{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]],"date-time":"2026-05-14T04:05:45Z","timestamp":1778731545923,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,29]],"date-time":"2022-10-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1667001600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,29]],"date-time":"2022-10-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1667001600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Pregnancy Childbirth"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Globally, a large proportion of birthing mothers, and a to a lesser extent their partners, experience birth trauma each year, and yet access to adequate post-natal trauma support is rarely available. Untreated birth trauma has been shown to negatively impact the family in terms of the parents\u2019 relationship with one another, and long-term negative consequences for the child. Despite a drive towards integrating mental health support into maternity services and a call to provide mental health support for couples rather than solely the birthing mother, there is little research exploring what birthing couples find helpful in recovery from birth trauma. The current research interviewed six couples using an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach in order to explore their understanding of what supported their recovery from birth trauma. Four themes were identified: \u2018We need validation\u2019, \u2018Feeling paper thin\u2019, \u2018This is a system failure\u2019 and \u2018Birth trauma is always going to be a part of you\u2019. The data describes an understanding of parents\u2019 feelings of vulnerability and loss of trust in services to provide support following birth trauma. Further, parents\u2019 need for validation and repositioning of control away from healthcare professionals when considering the availability and knowledge of the support options available is discussed. Clinical implications for supporting parents following birth trauma are explored, including an identified need for trauma informed care communication training for all healthcare professionals involved in maternity care, and the requirement for sources of therapeutic support external from the parent dyad in order to maintain the couples\u2019 interpersonal relationship.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-022-05091-2","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,29]],"date-time":"2022-10-29T06:03:18Z","timestamp":1667023398000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experience of couples\u2019 recovery from the psychological symptoms of trauma following traumatic childbirth"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Rosie","family":"Attard","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jane","family":"Iles","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Florence","family":"Bristow","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rose-Marie","family":"Satherley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"5091_CR1","unstructured":"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 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All procedures were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines. Written, informed consent was sought from all participants who took part in this study.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare that they have no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"798"}}