Stuck in the operating room

My c-section was emergency and I cannot look at my scar very much however speaking to someone helps, I signed onto betterhelp - it might be better cause it’s pretty instantaneous of you getting paired with someone 🩷

While it was planned and went well with no pain our bodies are weird and can attach trauma to the weirdest memories. Your body is also still transitioning back with all of its hormone levels. I used to have the most horrific dreams when I was pregnant that I never had before all due to the hormone changes. My doctor also said that I could have been processing the fear of having my baby again via c section by having horrible dreams.

Both my babies were technically emergency c section. My little girl was breech and my baby boy my body just wouldn't dilate.

My experience with ny daighters was scary. Everything went well but I hadn't ever had a c section and didnt know what to expect. Im a bit claustrophobic. And While I could see and knew the room was large feeling absolutely trapped in your own body without being able to move was horrifying. I was in a similar situation during my dnc. But I went in to the hospital withvmy boy hoping to do a vbac but if it didnt happen I mentally prepared.

I get a really bad pain where my scar is if I touch it. It almost feels like the day after surgery kind of pain. I still can’t tell anyone I had a c section, and if my husband mentions he told someone I get this quick wave of anxiety that washes over me. Almost like someone threw cold water at me. I’m in therapy tho, and I’m starting to feel more like myself.

Yes! I had an emergency c & post-partum hemorrhage. I started having flash backs soon after birth which I think it was maybe due to trauma/my brain processing what happened because you truly don’t get to process it when you’re taking care of a baby, life tasks, etc. My scar was sensitive & I felt nauseous even when I put slight pressure on it. My pelvic floor PT suggested very gentle touch everyday (even with a soft fabric like silk) to help desensitize the area. She also told me to talk to myself & remind my body that we’re not in danger anymore and that we’re now healing. All of that really helped me & it’s much better now! In terms of the flashbacks it helped me to talk it out with my husband and close friends and family. When the flashbacks would come to me I would just let it pass through & tell myself it is over now and focus on the present. Grounding exercises really help with that (e.g. name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, etc.). Hang in there it will get better ❤️

i had an emergency c after almost dying of preeclampsia. my scar opened a few weeks after surgery. i’m 13 months pp and i still feel a sharp pain every now and then where the incision was open. every time it hurts all i feel is the fear before i went into the OR. when i start to feel myself disassociating from it, i try to steer my mind to thinking about my daughter. how her day is going, what we’ve been working on, foods i want her to try, places i want to go with her. helps me to remain positive about the future and reminds me that yes that was horrible, but now i have her and we are both happy and healthy! it’s soso hard being a mom. sending so much love to you!🫶🏻

Trauma is trauma even if it doesn’t seem traumatic to someone else, I could trip up walking down the road and that could be traumatic for me even if it might be funny for someone else so firstly - be validated! Secondly I say this because I have trauma myself of my first C-section and flashbacks are a huge giveaway for that, therapists will GRADUALLY get you to talk through what you remember, all the little details, because trauma is when your brain hasn’t been able to process something momentous to you, so to talk through it slowly you can start to file it away. Something I like doing is memory rewriting so the scary elements get replaced with something less scary. For example when I was in a huge car crash my therapist got me to imagine the car was made of marshmallow and rather than the truck behind crashing into me it was a marshmallow too slowly and softly brushed into me. It sounds silly but if you change the narrative your mind can cope with it more.

Not sure what it could be for a C-section, maybe (this is a bit wild) thinking of ourselves as kangaroos where we went into theatre, baby popped out the pouch and off we went with nice healthy babies. I don’t know your therapist will do a better job but just know you’re not alone! - also my friend who is a psychologist recommends EMDR for trauma x