"I Wondered if I Would Live or Not”: A Qualitative Study of Women’s Experiences of Traumatic Childbirth

Samar M Alotaibi,1 Asrar S Almutairi,2 Rayhanah R Almutairi,2 Anwar N AlKhunaizi,3 Areej G Al-Otaibi,4 Hatice Bulut,5 Turki S Alqurashi61Maternal and Child Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Shaqra University, Al Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia; 2Community and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Maternal and Child Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Fundamentals of Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 5Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecologic Nursing, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey; 6Department of Social Work, Al-Lith University College, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Samar M Alotaibi, Maternal and Child Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Shaqra University, Al Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: To gain an in-depth understanding of Saudi women’s experiences of traumatic childbirth that occurred at any point within the previous five years.Methods: A qualitative study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, an idiographic approach supporting in-depth exploration of lived experience. Fifteen women who had experienced traumatic childbirth occurring at any point within the previous five years were recruited through social media and publicly accessible locations frequented by women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and March 2026. The data were analysed following the steps of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore women’s lived experiences in depth.Results: Three experiential themes were identified: Experiencing distressing childbirth; living with the emotional aftermath; and the lasting impact of birth trauma on motherhood. These findings highlight the substantial impact of traumatic birth on women’s lives and suggest enduring psychological and relational consequences, particularly when care is perceived as dismissive.Conclusion: There is a need for maternity care to be delivered in a respectful, woman-centred, and supportive manner to reduce the occurrence and impact of traumatic birth experiences. Insight into women’s birth experiences can inform the development of interventions to prevent birth trauma and reduce its consequences within the Saudi healthcare system.Keywords: birth trauma, traumatic childbirth, qualitative study, maternal health, postpartum mental health