Birth injuries refer to damage or injury that’s caused to a child before, during, or immediately after you give birth.
Common birth injuries include nerve injuries, brain damage, and skull fracture. If your child is injured at birth, it will take time to accept it, deal with your feelings, and move forward. But by knowing the best ways to cope, you can make the process easier.
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Seek Support from Your Loved Ones
You shouldn’t have to deal with the situation by yourself, so after a birth injury, make sure that you seek out support.
Close friends and family members can be invaluable, so look to people who you know are empathic and trustworthy so that they can support you and care for you in your hour of need.
Seek Support from Professionals
In addition to seeking support from your loved ones, you should consider getting support from professionals.
When you talk to someone about what has happened and how you feel, you can get more insight into why things happened the way that they did, reduce the likelihood of replaying the event in your mind, gain a sense of relief, and reduce the likelihood that you’ll continue to carry unpleasant feelings with you.
A good place to start is the maternity unit. Many maternity units provide debriefing services for mothers who have experienced birth injuries and they can point you towards counseling and therapy services.
You can also talk to your doctor about the professional support services that are available. Using self-therapy techniques can also help you to stay calm.
Consider the Impact on Your Relationship
You not only have to deal with your own feelings after a birth injury. You also need to deal with your partner’s feelings and take steps to ensure your relationship doesn’t suffer as a result.
You’re both sure to be experiencing feelings like confusion and anger. In turn, that can create difficulties in your relationship. Be aware of that, give things time, and ensure you and your partner talk openly and support one another.
That’s not to say that it isn’t challenging. It can be a good idea to see a relationship counselor who can help you both deal with your feelings and assist you both in moving forward over time.
Be Gentle on Yourself and Give Yourself Time
You’re sure to experience a wide variety of feelings after a birth injury. You could feel guilt, even though the injury won’t have been your fault, in addition to feelings like anger, sadness, and anxiety.
Those kinds of feelings are completely normal, so remember that. Be gentle on yourself and give yourself time to go through the recovery process. And if anxiety is a major issue, check out these helpful tips for dealing with it.
Consider Pursuing Compensation for Medical Malpractice
If the birth injury was caused due to an inadequate level of care from healthcare professionals, it’s best to make a formal complaint.
The act of making a complaint alone will help you to deal better with what’s happened. Holding the person or organization responsible for the birth injury to the account will help even more. It will legitimize your experience and help you to move forward.
If you file a lawsuit for medical malpractice against the responsible party, you can also gain compensation, which will go some way to helping you during your difficult time. Check out this helpful post to learn more about birth and obstetric claims.
Summing Up
It will take time to come to terms with what’s happened and return to some sense of normalcy, but you’ll be able to cope with a birth injury better if you follow the above guidelines.
To recap:
· Seek support from your loved ones.
· Seek support from professionals.
· Consider the impact on your relationship.
· Be gentle with yourself and give yourself time.
· Consider pursuing compensation.
