Birth trauma is a growing problem — experiencing it myself revealed how few people understand it

Birth trauma is often mistaken for other maternal mental health conditions – such as postpartum depression. KieferPix/ Shutterstock

The past few years have seen more attention being paid to maternal mental health. Many people are now aware of conditions such as postnatal depression, which affects one in seven mothers.

But less is known about postnatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also known as birth trauma – a severe mental health condition caused by the birth experience. It’s characterised by flashbacks, nightmares, depression and anxiety.