A difficult or traumatic birth experience can have an impact long after the baby is born. In this episode, Deb sits down with Dr. Kenga Sivarajah, a Consultant Obstetrician with expertise in high-risk obstetrics, maternal medicine, and perinatal mental health, to explore what birth trauma can look like, why it can be difficult to recognize, and what healing can involve. Dr. Sivarajah brings both an obstetric and psychiatric perspective to the conversation, offering a holistic look at the connection between the physical experience of birth, the nervous system, and postpartum mental health.
Together, they discuss why parents may feel dismissed when they share a difficult birth experience, how trauma can show up in the weeks and months after birth, and what meaningful postpartum support should look like. They also explore what birth preparation can—and can’t—do to help, when psychiatric support may be appropriate, the role of medication and non-medication approaches, and how partners and birth professionals can recognize when someone needs additional care. Most importantly, this conversation reinforces that a healthy baby does not erase the emotional impact of a difficult birth, and that parents deserve support in processing what happened.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What birth trauma can look and feel like
- Signs that someone may be struggling after a difficult birth
- The connection between birth, the nervous system, and postpartum mental health
- Why dismissing or minimizing someone’s birth experience can interfere with healing
- What meaningful preparation for birth can include
- When to consider psychiatric or other professional support
- Medication and non-medication approaches to postpartum mental health
- How partners can support someone after a difficult birth
- When yoga teachers, doulas, and birth workers should refer someone for additional support
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About Dr. Kenga:
Dr. Kenga Sivarajah is a Consultant Obstetrician at King’s College Hospital in London and leads obstetric care at Central Health London, with specialist expertise in high-risk obstetrics, maternal medicine, and perinatal mental health. She has pioneered a multidisciplinary obstetric-psychiatry service for women with severe mental health conditions and has been recognized nationally for her work. Alongside her clinical and research work, Dr. Sivarajah is deeply committed to education, patient safety, and compassionate, holistic maternal care. Patients describe her as warm, empathetic, and deeply committed to helping families feel supported and understood.
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