PTSD in the Perinatal Period: When the Brain Is Overwhelmed by What You’ve Been Through
PTSD during the perinatal period is not talked about enough. Whether it’s a pregnancy loss, a traumatic birth, a NICU stay, or something that just didn't feel right… If you're feeling anxious, panicked, detached, or not like yourself, it doesn't mean you're broken. It means you’re human.
Here’s the thing: your brain, like your body, is built to process things. Think of it like your digestive system. When everything’s working well, your body takes in what it needs, breaks it down, absorbs the nutrients, and moves the rest through.
Your brain works similarly with experiences. When something happens, your brain takes it in, makes sense of it, stores it in the right place, and helps you move forward. But just like your digestive system can get overwhelmed by something too heavy, too fast, or too toxic, your brain can too.
When an experience is too intense, too sudden, or happens when you’re helpless or unsupported, your brain doesn’t get the chance to fully process it. Instead, it hits pause. The memory and all the emotions tied to it get “stuck” in a raw, unprocessed state. Even though the experience might have passed, your body and brain might feel the same or similar level of overwhelmed in the now.
You might notice:
This is where EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can be incredibly helpful. EMDR is a trauma-focused therapy that helps your brain do what it was built to do, finish processing and make sense of difficult experiences. We work on what is still with us in the now, when you think of the then experience.
You don’t need to share every detail. Through gentle bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping), we help your brain “unstick” the memory and process it in a more adaptive way. Over time, that means the level of disturbance goes down. The emotional and physical intensity connected to the memory begins to ease. The memory will hopefully feel less disturbing and no longer hijacks your nervous system. Hopefully bringing more distance to it so it doesn't feel like you are reliving it.
EMDR also helps your brain link new, more helpful information to the memory. Maybe that’s a reminder that you’re safe now, that you did the best you could, or that you’re allowed to grieve. We often uncover old, painful beliefs that formed during trauma. Such as “I’m not safe,” “I failed,” or “I’m not enough”. We help replace them with something more grounded, compassionate, and true. Such as, “I did the best I could,” “I’m okay now,” “My feelings are valid,” or “I am resilient.”
This is what healing looks like. Not forgetting what happened, but feeling less controlled by it.
Feeling more present, more connected, more you.
So if something from your perinatal experience still feels too big, too sharp, or too close, please know:
Your brain might be overwhelmed by what you’ve been through.. Understandably, you’re human.. and healing is possible.
