Birth trauma preventable yet affects too many women
But experts say trauma can be prevented and is not a given when it comes to birth.
Giving birth is one of the most profound and life-changing events in a woman's life and should be predominantly positive.
Yet one in three women will experience birth trauma, either physically or emotionally, affecting their lives for years to come.
Birth Trauma Awareness Week is held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families who have experienced it.
It is also an opportunity to examine maternity care and ensure better outcomes for women and their babies.
Jess Pigram suffered from a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in 2019.
She had to undergo two surgeries shortly after her birth and ended up losing 3.6 litres of blood - more than 60 per cent of her body's total amount - which resulted in her needing multiple transfusions.
"I'd just had my baby and all of a sudden there's all these people and I'm being rushed into the operation room ... there was a point where I thought I was going to die," she tells AAP.
While the physical recovery has been complicated by permanent pelvic floor damage, the mental trauma from the experience has also stuck with Ms Pigram for years.
It is often most acute around the time of her daughter's birthday which can be difficult to navigate.
"When you go through trauma, you never forget it," she says.
"I'll never be the same person I was, but that's okay because I have my daughter."
Ms Pigram said her wife Katie, who was also mistreated by hospital staff during Shiloh's birth, has been instrumental in her recovery.
Connecting with Birth Trauma Australia, the peak national charity dedicated to supporting women, people, fathers, partners and families after birth-related trauma, was also hugely important.
But looking back, Ms Pigram wishes she'd known how many women experience trauma during birth.
"It was so isolating at the time and I felt like no one understood," she says.
"I wasn't aware that one in three women experience birth trauma and it took a long time to realise how many other women are affected."
Rates of trauma indicate maternity services are doing something seriously wrong, former president of the Australian College of Midwives Jenny Gamble says.
"It's obscene that 30 per cent of women report that they had a traumatic childbirth," she says.
"The system is scaring and traumatising women about having a baby."
Studies have found women who have a traumatic birth experience will subsequently choose to either birth completely outside the system, invest in a private midwife or seek a planned caesarean.
Some may even decide not to have another baby after a previous traumatic experience.
A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia.
The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system.
Chief among the recommendations was the need for accessible continuity of midwifery care, which experts have been calling for for years.
Hospitals that provide continuity of care, where a woman has access to the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during the birth and postnatally, often have better outcomes for the mother, baby and care provider.
It's also more cost effective.
"We have this fantastic evidence that shows what needs to change but we have all these road blocks," midwife and Monash University lecturer Joy Kloester said.
"Birth trauma can be prevented, it's not a given, and the best way to prevent it is continuity of care."
Queensland recently appointed a chief midwifery officer, which Professor Gamble said was something all states and territories needed.
"We need to stop treating having a baby like an acute medical event," she said.
"It's a physiological event that requires a social and primary model of healthcare."
Research shows women who consider their birth experience positive do so not because of what happened medically but because they were heard and respected throughout the process.
For those who do experience trauma it's often because they felt like a body on a table.
"It's not about avoiding intervention but about ensuring the woman feels like the central person in that care ... being informed and respected is so essential," Ms Kloester says.
Birth trauma occurs on a spectrum, with obstetric violence at the extreme end.
One in 10 women experience obstetric violence in birth, recognised by the United Nations as a form of gendered violence.
Bernadette Lack is a midwife of almost 20 years and also works in pelvic health supporting women through her business Core and Floor Restore.
Her practice includes birth debriefs and she says many women apologise to her for becoming emotional when they share their stories.
"You carry your birth experiences with you until the day you die," Ms Lack says.
"Birth isn't just about a baby being born, it's about a mother being born too.
"Trauma isn't a memory, it's a reliving ... when people have experienced previous trauma, it can easily be triggered again by the smallest thing: a smell, a sound, a touch, a tone."
Recovering can also be financially inaccessible to many women who may have to see multiple care providers to address mental and physical trauma.
"Healing from birth can require huge investment," Ms Lack says.
But she wants women to know that it's never too late to begin the process of healing.
"There's often a lot of grief and people can feel scared to lean into their feelings (but) I believe the body is so capable of healing when you meet with the mind and body together," she says.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Australian women who give birth are experiencing "obscene" rates of trauma as advocates call for universal continuity of care, midwifery leadership, antenatal education and respectful healthcare practices.
But experts say trauma can be prevented and is not a given when it comes to birth.
Giving birth is one of the most profound and life-changing events in a woman's life and should be predominantly positive.
Yet one in three women will experience birth trauma, either physically or emotionally, affecting their lives for years to come.
Birth Trauma Awareness Week is held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families who have experienced it.
It is also an opportunity to examine maternity care and ensure better outcomes for women and their babies.
Jess Pigram suffered from a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in 2019.
