A negative birth experience can typically do one of two things to the person that endured it: It can put them off of birth entirely, or it can compel them to strive for and demand a better subsequent birth.
Being put off of birth can translate to several different avenues of a woman’s pregnancy and delivery. For one thing, a woman may experience anxiety concerning delivering over the course of pregnancy, which can affect her well-being. She may also be very fearful of birth, and fear can translate to pain, affecting the success of labor. Or she may decide to forgo labor altogether with an elective cesarean.
If a woman is instead compelled to achieve a better subsequent birth, this can also translate to several different avenues of her pregnancy and delivery. However, it will most likely be in stark contrast to the first example. This woman may feel the need to take more control over her body. She can do this by being assertive about what she desires out of her next care giver. She can decide to be more proactive during pregnancy, using preventative medicine to help assure her of a more positive outcome. She can choose less invasive procedures during pregnancy and delivery, and refuse unnecessary intervention. Or, depending on the individual, she may desire more intervention, to put her mind at ease.
Often times, when a woman discovers the joy of delivering naturally and/or without complication, there is a desire to find an even more enjoyable experience for a subsequent delivery. My first (natural) birth was not without complication, but I strived to have a more successful second delivery and I did. I can only hope to expect that if and when I give birth next, it will be nothing short of perfect.
Still, this is not always the case. Many first or second births can be very successful, with the latter births having complication. There is no telling how any one birth will go. However, many women choose homebirth for the very reason that they were not happy with their hospital experience and wish to avoid the hospital all together. The opposite may also be true if a woman had to transport from home because of complications. The event may have been scary for her and led her to choose the hospital for subsequent births.
In any case, it is important to work through your feelings of prior birth trauma early in your pregnancy. Post partum depression affects many women, but few know that it is possible to continue suffer from PPD during pregnancy, or have baby-blues set in before delivery. If you are suffering from PPD or pre-PPD, seek guidance from a health care professional so that you can enjoy a healthy pregnancy.
See also:
The Let’s Talk Blog Top Ten – Ways to Achieve a Normal Birth
Let’s Talk About Dealing with Grief from Birth Loss
Let’s Talk About Sharing Our Birth Stories!