Israel: greater risk of PTSD with natural birth

This postpartum study of 89 women will not come as a surprise to organizations such as The Birth Trauma Association and Birth Trauma Canada, but more generally, the sometimes very traumatic experiences of mothers can be lost in descriptions of 'empowering and beautiful' births.

In Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms: The Uninvited Birth Companion (IMAJ Vol 14, June 2012), Inbal Shlomi Polachek et al conclude that "although childbirth is a natural and widespread experience, it is a challenging event that often has longterm emotional repercussions. While PTSD is diagnosed in only a few percent of postpartum women, there are significant partial symptoms in a quarter of women, and over 50% of women define at least one of their childbirth experiences as difficult. These high percentages indicate a population at risk and the importance of early detection, diagnosis and management if necessary."
The abstract is available here, or you can read this article in The Times of India: Childbirth causes post-traumatic stress to many, which begins:

"Prof. Rael Strous of Tel Aviv University has found that approximately one third of all post-partum women exhibit some symptoms of PTSD, and a smaller percentage develop full-blown PTSD following the ordeal of labor."