Understanding Birth Trauma with Dr. Melanie Jackson

🎙️ One in three women describe their birth as traumatic, but the trauma often isn’t about what happened. In this episode with Dr Melanie Jackson, we unpack what actually causes birth trauma and what would prevent it, in light of the NSW birth trauma inquiry and rising caesarean rates.

🧠 We discuss why “birth trauma” and “obstetric violence” are contested, and why trauma can be physical, psychological, or both.

💬 Why women with identical births on paper can have very different outcomes, and how the role of listening to the mother’s needs plays a huge role.

🤝 Designing care that actually protects women: knowing what you want before you walk in, why continuity of care is the strongest predictor of low trauma, choosing a care provider whose approach aligns with yours, and why “going with the flow” in a hospital means a medicalised birth by default.

🛡️ How to protect the birth space with eye covers, headphones, and a support person who can say no for you, why a partner may not be your best advocate, and more.

⚖️ Why presenting one option isn’t informed consent, how coercion shows up in routine practice, and what a recent Australian Supreme Court case reveals about vaginal examinations and consent.

🌱 Plus the first weeks postpartum, why debriefing isn’t a formula (and who should lead it), and how birth stories evolve over time.

All references are in the full article available on my Substack and Patreon.

🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands