Trauma, PTSD and Pregnancy: When can I get the best care?
You remember that time in the Army with a heavy heart. The memories linger, but you're trying to move forward, especially now as you think about starting a family or maybe you're already expecting. There are questions, worries about how what happened to you might affect your pregnancy. You're also thinking about how all of this might affect your baby. You want to do everything you can to make sure both of you are healthy and happy.
How might previous trauma or PTSD affect my baby and me?
Increased risk for pre-term labor and delivery.
Increased risk for substance abuse, post-partum depression, and suicide.
You've been looking for answers, but your doctor hasn't been able to give you everything you need. It's not easy, but you're determined to find solutions and support.
Who can help you lower the pregnancy risks associated with previous trauma or PTSD?
You've learned that you don't have to go through this alone. You're thinking about talking to your ob/gyn or a mental health professional for help. They can offer treatments like medicine to help stabilize your hormones and moods, and counseling sessions where you can learn how to cope better.
What kind of help is available?
It would be ideal to start an open line of communication between your doctor and a mental health professional. A psychiatrist can offer medication options to progesterone. Medications to increase Allo, a metabolite of progesterone, are being studied by the VA.
A counselor can help with any standard PTSD treatment. Counselors at the VA will use the standard PTSD treatments of WET, PET, and CBT. At the VA they believe that getting counseling is more effective than maintaining the status quo, even during pregnancy.
The increased stress of counseling compared to the benefits of good treatment outcomes are something each woman needs to weigh for herself. You know it's important to reach out for help as soon as you can. Every day you're closer to having the maximum support and help you need to start feeling better so you can move towards a better future for you and your baby.
If you are struggling with taking the first step, call 720-577-5985 or schedule a time for a free 15-minute consult.
VA References:
Referenced by: https://www.womenshealth.va.gov/topics/pregnancy-and-mental-health.asp
Referenced by: https://news.va.gov/86691/improving-reproductive-health-women-ptsd/
Referenced by: https://www.va.gov/HEALTHEQUITY/Women_Veterans_and_Pregnancy_Complications.asp
Another Resource:
Prenatal Attachment, Parental Confidence, and Mental Health in Expecting Parents: The Role of Childhood Trauma referenced by Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jmwh.13034
