BIRTH TRAUMA

Birth Trauma: In the Eye of the Beholder

Birth Trauma: In the Eye of the Beholder

Introduction

The research article “Birth Trauma: In the Eye of the Beholder” by Cheryl Tatano Beck, is the research about the birth trauma faced by the mothers. Through the title, the writer means that a birth trauma, which is faced, by the mother is viewed differently by the care providers. For them, the birth trauma is merely an ordinary work. This research focuses on the experiences of the mothers who go through the birth trauma. This research also investigated the cause of the trauma faced by the mothers. The research highlights that the doctors only focus on delivering a healthy infant and ignore the problems and fears a women faces during the delivery process. Even though, there is a reported occurrence of PTSD after childbirth, few researches have projected at an understanding of this phenomenon from the women's experience. This phenomenologic study investigated the meaning of women's birth trauma experiences.

Research Critique

This research was a very productive research as few such studies have been conducted regarding the experiences of the mothers during a birth trauma. Birth trauma occurs as a result of the generic process, the mechanical interaction between mother and fetus. Birth trauma, or postpartum state, in some cases, may increase the adaptive capacity of the child, while in others (after the exhaustion of compensatory mechanisms and the onset of pathological processes) - lower those (Roberts et al, 2008). This research portrayed the real-life experiences of the mothers. The fear, anxiety and distress of the women were highlighted. The women, who participated in this research, shared their experiences and some even handed the journals chronicling their traumatic experiences for the research purpose. The research was based on four themes, which described the, traumatic experiences of the mothers during childbirth. These themes were

To care for me: Was that too much to ask?

To communicate with me: Why was this neglected?

To provide safe care: You betrayed my trust, and I felt powerless, and

The end justifies the means: At whose expense? At what price? (Beck, 2007)

In each of the theme, the writer used the experiences of the women regarding the childbirth. The women told their experiences about how traumatic their experiences were and no assurance was provided to them when needed:

“I had a major bleed and started shaking involuntarily all over. Even my jaw shook, and I could not stop. I heard the specialist say he was having trouble stopping the bleeding. I was very frightened, and then it hit me. I might not make it! I can still recall the sick dread of real fear. I needed urgent reassurance, but none was offered (Beck, 2007).”

These personal experiences of the women gave the readers the sense of what exactly the women felt during the entire traumatic experience. These experiences portrayed the arrogant and cold behavior of the staff towards the women. The concept of Birth trauma involves traumatic experiences that can occur during each phase of ...