Approximately 9% of new moms experience postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following childbirth. Most often this illness is caused by a real or perceived trauma during delivery or after, and most commonly occurs when a baby is born prematurely requiring critical care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Postpartum PTSD is not the same as postpartum depression. PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into three categories: re-experiencing, avoidance, and increased arousal.