TV presenter and dating guru Anna Williamson has shared her harrowing birth experience to mark Birth Trauma Awareness Week, highlighting the lasting impact of birth trauma on mothers. Williamson, 42, suffered a massive haemorrhage after a forceps delivery in 2017 when her son Enzo was born two weeks overdue following a 40-hour labour.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Williamson described feeling helpless during the procedure. “I remember feeling as though my body wasn’t my own anymore. It was a vessel that was in the hands of others, and I felt helpless,” she said. The aftermath left her grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, a condition affecting up to one in five new and expectant mothers according to NHS England.
Williamson, who champions the cause for the Birth Trauma Association, explained the emotional toll: “The mental impact was enormous. It was life changing. This trauma stays with mothers for the rest of their lives.” She recalled that seven years ago, such topics were rarely discussed, leading to a breakdown that affected her initial bonding with her son and altered her decision about having another baby. She later had a planned C-section privately, which she described as a “miracle.”
The theme of this year’s Birth Trauma Awareness Week is informed consent, after a survey found two in five women had procedures performed without their consent. Williamson expressed deep empathy for others who have gone through similar experiences, saying, “What should be the happiest time of your life can be the blackest and most desperate time of your life all because of the way your birth was handled.”
Reflecting on her journey, Williamson offered reassurance to new mothers: “Don’t be brave and think you have to suck it up. Say you need help and whatever it takes for you to get help, reach out for it. Take it and it will get better.” Her biggest moment of catharsis came when she realised she was a good mother despite her struggles in the early months.
