RE: [ozmidwifery] Birth trauma anniversary

[Wayne and Caroline McCullough]

Title: Message

Hi Sonia,   Those flashbacks are quite normal given the trauma you experienced. Sounds as if you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (although it is quite a normal reaction given the injury your baby received and what you went through).   I had flashbacks of Liam's birth and still do but they aren't as bad now because I've had plenty of opportunities to debrief.   I felt sad upon Liam's birthdays but I usually just took a little time out for myself to think about it and then got back in the swing of things. It is hard. Supressing the negative just makes the injury worse in my books. You need to acknowledge that you were hurt and your baby was hurt but also acknowledge that you still have each other.   If you want to chat some more just email me off list.   Cheers,   Cas.       Cas McCullough [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.casmccullough.com   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of *G and S* Sent: Monday, 24 November 2003 10:31 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [ozmidwifery] Birth trauma anniversary Hi guys,             Was wondering if I could get some advice from others who have had a traumatic birth experience.    Now that December is almost upon us I've started to feel a slight sense of dread as my babe's first birthday approaches.  I had PND with my first babe (10 years ago) and I am trying my hardest to prevent that from happening again.   I know it is my babe's birthday and that it should be a time of happiness but there was so much that went wrong that day and we lost so much... I can't help but feel saddness. How do I stop feeling negative about this upcoming milestone?    I was wondering if there is anything that others have done to recognise such an anniversary without loosing the joy that befits a first birthday?    And, if you have personally delt with birth trauma did you have flashbacks in your quieter moments? For the first few months after my babe's birth I  would sometimes have flash backs to theatre and would see the image of a scalpel running across a little back.  It happened once while I was driving and was actually quite frightening.   Those 'flashbacks' have stopped for some time now and I'm hoping that they won't start again. If you had flash backs did they re-surface around the time of the first birthday? I guess it would be good to have some forewarning.   I know this all sounds a little 'off the wall' but I need to ask these questions if I'm to keep strong and sane. ( well, at least as sane as a mother with five kids can be! lol )   I'm hoping that someone will have answers, TIA,  Sonia W.