ABSTRACT
Amongst the traumatic events that are connected with the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), childbirth is unique. After delivery a woman suffering from PTSD has to care for a newborn baby in addition to coping with her trauma experiences, while the psychological mechanisms of the disorder in itself are the same as PTSD unrelated to childbirth. Furthermore, PTSD is a very complex disorder. Therefore, it is important to consider the various general aspects of PTSD to be able to understand PTSD in relation to childbirth. Consequently, this chapter starts with an outline of PTSD in general. After that, PTSD after childbirth is discussed.
