From a kinesiology perspective, birth is considered a trauma for every baby and birthing parent. However, it's important to note that not all births are traumatic experiences.
Birth and childbirth are significant transformative experiences. In our society, where medicalized births are the norm, there is often limited opportunity to process and release the associated trauma. This results in the trauma becoming held in our bodies, even if you have a positive birthing experience.
Birth in itself may represent a biological process that has not been completed, but may also be the primary traumatic experience of the human being in his life in general. - Stanislav Grof
Postnatal anxiety and depression can be exacerbated by childbirth trauma. We all carry traumas, both acute and developmental and if we carry a large amount of cumulative traumas and stress in our soma, we are more likely to be triggered by the birth experience.
Feeling Safe to release trauma
For your body to release trauma, it's essential that you are feeling safe and secure. To do this you will need to be in a safe environment with a trusted person to guide you. It may take several sessions with me for your body to feel safe enough to release trauma. While we may not be able to go directly to releasing the trauma, there are other balances that will help with feeling safe and secure and regulating your nervous system.
Sharing Your Birth Story
During a birth balance, you will have the opportunity to share your own birth story and your baby's birth story. However, you do not need to talk about the birth experience and if this is traumatising for you, it's best not to. I will encourage you to let go of the story and feel into your body because it's your body that holds the stress, not your mind. Your mind cannot process and release, this is the work of your body.
Exploring Trauma within the Four Stages of Birth
During a birth balance I will examine trauma within the four stages of birth to gain a comprehensive understanding of your experience and its potential impact on your emotional well-being. Here's a brief overview:
Stage 1. Conception to start of labor
Traumas result from the environment of the womb. Baby also absorbs Mother’s stresses during this time. Traumas at this stage can lead to anxiety, phobias, and neuroses later in life.
Stage 2. Labour prior to cervix being fully opened
Labour when the baby is pressed against a closed cervix with each contraction. Trauma accumulated during this stage can lead to claustrophobia, existential angst, depression, procrastination, and feelings of terror and being stuck.
E.g., if this stage is long with the baby experiencing stress or the baby has head trauma from being repetitively pushed against the cervix.
Stage 3. Moving through the birth canal
When the cervix is fully dilated and the baby travels through the birth canal. The experience can be a feeling of being trapped and unable to escape. Trauma during this stage can later manifest in life as issues with control, anxiety, and paranoia and a propensity for thrill seeking or dangerous activities.
E.g., the baby becomes trapped, has their umbilical cord wrapped around their neck or has a delayed release from the birth canal.
Stage 4. Emerging into the outside world
Leaving the safe, protective world of the womb and entering the outside world. Trauma during this stage may develop into anxiety, agoraphobia, separation difficulties, or loneliness later in life.
E.g., if the baby or Mother is needing medical intervention and baby is separated from the Mum at this stage.
Note for C-Section Births
If you or your baby had a C-section birth, the correction process follows a different path for stages 2 and 3.
Example of Birth Trauma
I had a client who was unable to move forward in her life. When she thought about what she wanted to do or tried to set goals, she felt a huge block that she couldn't push through. She felt mildly depressed and that she was stagnating. Upon exploring this, the client realized that she was stuck. As soon as she acknowledged this out loud, she knew this to be true and started to feel obvious panic. She became fidgety, didn't want to sit still, heart was racing, and wanted to flee. I wondered if this was related to birth trauma and being stuck at a stage of her birth. Muscle monitoring confirmed this, and we were able to identify that it was a birth stage 2 trauma. During this stage, the baby was stuck for an extended time prior to the cervix fully opening, with her head being pushed against the closed cervix with each contraction. The baby experienced feelings of panic and fear from the mother and absorbed them. It was so helpful for the client to understand that the stuck-ness and feelings of panic when trying to move forward in life, stemmed from this trauma. There was a very good reason she couldn't be productive! Once the trauma was released, the client was astonished by how much energy they had and how motivated they became immediately after their kinesiology session.
Taking birth trauma seriously, Science Direct
The Four Stages of Birth: Their Agonies and Ecstasies, American Institute for Learning and Human Development
Book a birth kinesiology balance
In-person birth balances are available. If you prefer an in-person session, newborn babies are welcome. Once babies become mobile, it becomes harder to facilitate a session with them. Please get in touch if you have any queries.
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