Birth Trauma: in the Eye of the Beholder Critique

Biopsychosocial factors can impact peoples lives with both positive and negative biological, psychological, and social outcomes. This analysis of a case study will focus on a first time mother and the life struggles she is currently facing. Additionally, it will explore the biopsychosocial factors that are impacting her life, and how trauma-informed care can look at improving her situation. An action plan will also be written up and reflected upon to respond to the current issues she is facing in her life.

There were numerous powerful testimonies and striking findings noted throughout the and first two chapters of the book Birth Matters by Ina May Gaskin. As a health care provider, and therefore someone who is entrusted to care for individuals during their most private and sacred times, I found Gaskin’s statements regarding the environment and care surrounding birth experiences very impactful. According to Gaskin (2011), the “women’s perceptions about their bodies and their babies’ capabilities will be deeply influenced by the care they recieve around the time of birth” (p. 22). The statements made by Gaskin in Birth Matters not only ring true, but inspires one

The theory I selected to apply to the above situation is the Birth Territory theory. This theory was created from empirical data collected by the authors who serve as both midwives and researchers. It has a critical post-structural feminist undertone and elaborates on the ideas of Michel Foucault. The Birth Territory theory predicts and elaborates on the relationships between jurisdiction (use of authority and influence), terrain (the birthing environment), and personal emotional and physiological experience by the mother. This nurse-midwifery theory was chosen because both of the major concepts directly correlate with the incident and are critical aspects of labor and delivery situations. MAYBE ELABORATE A diagram of the Birth Territory theory can be seen in Appendix A.

To ensure the proposed study is academically, professionally, and ethically sound, researchers shall complete a risk assessment on the proposed method (participants, materials and design) of the study. This risk assessment will form the basis of the application to Swinburne University’s Research Ethics Office for ethical review. This application will address the risks identified with the participants used, including recruitment and informed consent, as well as data and publication arrangements.

This provides a guideline that ensures that researchers minimize the amount of risk a study may impose to a participant. When planning a study, it is also important that each of the participants are provided with a sense of security and not placed at a disadvantage. When participants enter into a study, a level of trust is established, and their identities and the information they provide must be protected and never be used against them or exploited for any reason.

This study will not be anonymous as it requires us to collect names for the purpose of completing this research. For the purpose of this study, information will remain confidential. To ensure confidentiality, Non-involving persons or agencies will not have access to information collected to ensure confidentiality.

Qualitative Research offers participants to be evaluated in depth along with open-ended questions that can be directed or generated in real time, as the conversation develops. Additionally, the direction of the research could be adjusted and revised as findings emerge. Selecting a qualitative research design would provide immense detail and provide an understanding of peoples experiences of the traumatic events. A qualitative approach would help establish patterns and change as well as assist in determining idiographic causation with the research interest. However, because the research would produce extensive data; interpretation, transcribing, and analysis would be time-consuming. Additionally, because of the open ended questions and the research being dependent on the researchers skills, participants as well as results may be influenced by research biases or researchers may influence the subjects responses. Likewise, the data collection would take an extended time, given the possible depth of each participants interview. Qualitative approaches additionally produce less generalizable results, and findings might not generalizable to people outside of the sample.

Violence during pregnancy poses a threat to health and the death of the mother and her infant can be resulted. Pregnancy and the immediate period following birth is a time when partner support and being in a confiding trusting relationship is supposed to be particularly important for psychological health (Mezey, Bacchus, Bewley, & White, 2005). Women may feel more physically vulnerable and emotionally dependent on their partners during the postnatal period and as a result implications of domestic violence may be more profound, as violence poses the safety of both mother and the baby (Mezey, Bacchus, Bewley, & White, 2005). Direct and indirect mechanisms of violence may result adverse pregnancy symptoms or even during the postnatal period, including postpartum depression (Newberger et al 1992). Women that are victims of Domestic Violence are subject to a higher relative risk of postnatal depression or some other psychological morbidity during the postpartum period (Golding 1999; Coid et al 2003). Furthermore, some studies support that the application of physical or sexual violence on pregnant women is an inclination factor for postpartum depression (Buist & Janson 2001, Records & Rice 2004).

