PARTNER ABUSE DURING PREGNANCY

Pregnancy can be a dangerous time for women and the children of women who are abused. Studies show that many women report that the abuse starts or increases during their pregnancy. There are many ways that the man can exert his power and control over his partner before, during and after pregnancy. Once a woman is pregnant, the abuser may:

force her to have an abortion
injure her with the intent of causing her to lose the baby
force her to continue an unwanted pregnancy

Statistics

Pregnant women have a higher risk of experiencing violence during pregnancy than they do of experiencing problems such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes or premature rupture of membranes.
The incidence of violence in pregnancy may range from 4% to 17%. These figures may significantly underestimate the problem, as many women do not report their experiences of violence.
Of women who had ever been married, were 18 years of age or over and who reported violence during pregnancy by a marital partner, 40% reported that it began while they were pregnant.
21% of women abused by a current or previous partner were assaulted during pregnancy.
Women who were abused during pregnancy were four times as likely as other abused women to say they experienced very serious violence (beating, choking, gun/knife threats, sexual assault).

Abuse often begins or increases during pregnancy because of different reasons, such as:

the woman focuses attention to her unborn child
the woman receives attention from others
he is no longer the centre of attention
she is too tired or ill to take care of his needs in the way he demands

During pregnancy, the abuser may:

start, continue or change the pattern of abuse
control, limit, delay or deny her access to prenatal care
use her pregnancy as a weapon for emotional abuse by:

refusing sex on grounds that her pregnant body appears unattractive to him
denying that the child is his
refusing to support her emotionally throughout the pregnancy

financially abuse her by refusing her access to money to buy food and supplies
restrict her access to food
threaten to leave her or report her to Social Services as an unfit mother
force her to work beyond her endurance during pregnancy

The abusive man most often directs their physical assaults at the women’s breasts, abdomen and/or genital area. The emotional responses triggered by abuse, such as anxiety, depression, drug use, sleeplessness, and reduced appetite can have health risks for a pregnant woman and her developing baby. Abuse during pregnancy can cause direct or indirect injury to the fetus. The abuse can result in:

miscarriage
stillbirth
separation of the placenta
broken bones in the fetus
preterm labour
premature rupture of the membranes, increasing the risk of infection and preterm delivery
hemorrhage in the fetus
low birth-weight

During labour and birth, the abuser may:

refuse to support her
try to control decision-making around the use of pain medication or other interventions
demand that doctors restore the woman’s vagina to the “way it was before” the birth

After the baby is born, the abuser may:

increase the amount of abuse
begin using the woman’s relationship with her baby as part of the abuse by:

denying her access to her newborn child
not supporting her or helping her when she comes home with the baby
demanding sex soon after childbirth
blaming her because the infant is the ‘wrong sex’
sulking or trying to make her feel bad for time spent with the baby
criticising her parenting ability
threatening to or abducting the baby
telling her she will never get custody
making her stay home with the baby
preventing her from getting a job or making her take a job
making, or threatening to make, false child abuse accusations to Social Services against her
withholding money for supplies for the baby such as formula, food, diapers
blaming her for the baby’s crying or other problems
not allowing her to bathe or perform personal hygiene
threatening to take the baby/other children and leave
not allowing her to feed the baby during the night

Help is available for women who are being abused. Counselling or support groups for survivors can help you process what you’ve been through and learn how to build new and healthy relationships. There are also transition houses located throughout Saskatchewan for an abused woman and her children to find safety. An Envision counsellor or volunteer may be able to assist a woman to one of these facilities if there are no other options available.

Remember...

You are a good person, and you do not deserve to be abused.
No one has the right to hurt you or your unborn child.
You and your unborn child have a right to be free from the abuse.
You can learn to take care of yourself and your children.
There is help available. Please do not be afraid to ask for help.

Envision Counselling

Envision