Shining a light on the stigma around childbirth-related injuries

Childbirth and becoming a new mum is a life-changing experience. But what about the physical and emotional trauma that can come along with it? According to Medibank research, 74% of the 1025 women who were surveyed experienced an injury or condition as a result of having vaginal childbirth in the last 5 years. And what’s most worrying is that 1 in 5 women (22%) said they’re not comfortable talking about their injuries with anyone -- believing there to be a stigma around discussing these.

If childbirth-related injuries and conditions are so common, why aren’t we talking about them? We spoke to Amy and Helen from Eastside Midwives, and new mum Amber-Lea to learn more. Watch the video to hear what they had to say.

Most common conditions facing women

Perineal tears were one of the most prevalent injuries reported, affecting 43% of women. This was followed by haemorrhoids, at 38%, damage to the pelvic floor and urinary incontinence -- both at 31%. Additionally, of those who experienced a childbirth-related injury or condition, 62% were still experiencing symptoms more than a year after birth.

Perineal tears are one of the most common injuries women report after vaginal birth. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that in 2018, three quarters of women had a tear or cut after giving birth vaginally. Less than 3% had a more severe ‘third or fourth degree laceration.’

The stigma around childbirth-related injuries

According to the Medibank research, more than half of the women (52%) thought there was a stigma around childbirth-related injuries and conditions. This could explain why 20% of women delayed seeking medical treatment for their injuries until symptoms persisted or worsened, and 21% still hadn’t sought treatment for their symptoms up to 5 years after giving birth.