Perinatal Trauma
Perinatal trauma refers to a traumatizing event or series of events occurring around efforts to conceive, during pregnancy, during birth, or three years postpartum. -Mara Tesler Stein (Perinatal Expert)
These experiences may be medical, emotional, or relational in nature and can significantly affect a person’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Perinatal trauma may arise from circumstances such as infertility struggles, pregnancy complications, traumatic birth experiences, medical emergencies, pregnancy loss, or feeling unsupported or powerless during care.
PMADs (Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders)
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are among the most common complications of pregnancy and postpartum, yet many individuals struggle without adequate support.
PMADs can include postpartum depression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and mood changes during pregnancy or after birth. These experiences are medical conditions—not personal failures—and they are treatable.
You may be experiencing a PMAD if you notice:
Persistent sadness or hopelessness
Intense anxiety or racing thoughts
Irritability or anger that feels overwhelming
Difficulty bonding with your baby
Intrusive or distressing thoughts
Exhaustion beyond typical sleep deprivation
Mental Load
Parenthood carries an enormous amount of invisible work often referred to as the mental load.
This includes the constant planning, remembering, organizing, anticipating needs, and emotional labor required to keep a household and family functioning. Many parents find themselves managing schedules, appointments, childcare logistics, emotional needs, and household responsibilities simultaneously.
Over time, this invisible workload can contribute to:
Chronic stress
Burnout
Emotional exhaustion
Resentment in relationships
Difficulty finding time for personal wellbeing
Recognizing and addressing the mental load can help families create more balanced, sustainable ways of sharing responsibilities and supporting one another.
Birth Trauma
While childbirth is often portrayed as joyful and empowering, some parents experience birth as frightening, overwhelming, or traumatic.
Birth trauma can occur when there are unexpected complications, medical emergencies, loss of control, lack of informed consent, or when a person feels unheard or unsupported during the birth process.
Emotional responses to birth trauma may include:
Flashbacks or intrusive memories
Anxiety related to hospitals or medical care
Difficulty talking about the birth experience
Feelings of guilt, anger, or grief
Symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress
Processing and healing from birth trauma is possible, especially when individuals have access to trauma-informed support and space to tell their story.
Relational Stressors
Major life transitions—such as pregnancy, welcoming a new baby, fertility struggles, or pregnancy loss—can significantly affect relationships.
Partners, co-parents, and families often face new expectations, responsibilities, and emotional experiences during these transitions. Differences in coping styles, communication patterns, and stress levels can create tension even in strong relationships.
Common relational challenges during these transitions may include:
Increased conflict or miscommunication
Feeling emotionally disconnected from a partner
Unequal division of caregiving or household responsibilities
Differing expectations around parenting roles
Difficulty supporting each other through grief or fertility struggles
With intentional communication, empathy, and support, relationships can grow stronger while navigating these profound life changes.
"The wound is the place where the light enters you."
— RumiFamily Planning Difficulties
For many individuals and couples, building a family is not a straightforward process.
Infertility, fertility treatments, and family planning challenges can involve cycles of hope, uncertainty, disappointment, and emotional strain. The medical, financial, and psychological demands of this journey can feel isolating.
Common emotional experiences include:
Anxiety surrounding fertility outcomes
Stress related to treatment cycles
Relationship strain
Feelings of inadequacy or loss of control
Grief over unmet expectations
Supportive care can help individuals and couples navigate these challenges while protecting their emotional wellbeing and relationships.
Miscarriage/Pregnancy Loss
Pregnancy loss is more common than many people realize, yet it often remains a deeply personal and silent experience.
Miscarriage can bring profound grief, confusion, and emotional pain. Individuals may also experience complex feelings such as guilt, anger, numbness, or loneliness.
Everyone processes loss differently, and there is no “correct” timeline for healing.
Support after miscarriage may include:
Processing grief and loss
Finding ways to honor the pregnancy
Navigating future family planning decisions
Reconnecting with your body and emotional wellbeing
Compassionate support can create space for acknowledgment, healing, and meaning-making after loss.
Janay Langford
LCSW, EMDR Certified, PMH-C Trained