Having a baby is often described as one of the happiest moments in life, but not everyone has a smooth or joyful birth story. For some new moms (and dads), the birth experience can feel overwhelming, scary, or even traumatic.
Maybe there were unexpected medical complications. Maybe you felt ignored, dismissed, or completely out of control. Maybe you had an emergency C-section, intense pain, or feared for your baby’s safety. Whatever it was, if you walked away from birth feeling shaken, anxious, or haunted by the experience, you may be dealing with birth trauma.
The good news is: healing is possible. One therapy that’s helping many parents recover from traumatic or difficult births is EMDR therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
What Is Birth Trauma?
Birth trauma isn’t just about whether something went “wrong” medically. It’s also about how the experience left you feeling. Two people can go through the same medical event and walk away with very different emotional responses and experiences.
Some common situations that may cause birth trauma include:
- Feeling powerless, unheard, or unsupported during labor
- Needing an emergency C-section or other urgent intervention
- Experiencing severe pain or complications
- Fearing for your life or your baby’s life
- Having past trauma triggered during childbirth
Birth trauma can show up in different ways, such as:
- Flashbacks or vivid, distressing memories
- Anxiety or panic when thinking about the birth
- Trouble bonding with your baby
- Guilt, shame, or a sense of failure
- Avoiding hospitals, doctors, or conversations about birth
Why Birth Trauma Affects Postpartum Recovery
The postpartum period is already difficult. Your body is healing, you’re adjusting to a newborn’s needs, and you’re getting very little sleep. When you add trauma on top of that, recovery can feel almost impossible.
Parents experiencing postpartum trauma often feel constantly on edge, overly worried about their baby’s safety, or disconnected from themselves or their child. For some parents, this leads to postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, or postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
How EMDR Therapy Helps with Birth Trauma
So how does EMDR therapy work for traumatic birth recovery? Think of trauma like a memory that got “stuck” in your brain. Instead of being stored away like other experiences, it keeps replaying, triggering strong emotional and physical reactions.
EMDR helps the brain reprocess these memories so they no longer feel so raw. The process for EMDR looks like:
- Identify the memory – With a trained therapist, you’ll focus on the moments that feel most upsetting.
- Bilateral stimulation – This might be eye movements, gentle taps, or sounds that move back and forth. It helps your brain process the memory so it no longer carries the same strong emotional reactions.
- Shift the emotions – Over time, the memory loses its “emotional charge.” You still remember what happened, but it no longer feels overwhelming.
- Build new beliefs – EMDR helps replace negative thoughts like “I failed” with supportive ones like “I did my best,” “I’m safe now,” or “I can trust my body.”
Benefits of EMDR for Postpartum Healing
Many new parents who go through EMDR for birth trauma report:
- Feeling calmer and less anxious
- Talking about their birth without breaking down
- Reconnecting with their baby emotionally
- More confidence in themselves as parents
- Relief from postpartum depression, anxiety, or OCD symptoms
EMDR helps you move past the trauma so you can focus on what matters most—bonding with your baby and adjusting to parenthood.
Healing After a Traumatic Birth Is Possible
If your birth experience didn’t go the way you hoped and you’re struggling with painful memories, know that your feelings are valid. Trauma isn’t about whether your story was “bad enough”, but it’s about how it impacted you.
With therapies like EMDR, recovery is possible. Healing from birth trauma won’t erase the past, but it can give you back peace of mind, emotional balance and connecting with your baby. Schedule your free consultation to determine if EMDR might be a good fit for you.
For more research on the effectiveness of EMDR on birth trauma and postpartum recovery:
The EMDR Recent Birth Trauma Protocol: a pilot randomised clinical trial after traumatic childbirth
Gessica Cross, LCSW
Gessica Cross has helped people find greater joy and healing from prior trauma, anxiety, and depression, as well as processing grief and life transitions. She is formally trained in EMDR and graduated with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Illinois with honors. She moved to Colorado after completing a post-graduate fellowship in India in which she provided pro bono work among survivors of kidnapping, abduction, and human slavery. She has specialized in helping people recover from situations of trauma, depression, and anxiety for the last ten years. She is excited to work with you!