ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is explored, including its origins and diagnostic criteria, and how it relates to childbirth. Building upon models for how the brain processes traumatic events, psychological models for understanding PTSD are discussed, in conjunction with the evidence base for the obstetric, social and psychological variables that have been found to be associated with PTSD after childbirth. There is an emphasis on the importance of considering the woman’s subjective experience and developing a formulation of the woman’s experience that draws upon all relevant factors. The metaphor of an iceberg is used to illustrate how a woman’s pre-childbirth history and personality play a significant role in determining her response to the events during the peri- and postnatal periods. The concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG) is also discussed in relation to women’s experience after childbirth.
