Persistent increased arousal (irritability, difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response) Anxiety and panic attacks Feeling a sense of unreality and detachment

Avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, including thoughts, feelings, people, places, and details

Symptoms include: Intrusive reexperiencing of a past traumatic event (which may have been childbirth itself) Flashbacks or nightmares  

Prenatal and Postpartum PTSD Many pregnant/postpartum women and birthing people experience perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, as a result of previous trauma, including physical or sexual abuse or due to a traumatic birth. These symptoms can include: