Understanding how Psychological Trauma Secondary to Obstetric Emergency is managed by Australian Public Maternity Services

Primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) remains a leading cause of maternal morbidity worldwide and affects women across all healthcare settings. Beyond physical complications, evidence shows that women and their partners often experience lasting psychological and emotional impacts following a PPH. While postnatal debriefing and psychological support services are increasingly offered, there is currently no standardised approach, and their effectiveness has not been clearly established. Many women report unmet needs for information, acknowledgement and reassurance after traumatic birth experiences. This honours project aims to address this important gap in postpartum care. The study will survey Australian maternity service providers to identify existing outpatient postnatal debriefing services, with a focus on care following PPH. The findings will inform the design of a pilot PPH follow-up and support service at Monash Health.