Premature birth, anxious parents, desensitized medical staff, obtrusive technologies, cramped spaces, feeling “out of control,” and having the sense that for the parents, there was “not enough information”. These were all observations our class discussed after we (a group of clinicians and educators) presented two different NICU simulations yesterday at CAPE. This was the first time I was a participant in medical simulations. For the past year I have observed “sims,” and the students who were in the process of learning from them. Being in that room yesterday, in a hospital bed with a gown on and doctors hovering, gave me flashbacks of the day I gave birth to my daughter 4 years ago. I was lucky to give birth to a full-term baby, but had enough complications that made the experience feel 180 degrees away from my original “birth plan”.
Unfortunately, in our society people don’t often talk about the precarious nature of pregnancy, and that the state of being pregnant doesn’t necessarily lead to parenthood. “Baby” magazines are often focused on picking the perfect name, creating an organized nursery, and the importance of prenatal nutrition. All of these topics are fun and informative to read when expecting a baby, but mainstream media could do women and men a favor by discussing the difficulties many of us face during pregnancy and during/after birth. When we are pregnant, we are supposed to glow with anticipation and happiness. After we give birth, we are expected to jump into the role of nurturing parent even if we are recovering from serious health complications or psychological trauma afterwards.
In 2009, Childbirth Connection released New Mothers Speak Out: National Survey Results Highlight Women’s Postpartum Experiences. A result from one of their surveys has determined that up to 9% of women who have given birth meet all the criteria for PTSD. I would imagine the number is much higher due to cases that have just gone unreported because of fear, shame, and guilt. According to the same survey, only 18% of women sought help from a medical professional regarding their mental well being after childbirth. Cheryl Beck, Nursing Professor at the University of Connecticut, stated in her study published in the July/August, 2008 issue of Nursing Research, up to 34% have experienced some sort of trauma during childbirth. Cheryl explains:
Birth trauma is an event that occurs during any phase of the childbearing process than involves actual or threatened serious injury or death to the mother or her infant. The trauma can be classified as a negative outcome, such as a postpartum hemorrhage, or psychological distress. Experiencing this extremely traumatic stressor, a woman’s response can be intense fear, helplessness, loss of control, and horror.
In the case of a premature birth, I suspect that the potential for PTSD among both parents is highly likely. This New York Times Article explains the issue well.
Next Tuesday we will have the opportunity to tour the Lucile Packard Neonatal ICU.