She had to undergo two surgeries shortly after her birth and ended up losing 3.6 litres of blood - more than 60 per cent of her body's total amount - which resulted in her needing multiple transfusions.
"I'd just had my baby and all of a sudden there's all these people and I'm being rushed into the operation room ... there was a point where I thought I was going to die," she tells AAP.
While the physical recovery has been complicated by permanent pelvic floor damage, the mental trauma from the experience has also stuck with Ms Pigram for years.
It is often most acute around the time of her daughter's birthday which can be difficult to navigate.
"When you go through trauma, you never forget it," she says.
"I'll never be the same person I was, but that's okay because I have my daughter."
Ms Pigram said her wife Katie, who was also mistreated by hospital staff during Shiloh's birth, has been instrumental in her recovery.
Connecting with Birth Trauma Australia, the peak national charity dedicated to supporting women, people, fathers, partners and families after birth-related trauma, was also hugely important.
But looking back, Ms Pigram wishes she'd known how many women experience trauma during birth.
"It was so isolating at the time and I felt like no one understood," she says.
"I wasn't aware that one in three women experience birth trauma and it took a long time to realise how many other women are affected."
Rates of trauma indicate maternity services are doing something seriously wrong, former president of the Australian College of Midwives Jenny Gamble says.
"It's obscene that 30 per cent of women report that they had a traumatic childbirth," she says.
"The system is scaring and traumatising women about having a baby."
Studies have found women who have a traumatic birth experience will subsequently choose to either birth completely outside the system, invest in a private midwife or seek a planned caesarean.
Some may even decide not to have another baby after a previous traumatic experience.
A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia.
The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system.
Chief among the recommendations was the need for accessible continuity of midwifery care, which experts have been calling for for years.
Hospitals that provide continuity of care, where a woman has access to the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during the birth and postnatally, often have better outcomes for the mother, baby and care provider.
It's also more cost effective.
"We have this fantastic evidence that shows what needs to change but we have all these road blocks," midwife and Monash University lecturer Joy Kloester said.
"Birth trauma can be prevented, it's not a given, and the best way to prevent it is continuity of care."
Queensland recently appointed a chief midwifery officer, which Professor Gamble said was something all states and territories needed.
"We need to stop treating having a baby like an acute medical event," she said.
"It's a physiological event that requires a social and primary model of healthcare."
Research shows women who consider their birth experience positive do so not because of what happened medically but because they were heard and respected throughout the process.
For those who do experience trauma it's often because they felt like a body on a table.
"It's not about avoiding intervention but about ensuring the woman feels like the central person in that care ... being informed and respected is so essential," Ms Kloester says.
Birth trauma occurs on a spectrum, with obstetric violence at the extreme end.
One in 10 women experience obstetric violence in birth, recognised by the United Nations as a form of gendered violence.
Bernadette Lack is a midwife of almost 20 years and also works in pelvic health supporting women through her business Core and Floor Restore.
Her practice includes birth debriefs and she says many women apologise to her for becoming emotional when they share their stories.
"You carry your birth experiences with you until the day you die," Ms Lack says.
"Birth isn't just about a baby being born, it's about a mother being born too.
"Trauma isn't a memory, it's a reliving ... when people have experienced previous trauma, it can easily be triggered again by the smallest thing: a smell, a sound, a touch, a tone."
Recovering can also be financially inaccessible to many women who may have to see multiple care providers to address mental and physical trauma.
"Healing from birth can require huge investment," Ms Lack says.
But she wants women to know that it's never too late to begin the process of healing.
"There's often a lot of grief and people can feel scared to lean into their feelings (but) I believe the body is so capable of healing when you meet with the mind and body together," she says.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Australian women who give birth are experiencing "obscene" rates of trauma as advocates call for universal continuity of care, midwifery leadership, antenatal education and respectful healthcare practices.
But experts say trauma can be prevented and is not a given when it comes to birth.
Giving birth is one of the most profound and life-changing events in a woman's life and should be predominantly positive.
Yet one in three women will experience birth trauma, either physically or emotionally, affecting their lives for years to come.
Birth Trauma Awareness Week is held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families who have experienced it.
It is also an opportunity to examine maternity care and ensure better outcomes for women and their babies.
Jess Pigram suffered from a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in 2019.
She had to undergo two surgeries shortly after her birth and ended up losing 3.6 litres of blood - more than 60 per cent of her body's total amount - which resulted in her needing multiple transfusions.
"I'd just had my baby and all of a sudden there's all these people and I'm being rushed into the operation room ... there was a point where I thought I was going to die," she tells AAP.
While the physical recovery has been complicated by permanent pelvic floor damage, the mental trauma from the experience has also stuck with Ms Pigram for years.
It is often most acute around the time of her daughter's birthday which can be difficult to navigate.
"When you go through trauma, you never forget it," she says.
