There are many possible triggers during labor for survivors of sexual assault and survivors of sexual abuse.
👉Epidural = foreign substances in body/altering sensations/loss of control
👉Sensation of crowning= may remind you of sensations you experienced during assault/abuse
👉People standing over you = loss of control, may be remind you of your attacker….
Some of these may even trigger you if you’re pregnant and haven’t been assaulted/abused. We often find that when moms have tight pelvic floors, they have anxieties and worries about labor and vice versa. The trick is to come up with a strategy. Control the controllables. We know that when you have fears or a tight pelvic floor or both (really, the two go hand in hand), you have more of a risk of perineal tearing. So it’s best to learn strategies to prevent perineal tearing. One of these is working on you fears, worries, and working through triggers and learning how to relax your pelvic floor even if you are triggered or scared.
We recommend-
Finding a mantra (for me this was- “you are safe”)
Find ways to eliminate triggers. For example, cope with pain without medications if they trigger you (for me, an epidural was a big trigger and I used a TENS unit and other strategies to confidently manage pain)
Book a consult with us to identify what might be triggering and why and come up with strategies for YOU to confidently labor
