The Mother: Talking about the Birth

In my observations on a maternity ward and in a paediatric unit I have been struck by the urgent desire demonstrated by mothers to recount the birth experience. I found that whether the birth had been easy or difficult, the mothers were glad to talk to someone who was interested, and to communicate details about the birth. It became clear to me that in telling their story these mothers were seeking an opportunity for recognition and acknowledgement of their emotions, and especially of the uniqueness of their own experience.

The object of this brief communication is to focus on the critical experience of labour and the events surrounding the birth, and to consider the effect on the mother of the ways these events are responded to. I shall give some illustrations of my own and a colleague and reflect on factors which may interfere with the capacity of staff to acknowledge emotions about the birth. I shall also discuss some implications for maternity care.

In the early days after the birth it is possible to observe that doubts and anxieties which a mother may harbour about her labour and the events surrounding it often encroach on her ease of mind and ability to attend to the newborn. In a traumatic birth the opportunity to communicate about the event can be of significance in dealing with these anxieties, thus freeing the mother to attend with greater ease to the care of the baby. My first example of a birth where the baby's life was seriously at risk illustrates the helpful role played by the birth attendant. The labour was fraught with difficulty, but in the event the baby survived and subsequently both parents took part in caring closely for the baby. Later on, the mother described how important for her and her husband had been the readiness of a staff member to come on the following day and talk about the birth. The midwife had spoken about the dangerous situation in labour. She said that at one stage she had thought the baby did not stand much chance of surviving a