"I'll never be the same person I was, but that's okay because I have my daughter."
Ms Pigram said her wife Katie, who was also mistreated by hospital staff during Shiloh's birth, has been instrumental in her recovery.
Connecting with Birth Trauma Australia, the peak national charity dedicated to supporting women, people, fathers, partners and families after birth-related trauma, was also hugely important.
But looking back, Ms Pigram wishes she'd known how many women experience trauma during birth.
"It was so isolating at the time and I felt like no one understood," she says.
"I wasn't aware that one in three women experience birth trauma and it took a long time to realise how many other women are affected."
Rates of trauma indicate maternity services are doing something seriously wrong, former president of the Australian College of Midwives Jenny Gamble says.
"It's obscene that 30 per cent of women report that they had a traumatic childbirth," she says.
"The system is scaring and traumatising women about having a baby."
Studies have found women who have a traumatic birth experience will subsequently choose to either birth completely outside the system, invest in a private midwife or seek a planned caesarean.
Some may even decide not to have another baby after a previous traumatic experience.
A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia.
The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system.
Chief among the recommendations was the need for accessible continuity of midwifery care, which experts have been calling for for years.
Hospitals that provide continuity of care, where a woman has access to the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during the birth and postnatally, often have better outcomes for the mother, baby and care provider.
It's also more cost effective.
"We have this fantastic evidence that shows what needs to change but we have all these road blocks," midwife and Monash University lecturer Joy Kloester said.
"Birth trauma can be prevented, it's not a given, and the best way to prevent it is continuity of care."
Queensland recently appointed a chief midwifery officer, which Professor Gamble said was something all states and territories needed.
"We need to stop treating having a baby like an acute medical event," she said.
"It's a physiological event that requires a social and primary model of healthcare."
Research shows women who consider their birth experience positive do so not because of what happened medically but because they were heard and respected throughout the process.
For those who do experience trauma it's often because they felt like a body on a table.
"It's not about avoiding intervention but about ensuring the woman feels like the central person in that care ... being informed and respected is so essential," Ms Kloester says.
Birth trauma occurs on a spectrum, with obstetric violence at the extreme end.
One in 10 women experience obstetric violence in birth, recognised by the United Nations as a form of gendered violence.
Bernadette Lack is a midwife of almost 20 years and also works in pelvic health supporting women through her business Core and Floor Restore.
Her practice includes birth debriefs and she says many women apologise to her for becoming emotional when they share their stories.
"You carry your birth experiences with you until the day you die," Ms Lack says.
"Birth isn't just about a baby being born, it's about a mother being born too.
"Trauma isn't a memory, it's a reliving ... when people have experienced previous trauma, it can easily be triggered again by the smallest thing: a smell, a sound, a touch, a tone."
Recovering can also be financially inaccessible to many women who may have to see multiple care providers to address mental and physical trauma.
"Healing from birth can require huge investment," Ms Lack says.
But she wants women to know that it's never too late to begin the process of healing.
"There's often a lot of grief and people can feel scared to lean into their feelings (but) I believe the body is so capable of healing when you meet with the mind and body together," she says.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Australian women who give birth are experiencing "obscene" rates of trauma as advocates call for universal continuity of care, midwifery leadership, antenatal education and respectful healthcare practices.
But experts say trauma can be prevented and is not a given when it comes to birth.
Giving birth is one of the most profound and life-changing events in a woman's life and should be predominantly positive.
Yet one in three women will experience birth trauma, either physically or emotionally, affecting their lives for years to come.
Birth Trauma Awareness Week is held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families who have experienced it.
It is also an opportunity to examine maternity care and ensure better outcomes for women and their babies.
Jess Pigram suffered from a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in 2019.
She had to undergo two surgeries shortly after her birth and ended up losing 3.6 litres of blood - more than 60 per cent of her body's total amount - which resulted in her needing multiple transfusions.
"I'd just had my baby and all of a sudden there's all these people and I'm being rushed into the operation room ... there was a point where I thought I was going to die," she tells AAP.
While the physical recovery has been complicated by permanent pelvic floor damage, the mental trauma from the experience has also stuck with Ms Pigram for years.
It is often most acute around the time of her daughter's birthday which can be difficult to navigate.
"When you go through trauma, you never forget it," she says.
"I'll never be the same person I was, but that's okay because I have my daughter."
Ms Pigram said her wife Katie, who was also mistreated by hospital staff during Shiloh's birth, has been instrumental in her recovery.
Connecting with Birth Trauma Australia, the peak national charity dedicated to supporting women, people, fathers, partners and families after birth-related trauma, was also hugely important.
But looking back, Ms Pigram wishes she'd known how many women experience trauma during birth.
"It was so isolating at the time and I felt like no one understood," she says.
