Beyond the Delivery Room: Mental Health After Birth

Fathers Can Be Traumatized by Witnessing Difficult Childbirth, Study Finds

The emotional toll of childbirth isn’t just for mothers. A new study highlights the potential for fathers to experience significant mental health issues after witnessing traumatic deliveries.

Researchers at Oxford University interviewed fathers who witnessed emergency C-sections and other stressful birthing procedures. A common theme emerged: feeling isolated and uninformed while fearing for the lives of their partner and baby. Many felt unable to express their anxieties due to a perceived need to prioritize their family’s well-being.

One participant, David (age 43), described being left alone and confused during his wife Jane’s emergency C-section. “There was no explanation,” he said. “They just assumed I’d be okay, and no one even asked.” He recounted experiencing flashbacks of seeing the placenta and feeling overwhelming anxiety about his wife and baby’s health.

Another father, Christopher (age 36), shared how his wife’s near-death experience during childbirth in 2006 left him so traumatized he developed PTSD and couldn’t return to work. “The flashbacks were constant,” he said. “I’d smell the hospital again, and everything would vanish. I just cried constantly and became afraid to leave the house.”

Professor Marianne Kelly, who led the research, emphasizes the importance of acknowledging fathers’ needs. “Doctors and midwives are focused on saving mothers, but dads need support too,” she stated.

The piece concludes with a personal story (written in the first person) about the author’s own experience witnessing a traumatic birth. Despite a seemingly positive outcome, the author describes feeling overwhelmed and scared during the emergency C-section. He highlights the societal pressure for men to suppress their emotions and suggests the importance of open communication about these experiences.