No matter how much support you have or how well you’re taking care of yourself, getting professional help for birth trauma or postpartum PTSD is often necessary.

If childbirth was difficult for you, it's important not to dismiss or minimize this part of your experience, especially when your distress or fears continue longer than the first month after your baby is born. Postpartum depression, anxiety and PTSD are highly treatable. Learn more about what causes birth trauma and how you can get help.

What is EMDR? EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a highly researched therapy and has been found to be effective in treating trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and ears at any stage of life, including during pregnancy.

After a trauma during pregnancy or postpartum, avoiding triggers may be impossible. But there are steps you can take to help yourself cope with the distress of trauma.

If you have a history of abuse (physical or sexual) or trauma, the physical aspects of pregnancy and childbirth, the physical intrusiveness of fertility treatments and obstetric care - as well as the physical intimacy of nursing and caring for a newborn- can be triggering. Learn how birth trauma can change the way you feel about your body and how to get help.