"I wasn't aware that one in three women experience birth trauma and it took a long time to realise how many other women are affected."
Rates of trauma indicate maternity services are doing something seriously wrong, former president of the Australian College of Midwives Jenny Gamble says.
"It's obscene that 30 per cent of women report that they had a traumatic childbirth," she says.
"The system is scaring and traumatising women about having a baby."
Studies have found women who have a traumatic birth experience will subsequently choose to either birth completely outside the system, invest in a private midwife or seek a planned caesarean.
Some may even decide not to have another baby after a previous traumatic experience.
A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia.
The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system.
Chief among the recommendations was the need for accessible continuity of midwifery care, which experts have been calling for for years.
Hospitals that provide continuity of care, where a woman has access to the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during the birth and postnatally, often have better outcomes for the mother, baby and care provider.
It's also more cost effective.
"We have this fantastic evidence that shows what needs to change but we have all these road blocks," midwife and Monash University lecturer Joy Kloester said.
"Birth trauma can be prevented, it's not a given, and the best way to prevent it is continuity of care."
Queensland recently appointed a chief midwifery officer, which Professor Gamble said was something all states and territories needed.
"We need to stop treating having a baby like an acute medical event," she said.
"It's a physiological event that requires a social and primary model of healthcare."
Research shows women who consider their birth experience positive do so not because of what happened medically but because they were heard and respected throughout the process.
For those who do experience trauma it's often because they felt like a body on a table.
"It's not about avoiding intervention but about ensuring the woman feels like the central person in that care ... being informed and respected is so essential," Ms Kloester says.
Birth trauma occurs on a spectrum, with obstetric violence at the extreme end.
One in 10 women experience obstetric violence in birth, recognised by the United Nations as a form of gendered violence.
Bernadette Lack is a midwife of almost 20 years and also works in pelvic health supporting women through her business Core and Floor Restore.
Her practice includes birth debriefs and she says many women apologise to her for becoming emotional when they share their stories.
"You carry your birth experiences with you until the day you die," Ms Lack says.
"Birth isn't just about a baby being born, it's about a mother being born too.
"Trauma isn't a memory, it's a reliving ... when people have experienced previous trauma, it can easily be triggered again by the smallest thing: a smell, a sound, a touch, a tone."
Recovering can also be financially inaccessible to many women who may have to see multiple care providers to address mental and physical trauma.
"Healing from birth can require huge investment," Ms Lack says.
But she wants women to know that it's never too late to begin the process of healing.
"There's often a lot of grief and people can feel scared to lean into their feelings (but) I believe the body is so capable of healing when you meet with the mind and body together," she says.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
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But these potentially fatal drugs are evading border control, Australian Crime Intelligence Commission's (ACIC) Shane Neilson said. Nitazenes are so strong that only a fraction of a gram can be lethal. This makes it easy to send them through the mail in parcels, and hard for border control to detect. "The traditional serious and organised crime groups do not play a significant role, as the less sophisticated groups are bringing the drugs into the country," Mr Neilson said. The Australian Federal Police said they intercepted eight nitazene imports at the Australian border between January 2024 and March 2025, with parcels coming from Canada, the US and Hong Kong. Nitazenes are being mixed into drugs sold online and marketed as opiates and benzodiazepines. Opiates provide pain relief, used legally as drugs like morphine, endone and tramadol. Benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, can reduce anxiety and aid sleep. Examples include Xanax and Valium. 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In both nasal spray and injectable form, it reverses the effect of an opioid. A deadly substance a thousand times stronger than heroin is bypassing customs, experts warn. Nitazenes are dangerous synthetic opioids that carry a high risk of overdose, even in very small amounts. At least 17 Australians have died from nitazenes since 2021. The dangerous compound is being found in fake sleeping, anti-anxiety and pain medication pills. It is also being used in drugs like cocaine, MDMA and heroin. But these potentially fatal drugs are evading border control, Australian Crime Intelligence Commission's (ACIC) Shane Neilson said. Nitazenes are so strong that only a fraction of a gram can be lethal. This makes it easy to send them through the mail in parcels, and hard for border control to detect. "The traditional serious and organised crime groups do not play a significant role, as the less sophisticated groups are bringing the drugs into the country," Mr Neilson said. The Australian Federal Police said they intercepted eight nitazene imports at the Australian border between January 2024 and March 2025, with parcels coming from Canada, the US and Hong Kong. Nitazenes are being mixed into drugs sold online and marketed as opiates and benzodiazepines. Opiates provide pain relief, used legally as drugs like morphine, endone and tramadol. Benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, can reduce anxiety and aid sleep. Examples include Xanax and Valium. Nitazenes have also been found in party drugs like MDMA (also known as ecstasy) and GHB. "They've been identified in vape liquids, they're in tablet forms, powders, nasal sprays," ACIC's Amber Migus said. They are easy to order from manufacturers off the internet and being so potent, a small amount can be ordered and added to a large quantity of drugs. About three Australians die every day from an opioid-related overdose. Opiates are behind most unintentional drug deaths, followed by benzodiazepines. 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West Australian
