Episode 34: Exploring Birth Trauma with Athena Hammond

In today’s episode, we dive deep into the topic of birth trauma — its impact, prevalence, and the many ways it can shape a woman’s and couple’s journey into postpartum, future births, and beyond.

We explore:

• What birth trauma is and how common it really is
• Why trauma isn’t always physical — it can also be emotional or psychological
• The challenges of living with trauma in the postpartum period
• How birth trauma can influence future pregnancies and births
• The increased vulnerability of women with a history of sexual assault
• The first steps toward healing and reclaiming your journey
• Resources and support options for those navigating trauma
• Practical tools and small steps to help reduce trauma for both women and their partners
• What birth professionals — midwives, obstetricians, doulas, and other care providers — can do to support change
• The bigger picture: systematic changes needed to address this serious issue

Athena Hammond

Is a trauma therapist who is also a registered Midwife with her phd. She has worked in and around the maternity care sector for more than two decades; as a doula, midwife, researcher, university lecturer, group facilitator and educator. In addition to this she also works in private psychotherapy practice and is trained as a person-centred therapist with extra training around trauma, polyvagal theory, Internal Family Systems theory and interpersonal neurobiology. She has taught counselling skills at university and consults on the topic of birth trauma, including briefing the Select Committee of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma in 2023.

This conversation is for parents, partners, and professionals alike, offering understanding, support, and tools for both healing and prevention.

Resources for women, partners and proffesionals experiencing distress:

• Birth Trauma Australia
• PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia)
• Gidget Foundation
• Centre for Perinatal Psychology
  Additional links for support around sexual assault & childhood trauma.
  https://www.steppingout.org.au
  https://blueknot.org.au/
  https://www.survivorsintransition.co.uk/
  Support for Midwives:
  https://www.nmsupport.org.au/

Resources Mentioned in Episode

• Birth Reborn: What Childbirth Should Be by Michel Odent
• Heart and Hands: A Midwives Guide to Pregnancy and Birth by Elizabeth Davis
• When Survivors Give Birth by Penny Simkin and Phyllis. H. Klaus

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Visit her website and connect here:

https://www.thebirthcounsel.com.au

Please note; all information shared on this Podcast by myself or guests is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.