Postnatal anxiety

[xxxemmaxxx]

I'm pretty sure I'm experiencing this after a few panic attacks pre baby about the mode of birth.

It seems to mostly be around my health - I had an emergency c section in the end and I've basically convinced myself I have a complication (or will have a complication) from it. What is making matters worse is I'm still feeling niggles and pains and twinges after 6 weeks when i have in my head I should be back to normal by now.

I feel like I am having so many physical symptoms of this anxiety resulting in me heading to the docs.

Any one been through post natal anxiety?
Should I be pain free after 6 weeks?!

 

[xdxxtx]

I've never had a c-section, but I feel my body changing for a few months after the delivery of my baby every time. If you think about it, all that stretching and growing your body did has to shrink itself back, so there are gonna be niggles and cramps and other strange feelings. After the first 3 months, I tend to feel much more "normal." My sister had both of her babies via c-section, and she was definitely still in pain 6 weeks postpartum.

 

[whatwillbex]

Hi I’m also 6 weeks and have numbness around my scar. I also have the odd cramps on and off here and there. I think it’s just the body recovering and returning back to normal. I think that’s why we have the 6-8wk check and not meant to drive as they knoW you won’t be fully recovered. Tell your doc or health visitor about your worries they are really good x

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Thanks guys..
Doctor and HV aware..

So hard to know if its my body or mind?!
My OH said to me earlier I've been checked over so many times by so many sifferent doctors in the past week alone how can anything be wrong which makes me think my mind is going loop the loop but then I am feeling pains and niggles.
It was emergency too so maybe that adds to it?!

 

[Babybump87]

I didn’t have a sectionwith either of my girls but did get post natal anxiety with them both. My anxiety was based around something happening to me or them ( I think it originated because my niece sadly passed away when she was 12 days old and I was 4 months pregnant with DD1) I just worried about everything little thing .

I used to feel like I couldn’t breath and my heart was pounding out my chest . Poor DH was fantastic I would just cry and look at my girls and I realised I needed help to manage this! I had CBT, brevement counselling and some medication . I can thankfully say it’s been 1 1/2 years since I’ve felt so low (I get the odd worry moment which mummy doesn’t !)

I’m glad your HV and GP both know about your symptoms . It may be that you’ve had a traumatic expierence and you and your body just need some time to adjust . If you feel like you can’t cope with it any more or it affecting your day to day loving I.e you cannot do something because your so worried I would go back to your GP for further advice .

Hope you feel better soon ! I know for expierence it will pass hun ! Xx

 

[Zephram]

No, you should not be feeling perfect and back to normal 6 weeks after a c section. I had an emcs with my first and I was told that the first 6 weeks were the ‘worst’, not that I would be 100% normal by then. Truth be told I wasn’t close to normal until 6 months after the section. Cut yourself some slack, you’ve had major surgery and it can take a long time to bounce back.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Thank you..
that is really annoying that i was made to feel like I shouldnt have any pain!

 

[Babybump87]

Thank you..
that is really annoying that i was made to feel like I shouldnt have any pain!

I would feel annoyed too . It can take some women days weeks months even years to recover after a baby . Give yourself time and don’t panic ! X

 

[_Meep_]

I still feel my pelvic bones grinding a bit when I walk a fair distance, my back still kills constantly and some of the nerves in my ribs are still numb at times. My baby is 6 months. It was the same with my first, too, though I think by a year pp things were back to normal. It took about 40 long weeks to make your baby, and it can take the same or longer to heal from all the stress of pregnancy and childbirth. You're not going to be running any marathons at 6 weeks pp, especially since you had a c-section.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Thank you again.. its really nice to hear this stuff.
Felt the most humAn yet this morning.. but after various school, nursery drops and a supermarket haul I was back having pulling and twingy pains.. which leads to more panic theres something wrong..

 

[_Meep_]

I promise there almost definitely isn't! When you have a baby you never really get the time you need to rest and recuperate, so full recovery can take ages. At 6 weeks, you've basically had NO time to recover, since you'll be running around looking after the children/baby and up all hours. It's ridiculous for anyone to even suggest to you that you should be in perfect health already.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

To be fair I've had great help the first 4/5 weeks its just now I'm being left a bit more too it.
I have a 4.5 and a 3 year old as well so it is hectic.
I'll take up the random pains with a private gynae next week i think. Even for piece of mind!

 

[misspriss]

6 weeks is just the acute recovery phase, the open incision, open wound in uterus, etc. I had a c-section with my first, probably took 6-9 months to feel "normal", but still had the odd twinge for probably well past a year (then I got pregnant again, so who knows).

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Wow really..
who are these people then that are superwoman by 6 weeks?! Haha.

 

[noon_child]

I didn't even have a c-section and I still felt loads of aches and pains in my joints up to 3 months post partum. However I think when you have anxiety it doesn't matter what facts you get or how many symptoms 'really exist' because your anxiety will latch on to anything. You've had a traumatic experience in your emergency c-section and just having a baby in itself causes post part anxiety in many women. Trying to be in control of situations we can't control and the fear caused by losing that control causes us to seek reassurance (which is totally normal and understandable) so that we don't have to feel that fear of an uncertain future, but if the true cause of the anxiety (the traumatic birth/surgery) is still causing you fear, then all the reassurance in the world about your current symptoms may not help longer term because you'll still have anxiety, it will just be about something different. I don't think I'm explaining myself properly. My own example is that when my anxiety is high I get more phobic about germs and spiders etc. I'm not actually anxious because of the germs and spiders because when my mood is calm I am fine with these things but my anxiety over something else will cause me to be anxious about things that make me feel out of control, and I now recognise this and have to look deeper inside myself to find my real stressor.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

No i can see what you mean - that makes sense..
i think I've even given myself IBS with the worry and stressing out over still feeling sore and tender and having random pains. Ive over doubled my physical work load in the past couple of weeks so taking it that its part of that.. or trying to!
I went to a physio yesterday too who will hopefully help me build strength again!

 

[wookie130]

My baby is 6 weeks old, and she was my 3rd c-section in 4 1/2 years. My first recovery was rough, and my last two recoveries were relatively easy. That being said, it IS a major abdominal surgery, and it will take months upon months for your body to truly recuperate. I'm also 39, and I now just feel tired. I'm waiting for a surge of energy, but that's not happening any time soon.