8 hours ago
- West Australian
Editorial: Bullying leads to a lifetime of misery
Being a kid is tough. For kids who find themselves the target of bullying, going to school can turn into a daily ordeal. This is a widespread experience, with about one in four Australian students in Years 4 to 9 being consistently bullied by their peers, statistics from the Kids Institute show. And according to a British study published last year, the impacts can cast a shadow over victims' lives for decades to come. Being bullied as a child is linked to poorer health, wellbeing and employment outcomes as an adult. Researchers from the University of Glasgow and University College London found bullying victims were more likely to die before their mid-50s. Being bullied can set victims up for a lifetime of misery. That study was based off the life outcomes of victims of bullying who are today in their 60s. And as traumatic as their experiences were, at least they had some respite available to them outside of school hours. Children in the playground today have no such relief. Their bullies can reach them at any hour of the day through social media. Just how much worse will the impact of bullying be for them later in life? Knowing what we do about the short and long term effects of bullying, schools and parents have a moral imperative to do what they can to stamp it out. Yet even among educators, old school attitudes to bullying prevail. A submission to the Federal Government's anti-bullying review by the WA Council of State School Organisations claims that too often, kids who are the victims of bullying are encouraged to make nice with their tormenters. It's a misguided approach, rooted in victim blaming that serves only to risk re-traumatising targets of bullying while downplaying the seriousness of the bullies' actions. University of South Australia senior lecturer and bullying researcher Deborah Green said bullying was a different kettle of fish to isolated conflicts between peers. 'We're talking about the abuse and misuse of power,' she said. 'So when you've got that dynamic going on, bringing the two people together is not helpful. They have to co-exist, usually in a classroom, but they don't need to be friends.' The WACSSO's submission calls for specially-trained teams tasked with responding to bullying to be stationed in every school while the organisation's president Pania Turner wants a national standard definitions framework to take the guesswork out of responding to reports of bullying for educators. It's a proposal that makes sense. Responses to incidents of bullying should be consistent across schools to give kids the best chance to thrive in the classroom and in the decades to come, regardless of where they went to school. Bullying isn't 'character-building' and it's not something we should expect victims to 'get over'. Those outdated and unhelpful attitudes have no place in our education system.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Birth trauma preventable yet affects too many women
Australian women who give birth are experiencing "obscene" rates of trauma as advocates call for universal continuity of care, midwifery leadership, antenatal education and respectful healthcare practices. But experts say trauma can be prevented and is not a given when it comes to birth. Giving birth is one of the most profound and life-changing events in a woman's life and should be predominantly positive. Yet one in three women will experience birth trauma, either physically or emotionally, affecting their lives for years to come. Birth Trauma Awareness Week is held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families who have experienced it. It is also an opportunity to examine maternity care and ensure better outcomes for women and their babies. Jess Pigram suffered from a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in 2019. She had to undergo two surgeries shortly after her birth and ended up losing 3.6 litres of blood - more than 60 per cent of her body's total amount - which resulted in her needing multiple transfusions. "I'd just had my baby and all of a sudden there's all these people and I'm being rushed into the operation room ... there was a point where I thought I was going to die," she tells AAP. While the physical recovery has been complicated by permanent pelvic floor damage, the mental trauma from the experience has also stuck with Ms Pigram for years. It is often most acute around the time of her daughter's birthday which can be difficult to navigate. "When you go through trauma, you never forget it," she says. "I'll never be the same person I was, but that's okay because I have my daughter." Ms Pigram said her wife Katie, who was also mistreated by hospital staff during Shiloh's birth, has been instrumental in her recovery. Connecting with Birth Trauma Australia, the peak national charity dedicated to supporting women, people, fathers, partners and families after birth-related trauma, was also hugely important. But looking back, Ms Pigram wishes she'd known how many women experience trauma during birth. "It was so isolating at the time and I felt like no one understood," she says. "I wasn't aware that one in three women experience birth trauma and it took a long time to realise how many other women are affected." Rates of trauma indicate maternity services are doing something seriously wrong, former president of the Australian College of Midwives Jenny Gamble says. "It's obscene that 30 per cent of women report that they had a traumatic childbirth," she says. "The system is scaring and traumatising women about having a baby." Studies have found women who have a traumatic birth experience will subsequently choose to either birth completely outside the system, invest in a private midwife or seek a planned caesarean. Some may even decide not to have another baby after a previous traumatic experience. A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia. The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system. Chief among the recommendations was the need for accessible continuity of midwifery care, which experts have been calling for for years. Hospitals that provide continuity of care, where a woman has access to the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during the birth and postnatally, often have better outcomes for the mother, baby