Pregnant women who have been sexually abused as children need to be assessed during pregnancy to make sure they are at their healthiest, which includes psychologically, physically, and emotionally. Healthcare workers should assess the women for any concerns they may have about their past issues with sexual abuse. Their past is affecting their present state of well-being. Women who have been abused as children are less likely to take care of themselves for fear of pain or being in the presence of a gynecological

To best comprehend human life from conception to death, it is important to have an understanding of the foundations of human development. A persons’ origin and obstacles endured during early life are important building blocks that shape where they are headed. This key factor better allows therapists to assist in helping an individual learn and obtain a better grasp on their developing lifespan from beginning to end. The focus for this paper will deal with the relationship between the pregnant mother and her fetus. It will be a reflection on how she responds to life stressors and how they can help or hinder the prenatal development of the fetus in the womb and thereafter.

In different studies such as Elsevier Editorial System (tm) for Midwifery Manuscript Draft by Rhonda Joy Boorman has shown that recent research in Australia found that 45.5% of women birthing are seemingly to report childbearing as traumatic (Alcorn et al., 2010), resulting in a projected 135,000 Australian women annually self-rating parturition as traumatic. Experiencing a traumatic birth could negatively impact on a woman's emotional

Suffering has always been a part of life. While the definition of what constitutes as “suffering” or “trauma” may change with the times or cultures, the presence of such unpleasantries is a constant. What is not constant however, is how people react to such troubles in their lives. The way in which people react to trauma is an incredibly interesting phenomenon that varies greatly due to a number of variables including personality, severity of trauma, extent of trauma, and support to name but a few. After synthesizing various accounts and literature about trauma, it is possible to categorize the effect trauma has on the individual into two main categories: the positive and the negative reactions.

Childhood trauma is one of the most heartbreaking situations to ever fathom happening. Childhood trauma includes neglect, maltreatment, physical and emotional abuse, and many other forms of mistreatment amongst children. Childhood trauma occurs between the ages of 0 and 6 years of age. When referencing to childhood trauma, one must take thought into who commits the abuse, who is affected by the abuse, and what long term effects can the abuse have on the victims. One must also take into consideration the sex differences when referring to childhood trauma. Numerous of studies have been conducted and many findings have been made. Prior to conducting this research paper, I only considered childhood trauma to be what it was and never considered the long term effects. Because of my assumption, I never even considered the other categories of the trauma.

The objective of this paper is to look at the trauma that young girls experience when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Not only does pregnancy physically take a toll on a woman’s body, but also being pregnant under the age of 19 with a shaken view of the future can significantly heighten depression, anxiety, and stress for the mother and the baby. This paper aims to highlight the effects of these types of trauma within pregnancy, the most effective forms of treatment, and the influences that these types of trauma would have on the pregnancy itself without the intervention that will later be discussed in depth. The cycle of young motherhood that is often passed from generation to generation will be looked at along with the effects of unplanned pregnancy on the child’s life. A case study describing a 19-year-old girl facing an unplanned pregnancy will help provide a picture for treatment and therapy. Keywords: unplanned pregnancy, trauma in-utero, maternal depression.

The evolving aspects of what amounts to Trauma presents a complex situation to all the stakeholders involved. New elements are being added to the definition of Trauma. Traditionally, trauma was described as any event that could not be predicted. In addition to the difficulty in prediction, the event had to be overwhelming and prolonged. The event always takes the orientation of imminent danger that may or may not occur. This event can occur to any person at any age. For this reason, definition of trauma keeps on evolving as per the dynamics that keep affecting human life. It also can manifest itself on either emotional or psychological approaches. Despite the complexity surrounding the definition of trauma, it can generally be described as either the emotional or psychological response an individual has over a certain happening which is negative in nature. This response results to devastating effects if not tamed early enough. However, if some has become a victim of trauma, treatment needs to follow immediately. This stems from the fact that nearly all types of trauma can be treated.