Coping With Difficult Birth Experiences

Kara King, MD: If you've had a traumatic birth experience or an experience that was difficult for you after delivery, like having your little one in the NICU or having a prolonged recovery after delivery, this can be quite distressing to you and your family members. While you may physically heal, the scars or the hurt that happens within your heart can persist for forever. Cathy: When I got pregnant with my son, the doctor notified me that, with me having a preemie already, that I'm a high risk with having another preemie. He was born at 31 weeks. It was quite traumatic. I had to have an emergency C-section. I wasn't able to see his birth. My partner wasn't able to be in that room. And I couldn't hold my baby for three days because he was in the NICU. The biggest worry I had was if he was okay, if he was breathing on his own, hoping that he was going to be okay and stay alive. Every chance that I was able to go to the NICU and see him in his little incubator bed. I started going to postpartum group. It's been a nice community, you know, hearing other mom's stories that are kind of, they're different but similar at the same time. So I know that I'm not alone in this. And it really helped me. Michelle Gebhardt, MD: If you've had a difficult birth experience or you had a baby with a complication, sometimes talking openly about your feelings can really help with the healing process. Kara King, MD: If you don't know where to begin, a great place to start would be reaching out to your clinical care team. Or you can go to kp. org/mentalhealth. We have great counseling services. We have wonderful support groups. We have a wealth of information that can help guide you about next steps and what options we have for you.