and care provider. It's also more cost effective. "We have this fantastic evidence that shows what needs to change but we have all these road blocks," midwife and Monash University lecturer Joy Kloester said. "Birth trauma can be prevented, it's not a given, and the best way to prevent it is continuity of care." Queensland recently appointed a chief midwifery officer, which Professor Gamble said was something all states and territories needed. "We need to stop treating having a baby like an acute medical event," she said. "It's a physiological event that requires a social and primary model of healthcare." Research shows women who consider their birth experience positive do so not because of what happened medically but because they were heard and respected throughout the process. For those who do experience trauma it's often because they felt like a body on a table. "It's not about avoiding intervention but about ensuring the woman feels like the central person in that care ... being informed and respected is so essential," Ms Kloester says. Birth trauma occurs on a spectrum, with obstetric violence at the extreme end. One in 10 women experience obstetric violence in birth, recognised by the United Nations as a form of gendered violence. Bernadette Lack is a midwife of almost 20 years and also works in pelvic health supporting women through her business Core and Floor Restore. Her practice includes birth debriefs and she says many women apologise to her for becoming emotional when they share their stories. "You carry your birth experiences with you until the day you die," Ms Lack says. "Birth isn't just about a baby being born, it's about a mother being born too. "Trauma isn't a memory, it's a reliving ... when people have experienced previous trauma, it can easily be triggered again by the smallest thing: a smell, a sound, a touch, a tone." Recovering can also be financially inaccessible to many women who may have to see multiple care providers to address mental and physical trauma. "Healing from birth can require huge investment," Ms Lack says. But she wants women to know that it's never too late to begin the process of healing. "There's often a lot of grief and people can feel scared to lean into their feelings (but) I believe the body is so capable of healing when you meet with the mind and body together," she says. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Australian women who give birth are experiencing "obscene" rates of trauma as advocates call for universal continuity of care, midwifery leadership, antenatal education and respectful healthcare practices. But experts say trauma can be prevented and is not a given when it comes to birth. Giving birth is one of the most profound and life-changing events in a woman's life and should be predominantly positive. Yet one in three women will experience birth trauma, either physically or emotionally, affecting their lives for years to come. Birth Trauma Awareness Week is held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families who have experienced it. It is also an opportunity to examine maternity care and ensure better outcomes for women and their babies. Jess Pigram suffered from a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in 2019. She had to undergo two surgeries shortly after her birth and ended up losing 3.6 litres of blood - more than 60 per cent of her body's total amount - which resulted in her needing multiple transfusions. "I'd just had my baby and all of a sudden there's all these people and I'm being rushed into the operation room ... there was a point where I thought I was going to die," she tells AAP. While the physical recovery has been complicated by permanent pelvic floor damage, the mental trauma from the experience has also stuck with Ms Pigram for years. It is often most acute around the time of her daughter's birthday which can be difficult to navigate. "When you go through trauma, you never forget it," she says. "I'll never be the same person I was, but that's okay because I have my daughter." Ms Pigram said her wife Katie, who was also mistreated by hospital staff during Shiloh's birth, has been instrumental in her recovery. Connecting with Birth Trauma Australia, the peak national charity dedicated to supporting women, people, fathers, partners and families after birth-related trauma, was also hugely important. But looking back, Ms Pigram wishes she'd known how many women experience trauma during birth. "It was so isolating at the time and I felt like no one understood," she says. "I wasn't aware that one in three women experience birth trauma and it took a long time to realise how many other women are affected." Rates of trauma indicate maternity services are doing something seriously wrong, former president of the Australian College of Midwives Jenny Gamble says. "It's obscene that 30 per cent of women report that they had a traumatic childbirth," she says. "The system is scaring and traumatising women about having a baby." Studies have found women who have a traumatic birth experience will subsequently choose to either birth completely outside the system, invest in a private midwife or seek a planned caesarean. Some may even decide not to have another baby after a previous traumatic experience. A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia. The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system. Chief among the recommendations was the need for accessible continuity of midwifery care, which experts have been calling for for years. Hospitals that provide continuity of care, where a woman has access to the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during the birth and postnatally, often have better outcomes for the mother, baby and care provider. It's also more cost effective. "We have this fantastic evidence that shows what needs to change but we have all these road blocks," midwife and Monash University lecturer Joy Kloester said. "Birth trauma can be prevented, it's not a given, and the best way to prevent it is continuity of care." Queensland recently appointed a chief midwifery officer, which Professor Gamble said was something all states and territories needed. "We need to stop treating having a baby like an acute medical event," she said. "It's a physiological event that requires a social and primary model of healthcare." Research shows women who consider their birth experience positive do so not because of what happened medically but because they were heard and respected throughout the process. For those who