Why Trauma-Informed Care Matters in Birth
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma-informed care is an approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and acknowledges the need for safety, trust, and empowerment in the birth space.
For many people, birth is an incredibly powerful, life-changing experience, but it can also stir up past trauma. Whether it’s from medical procedures, sexual trauma, abuse, neglect, or even previous pregnancies, trauma can linger in the body in ways that aren’t always visible.
1 in 3 people giving birth have some form of trauma history, and while they may not always be able to articulate it, the effects of trauma are real. Trauma isn’t just mental or emotional, it lives in the body. Even if someone hasn’t spoken about their trauma, their body remembers it.
Fear, dissociation, tension, or even a complete shutdown can show up during labor, impacting the birth experience.
It’s Not Just About Past Trauma—It’s About Preventing New Trauma, Too
Too many people leave their birth experience feeling unheard, violated, or broken. Medical systems, birth interventions, and even well-meaning providers can unintentionally retraumatize someone who is already carrying emotional scars from past experiences. This doesn’t have to be the case.
Trauma-informed care helps shift that narrative. Birth is not just a physical process—it is also emotional, psychological, and deeply personal. It’s about creating a space where you don’t just survive your birth, but where you are supported, seen, and respected as your full self.
What Trauma-Informed Care Means for You
As a trauma-informed Birth worker, I show up with curiosity, compassion, and care. I don’t need your full story to support you, but I will always take the time to listen, honor your boundaries, and center your needs. This approach isn’t just about knowing what happened in the past; it’s about ensuring that your voice is heard in the present.
Some of the key ways I practice trauma-informed care include:
Asking the right questions, like “What do you need to feel safe?” and “What does support look like to you?”
Being transparent and collaborative, so you’re always aware of your options and feel involved in decisions at every step of your birth.
Respecting your autonomy, because your body and your choices are yours alone. You have the right to say “no” or “yes,” and I’ll support whatever decision you make.
Trauma-informed care isn’t about diagnosing trauma; it’s about creating an environment where healing can happen, where you can feel in control, safe, and validated. It’s about not replicating past harm, but creating a birth experience that honors your emotional, physical, and psychological well-being.
Birth is not just about surviving, it’s about being supported as your full self. Your emotions, your story, your fears, and your desires all deserve to be heard. Too often, people leave their birth feeling broken or disempowered. I want to help change that.
Everyone deserves Trauma-Informed care.
Everyone deserves trauma-informed support that fosters healing, empowerment, and safety.
Whether you’ve experienced trauma in the past or you simply want a birth experience where your needs are respected and your body honored, I’m here to support you. You don’t have to walk this path alone.
