ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Perinatal Psychiatry
Abstract
1.1 Introduction Traumatic birth describes a birth where there has been a physical injury to mother and/or infant, a negative psychological impact from the birth, or both. Narrative accounts of women who report a traumatic birth identify the importance and impact of interactions with healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in their care. Research exploring the perspective of HCPs in relation to traumatic birth is very limited, with little known about their understanding of the term and their experience of working in an environment where traumatic birth is a possibility. 1.2 Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten healthcare professionals from NHS maternity services. Abbreviated grounded theory was used to code and analyse data, guided by constant comparative analysis and the use of analytic memos to document theoretical insight. 1.3 Results Three main categories illustrate how participants understood the systemic influences to traumatic birth in their workplaces: System, where participants explore various systemic influences; Self, where they make sense of their own practice and personal attributes in relation to traumatic birth; and Women and Birthing People, where participants reflect on the intricacies of relationships with those in their care. The linking core category, We don’t like to think we are traumatising women, but we are, is conceptualised as delicately balanced and tightly linking the main categories and subcategories. Within this, any shortcoming, whether intentional or not, can negate good practice to the extent of causing a traumatic birth. Healthcare professionals showed differing levels of understanding across the categories, influencing how they were able to understand and work with traumatic birth. 1.4 Discussion The findings are explored in the context of relevant psychological theory and the ongoing movement to challenge medical misogyny. The strengths and limitations of the study are evaluated, and recommendations are made for practice and future research to continue to explore the factors that perpetuate the phenomenon of traumatic birth.
Summary
Keywords
communication6, Healthcare Professionals4, misogyny2, NationalHealth Service5, Obstetric Violence3, perinata7, traumatic birth1
Received
21 November 2025
Accepted
24 April 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Booth and Nkansa-Dwamena. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Elizabeth Booth
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