women nearly dying (severe maternal morbidity). The CDC (2022) reports that in 2014 for every parent who dies in childbirth, 70 nearly die, resulting in a morbidity rate of nearly 50,000 per year. Patient safety groups report that number is much higher, with 80,000 parents reporting “severe maternal morbidity” (NPR, 2018). Birth trauma, perinatal depression and anxiety, and PTSD are on the rise greatly attributed to the COVID pandemic (Basu, et al, 2021), and the impact of these experiences can be measured in the billions of dollars. The projected costs of maternal morbidity from birth trauma from conception through age 5 is $32.2 billion dollars (O’Neil, 2021).

This series is part of a greater effort to improve birth outcomes in the US by bringing together diverse professions to work together in a transdisciplinary approach. There are multiple elements that influence births that make the issue complex. The professionals in this series are addressing Care for the Staff. In prenatal and perinatal somatics, we call the birth professional space “the surround,” and it includes all professionals who assist at births: nurses, doctors, anesthesiologists, midwives, lactation consultants. We know that what they experience and how their nervous systems are responding make a huge difference. Latest trends in healthcare management now see the impact of birth trauma on the healthcare professionals as “moral injury” or “secondary trauma,” and are currently emphasizing a trauma-informed approach. This series explores what this means and how we can support the surround for birth to improve outcomes for everyone, including hospital staff.

Speakers:

• August 31, 2022: Kate White and Lois Trezise: Two Layers of Support: Recognizing the Need for Trauma Support for Birth Professionals
• September 7, 2022: Kathy Kendall-Tackett: When Helping Hurts: Burn Out, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Moral Injury Among Birth Workers
• September 14, 2022: Mary Koloroutis and Michael Trout: See Me as A Person: The Importance of Care and Compassion for Oneself and Each Other
• September 21, 2022: Amber Price: The Impact of Secondary and Personal Trauma on Respectful Maternity Care
• September 28, 2022: Karen Strange: Professional Debriefing for Traumatic Birth Events: The Healing Sweet Spot
• Panel Talk October 5, 2022