Listening to Women After Childbirth

It is vital that healthcare practitioners understand the psychological impact of childbirth when caring for women. This accessible guide is designed to improve the care that women receive and, as a result, public health outcomes related to maternal and infant wellbeing.

This book outlines how clinicians can offer practical support to women after birth. It:

• discusses what we know about how women adapt to motherhood and develop a post-childbirth identity;
• outlines some of the causes and manifestations of post-traumatic stress following childbirth;
• provides practical guidance for setting up postnatal pathways for women traumatised by birth and how to communicate effectively;
• equips practitioners with the knowledge and skills to support pregnant women with a fear of birth;
• incorporates narratives from women to demonstrate how their births and related events were perceived and processe