5 Common Misconceptions About Perinatal Trauma
By Angela Chadwick (14-03-26)
Perinatal trauma is common, yet frequently misunderstood. Misconceptions leave women feeling isolated, anxious, or unsure about seeking support. As a perinatal psychologist, I work with women navigating trauma related to pregnancy, birth, fertility challenges, and postpartum complications. Understanding what perinatal trauma really is, and how it affects the body, mind, and nervous system, is the first step toward healing and reclaiming confidence in pregnancy and birth.
Understanding Perinatal Trauma: Big T vs Little t
Trauma is often thought of as “catastrophic” events, but trauma exists on a spectrum. In perinatal care, it’s helpful to think in terms of Big T and little t trauma:
Big T Trauma: Events that are life-threatening, involve serious injury, or create extreme threat to safety. Examples in perinatal care include postpartum haemorrhage, obstetric emergencies, stillbirth, or neonatal loss.
Little t Trauma: Events that may not threaten life but still overwhelm the nervous system, leaving lasting emotional or physiological impact. Examples include hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), preeclampsia, unexpected interventions, feeling unheard or unsupported during labour, or fertility struggles.
Both forms of trauma are real and can affect the body, nervous system, and sense of self — even if others minimise the experience. Perinatal trauma can accumulate over time, especially when “little t” events are layered across multiple pregnancies or fertility challenges.
5 common misconceptions about perinatal trauma:
1. Trauma Only Happens in Extreme Cases
Many people assume trauma only arises from catastrophic events. In reality, even experiences that are medically common can leave a lasting impact if they overwhelm your ability to cope at the time. Examples include:
Unexpected interventions during labour
Complications such as HG, preeclampsia, or postpartum haemorrhage
Fertility struggles, miscarriage, or neonatal loss
Your nervous system doesn’t measure the “objective severity” — it responds to threat and overwhelm. Trauma is defined by how an event affects your mind, body, and attachment, not by statistics.
2. Trauma Only Affects Women Who Have a Difficult Birth
Perinatal trauma is not confined to the moment of birth. It can appear at any stage of the perinatal journey, including:
During pregnancy, as anxiety or hypervigilance
Postpartum, in response to birth experiences or infant care stress
Throughout fertility struggles
Even experiences that feel “less severe” can create physiological hyperarousal, intrusive memories, or anxiety, especially when layered over prior trauma.
3. If I Feel Okay, I’m Fine
Perinatal trauma often manifests subtly. Many women appear “functional” yet experience:
Body-based responses: tension, pelvic heaviness, or somatic hypervigilance
Sleep disruption or insomnia
Emotional dysregulation: sudden waves of anxiety or sadness triggered by reminders
Hyperarousal in future pregnancies or when approaching birth
These responses are neurologically normal — your nervous system is attempting to manage and integrate past threat experiences. Feeling okay outwardly does not mean your trauma isn’t present.
4. I Just Need to “Get Over It”
Recovery from perinatal trauma is not about forgetting or “moving on.” Healing is about integration, nervous system regulation, and recalibrating your sense of safety and control. Evidence-based approaches, such as:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing);
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy);
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy);
Schema Therapy and Resource Therapy.
…help process unresolved trauma, regulate physiological responses, and rebuild embodied confidence in pregnancy and birth.
5. Perinatal Trauma Only Affects the Birthing Person
Perinatal trauma has ripple effects across partners and families. Secondary trauma can appear when:
Expectations of pregnancy or birth are disrupted;
Family members witness distressing events;
Communication and support within the family are strained.
Recognising these effects and supporting the whole system can help restore safety, attachment, and resilience for both parents and families.
Why Understanding Trauma Matters
Perinatal trauma is embodied, relational, and cumulative. Misconceptions, minimisation, or lack of social validation can make grief, fear, or anxiety feel heavier. With trauma-informed support, women can:
Reduce nervous system hyperactivation;
Reprocess distressing experiences;
Restore trust in their bodies and capacity to birth;
Approach pregnancy and parenting with greater confidence, calm, and embodied safety.
Whether you’ve experienced miscarriage, difficult birth, obstetric complications, or fertility struggles, your experiences are real, valid, and deserving of acknowledgement. Trauma-informed care, including EMDR and perinatal psychotherapy, can help integrate these experiences and restore agency and confidence.