do experience trauma it's often because they felt like a body on a table. "It's not about avoiding intervention but about ensuring the woman feels like the central person in that care ... being informed and respected is so essential," Ms Kloester says. Birth trauma occurs on a spectrum, with obstetric violence at the extreme end. One in 10 women experience obstetric violence in birth, recognised by the United Nations as a form of gendered violence. Bernadette Lack is a midwife of almost 20 years and also works in pelvic health supporting women through her business Core and Floor Restore. Her practice includes birth debriefs and she says many women apologise to her for becoming emotional when they share their stories. "You carry your birth experiences with you until the day you die," Ms Lack says. "Birth isn't just about a baby being born, it's about a mother being born too. "Trauma isn't a memory, it's a reliving ... when people have experienced previous trauma, it can easily be triggered again by the smallest thing: a smell, a sound, a touch, a tone." Recovering can also be financially inaccessible to many women who may have to see multiple care providers to address mental and physical trauma. "Healing from birth can require huge investment," Ms Lack says. But she wants women to know that it's never too late to begin the process of healing. "There's often a lot of grief and people can feel scared to lean into their feelings (but) I believe the body is so capable of healing when you meet with the mind and body together," she says. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Australian women who give birth are experiencing "obscene" rates of trauma as advocates call for universal continuity of care, midwifery leadership, antenatal education and respectful healthcare practices. But experts say trauma can be prevented and is not a given when it comes to birth. Giving birth is one of the most profound and life-changing events in a woman's life and should be predominantly positive. Yet one in three women will experience birth trauma, either physically or emotionally, affecting their lives for years to come. Birth Trauma Awareness Week is held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families who have experienced it. It is also an opportunity to examine maternity care and ensure better outcomes for women and their babies. Jess Pigram suffered from a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in 2019. She had to undergo two surgeries shortly after her birth and ended up losing 3.6 litres of blood - more than 60 per cent of her body's total amount - which resulted in her needing multiple transfusions. "I'd just had my baby and all of a sudden there's all these people and I'm being rushed into the operation room ... there was a point where I thought I was going to die," she tells AAP. While the physical recovery has been complicated by permanent pelvic floor damage, the mental trauma from the experience has also stuck with Ms Pigram for years. It is often most acute around the time of her daughter's birthday which can be difficult to navigate. "When you go through trauma, you never forget it," she says. "I'll never be the same person I was, but that's okay because I have my daughter." Ms Pigram said her wife Katie, who was also mistreated by hospital staff during Shiloh's birth, has been instrumental in her recovery. Connecting with Birth Trauma Australia, the peak national charity dedicated to supporting women, people, fathers, partners and families after birth-related trauma, was also hugely important. But looking back, Ms Pigram wishes she'd known how many women experience trauma during birth. "It was so isolating at the time and I felt like no one understood," she says. "I wasn't aware that one in three women experience birth trauma and it took a long time to realise how many other women are affected." Rates of trauma indicate maternity services are doing something seriously wrong, former president of the Australian College of Midwives Jenny Gamble says. "It's obscene that 30 per cent of women report that they had a traumatic childbirth," she says. "The system is scaring and traumatising women about having a baby." Studies have found women who have a traumatic birth experience will subsequently choose to either birth completely outside the system, invest in a private midwife or seek a planned caesarean. Some may even decide not to have another baby after a previous traumatic experience. A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia. The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system. Chief among the recommendations was the need for accessible continuity of midwifery care, which experts have been calling for for years. Hospitals that provide continuity of care, where a woman has access to the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during the birth and postnatally, often have better outcomes for the mother, baby and care provider. It's also more cost effective. "We have this fantastic evidence that shows what needs to change but we have all these road blocks," midwife and Monash University lecturer Joy Kloester said. "Birth trauma can be prevented, it's not a given, and the best way to prevent it is continuity of care." Queensland recently appointed a chief midwifery officer, which Professor Gamble said was something all states and territories needed. "We need to stop treating having a baby like an acute medical event," she said. "It's a physiological event that requires a social and primary model of healthcare." Research shows women who consider their birth experience positive do so not because of what happened medically but because they were heard and respected throughout the process. For those who do experience trauma it's often because they felt like a body on a table. "It's not about avoiding intervention but about ensuring the woman feels like the central person in that care ... being informed and respected is so essential," Ms Kloester says. Birth trauma occurs on a spectrum, with obstetric violence at the extreme end. One in 10 women experience obstetric violence in birth, recognised by the United Nations as a form of gendered violence. Bernadette Lack is a midwife of almost 20 years and also works in pelvic health supporting women through her business Core and Floor Restore. Her practice includes birth debriefs and she says many women apologise to her for becoming emotional when they share their stories. "You carry your birth experiences with you until the day you die," Ms Lack says. "Birth isn't just about a baby being born, it's about a mother being born too. "Trauma isn't a memory, it's a reliving ... when people have experienced previous trauma, it can easily be triggered again by the smallest thing: a smell, a sound, a touch, a tone." Recovering can also be financially inaccessible to many women who may have to see multiple care providers to address mental and physical trauma. "Healing from birth can require huge investment," Ms Lack says. But she wants women to know that it's never too late to begin the process of healing. "There's often a lot of grief and people can feel scared to lean into their feelings (but) I believe the body is so capable of healing when you meet with the mind and body together," she says. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Australian women who give birth are experiencing "obscene" rates of trauma as advocates call for universal continuity of care, midwifery leadership, antenatal education and respectful healthcare practices. But experts say trauma can be prevented and is not a given when it comes to birth. Giving birth is one of the most profound and life-changing events in a woman's life and should be predominantly positive. Yet one in three women will experience birth trauma, either physically or emotionally, affecting their lives for years to come. Birth Trauma Awareness Week is held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families who have experienced it. It is also an opportunity to examine maternity care and ensure better outcomes for women and their babies. Jess Pigram suffered from a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in 2019. She had to undergo two surgeries shortly after her birth and ended up losing 3.6 litres of blood - more than 60 per cent of her body's total amount - which resulted in her needing multiple transfusions. "I'd just had my baby and all of a sudden there's all these people and I'm being rushed into the operation room ... there was a point where I thought I was going to die," she tells AAP. While the physical recovery has been complicated by permanent pelvic floor damage, the mental trauma from the experience has also stuck with Ms Pigram for years. It is often most acute around the time of her daughter's birthday which can be difficult to navigate. "When you go through trauma, you never forget it," she says. "I'll never be the same person I was, but that's okay because I have my daughter." Ms Pigram said her wife Katie, who was also mistreated by hospital staff during Shiloh's birth, has been instrumental in her recovery. Connecting with Birth Trauma Australia, the peak national charity dedicated to supporting women, people, fathers, partners and families after birth-related trauma, was also hugely important. But looking back, Ms Pigram wishes she'd known how many women experience trauma during birth. "It was so isolating at the time and I felt like no one understood," she says. "I wasn't aware that one in three women experience birth trauma and it took a long time to realise how many other women are affected." Rates of trauma indicate maternity services are doing something seriously wrong, former president of the Australian College of Midwives Jenny Gamble says. "It's obscene that 30 per cent of women report that they had a traumatic childbirth," she says. "The system is scaring and traumatising women about having a baby." Studies have found women who have a traumatic birth experience will subsequently choose to either birth completely outside the system, invest in a private midwife or seek a planned caesarean. Some may even decide not to have another baby after a previous traumatic experience. A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia. The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system. Chief among the recommendations was the need for accessible continuity of midwifery care, which experts have been calling for for years. Hospitals that provide continuity of care, where a woman has access to the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during the birth and postnatally, often have better outcomes for the mother, baby and care provider. It's also more cost effective. "We have this fantastic evidence that shows what needs to change but we have all these road blocks," midwife and Monash University lecturer Joy Kloester said. "Birth trauma can be prevented, it's not a given, and the best way to prevent it is continuity of care." Queensland recently appointed a chief midwifery officer, which Professor Gamble said was something all states and territories needed. "We need to stop treating having a baby like an acute medical event," she said. "It's a physiological event that requires a social and primary model of healthcare." Research shows women who consider their birth experience positive do so not because of what happened medically but because they were heard and respected throughout the process. For those who do experience trauma it's often because they felt like a body on a table. "It's not about avoiding intervention but about ensuring the woman feels like the central person in that care ... being informed and respected is so essential," Ms Kloester says. Birth trauma occurs on a spectrum, with obstetric violence at the extreme end. One in 10 women experience obstetric violence in birth, recognised by the United Nations as a form of gendered violence. Bernadette Lack is a midwife of almost 20 years and also works in pelvic health supporting women through her business Core and Floor Restore. Her practice includes birth debriefs and she says many women apologise to her for becoming emotional when they share their stories. "You carry your birth experiences with you until the day you die," Ms Lack says. "Birth isn't just about a baby being born, it's about a mother being born too. "Trauma isn't a memory, it's a reliving ... when people have experienced previous trauma, it can easily be triggered again by the smallest thing: a smell, a sound, a touch, a tone." Recovering can also be financially inaccessible to many women who may have to see multiple care providers to address mental and physical trauma. "Healing from birth can require huge investment," Ms Lack says. But she wants women to know that it's never too late to begin the process of healing. "There's often a lot of grief and people can feel scared to lean into their feelings (but) I believe the body is so capable of healing when you meet with the mind and body together," she says. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
