Birth partners, male or female, can become traumatised because they have witnessed a birth going wrong.

Looking back, you're not even sure what happened; one minute it was OK, the next alarms are going off, people are running and pushing you out of the way and the person you love is on a trolley being rushed towards the operating theatre. You are told you cannot go too and are left outside by yourself not knowing if your partner and child are alive or dead. No-one comes to tell anything for what seems like hours.

Sometimes, having to watch someone you love be in pain for many hours, and the feelings of helplessness that evokes are very hard to deal with.

Sometimes, a birth is so completely different to what you'd envisaged that you are so shocked you can hardly speak or move. You try to comfort your loved one as you watch the struggle to give birth but you have no idea what to do or say.

Sometimes, seeing thesomeone you love being treated unkindly or disrespectfully really upsets you. You hate seeing them bullied like this, but if you don't do what the doctors say, they tell you the baby will die. You have no idea what to believe, what to do for the best or how to help your  partner as they tries to give birth.

This can leave you with symptoms of PTSD:

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