It is estimated that up to 45% of births are experienced as traumatic. Traumatic birth experiences can significantly impact the mother/birthing parent and their infant. Whilst several risk factors for birth trauma have been identified, there was recently a call for more research into birth trauma prevention. This thesis aims to explore the perspectives of mothers/birthing parents on possible ways to prevent traumatic birth experiences.

Part one of this portfolio presents an empirical paper. Thirteen mothers who self-reported having undergone a traumatic birth were interviewed and asked about what could have been done differently to prevent or mitigate the impact of their birth trauma. The findings, using reflexive thematic analysis, indicated the importance of developing realistic expectations of childbirth, promoting informed decisions during birth, and reducing barriers to accessing support following a traumatic birth. Participants also shared their perspective that NHS pressures impacted on patient care. Findings were discussed in relation to possible reassessment of the content and timing of antenatal education and postnatal appointments.

Part two presents a second empirical paper, which used a mixed-methods online survey to explore the experiences of antenatal education and postnatal support for mothers/birthing parents who had self-reported a traumatic birth. The survey also asked what birthing parents thought could be done differently across maternity services to prevent birth trauma. The responses from 59 participants were analysed using template analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings highlighted that antenatal education was generally deemed helpful, but there was a wish for more information on labour processes and “realistic” births. They also indicated that the care in postnatal services (postnatal ward and community appointments) may not always be in line with NICE guidelines. Recommendations were made for psychology services to facilitate training on trauma-informed care and on postnatal mental health difficulties to maternity clinicians.