Posted by
Cloverpuss
16 yrs ago
I had my first child 3 years ago, everything fine until about 6 months pregnant, I then found out I had placenta previa and thats when the panic attacks started- I guess it was the feeling of being out of control- I was told then I would have to have a C section which scared me, it got so bad that I was only sleeping 2-3 hours a night. I completely lost the plot and by the time my daughter was born I was very depressed and exhausted. This led into bad post natal exhaustion/depression. After about 6 months to a year after the birth I would say I was lots better and eventually completely recovered.
The thing is I am now pregnant with TWINS!!! I am 5 and a half months pregnant. Everything is just fine and no health issues, BUT last night I woke at 2 in the morning having a panic attack, I was then panicking about having panic attacks as bad as last time!! Has anyone else gone through this with their pregnancy. It is much more than just anxiety or discomfort sleeping. How did you solve it, did you seek medical help? I guess there are no drugs that anyone pregnant would wish to take, are there any alternative therapies anyone could advise on?
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Hi there,
I developed panic attacks during my first pregnancy and it was so bad that i had to go to hospital as i feel like i couldn't breathe. I had never had them before and my attacks were so bad that i wasn't sleeping at all and just panicking about having a panic attack. I did turn to medication in the end as my case was so bad that it was no good for mother or baby. I now see a doctor who prescribes my medication as my panic attacks stopped after my first pregnancy then stopped but returned with my second pregnancy. I have now had my second child and still get panic attacks on and off but rely a lot less on my medication. It is one of the most horrible feelings in the world especially when you are pregnant. Please PM me if you want to talk more or want to know more about what i did or just talk about what you are going through. One thing i did learn though was to keep busy and distracted and just keep telling myself that it is all in my head. One night during my panic attack, i went into my baby's room to just watch her sleep. I told myself that if she was sleeping, there was no reason i couldn't and that if everyone else could breathe, so could i. The more you tell yourself you can't breathe, the more you believe it but i try not to let my brain take over. Hope that makes sense. Wishing you luck with the miracles you have growing inside of you.
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Thank you both of you have replied to your insightful replies, I truly feel sometimes like I am going mad. I actually saw my GP yesterday and she said that instead of medication to try complimentary therapies instead so she had advised hypnotherapy, acupuncture and seeing a naturopath as a pathway of treatments to help deal with having a panic attack. I am definitely going to try the breathing techniques and I think flashback is right there will be plenty more dramas to come...
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I have 7 month old twins and totally relate to what you are experiencing. It was my first pregnancy (at age 35) and I was living in London at the time with no family around and all my friends worked all day. My morning sickness was too bad to work, and once that let up around 5-6mths, I was too uncomfortable and large to go back to work. I am sure feeling so alone and cooped up in the apartment all day didn't help the panic attacks. The thing that helped me most was acupuncture. I don't think I would have got through without the acupuncture. Reflexology is also good for relaxing and deep breathing but you need to be careful that you go to someone who knows what they are doing as you need to take care with some points when you are pregnant. I also took Phenergan occasionally when the lack of sleep was getting unbearable. Its an anti-histamine but between one quarter and one half of a tablet knocked me out. And my doctor assured me it was perfectly safe for the babies. My boys were born at 37weeks, v healthy and were nearly 7lbs each.
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MayC
16 yrs ago
Cloverpuss, have you ever tried CBT - Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy?
I too had placenta previa with my daughter, about 4 years ago. I was told that I would bleed and I was told I needed a c-section. I was also told that there was a high possibility my baby would be born early. All of those happened. I delivered my baby at 33 weeks. She was fine, extremely healthy - I was lucky. But I blamed myself and fussed over her because I felt so grateful that she was here. It took 2 years before I came out of the depression.
I've tried some form of CBT - I didn't see a therapist but found some stuff from the net to help myself. It seems to work. There are days where I still get up thinking, "Please God, don't let me lose her" but it's getting better.
Regarding panic attacks... I think I had that a lot as well but I learnt how to reason with myself.
Good luck.
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Hi its been 11 days since my first posting and things seem to be getting worse not better. went to see a naturopath today and she gave me some homeopathic pills and bach flower remedies and some diet advice, she was lovely but as you can see I'm still very anxious and panicking away like before. I'm now beating myself up because I took some Tylenol pm that contains benadryl 2 nights ago, it partially made me drowsy but I'm so worried I've hurt my babies.
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Hypnotherapy is extremely effective to manage panic attacks. It is also great to ensure a smooth pregnancy and delivery!
Julian is very good - he is at Balance Health 2530-3315 (or hypno-hk.com)
Good luck!
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Has anyone else tried hypnotherapy? I'm willing to try anything. I am having real problems now sleeping.
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I am living in NYC, originally from England, seven months pregnant and have had panic attacks at night. I think part of successfully dealing with panic attacks requires that you realize that you are responding normally to a very stressful situation, especially if you are pregnant while abroad, with not a huge support network. You are panicking because you find something overwhelming, the key is to find out what you individually find overwhelming about your life right now. "Panic is a normal response when you feel overwhelmed." Repeat this phrase out loud to yourself during a panic attack. It may sound silly but having some compassion for yourself at this stressful time, realizing that there is nothing innately wrong with you, and that you are responding v normally to intense stress, will help the feelings of panic to subside. In my experience, people are afraid of panic attacks because they fear something is wrong with them, its almost like being afraid of fear itself, that creates a spiral of panic. The key is to "self-soothe" as psychologists say. Learn to accept that when you have a panic attack, you are responding to extreme stress in a very common and normal way. Ask yourself, what are you most afraid of in your life right now? What do you dread the most? If you can get in touch with these feelings, they will seem less overwhelming. The extreme stress in your life is the problem, there is nothing innately wrong with you.
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Just an update from me. I delivered two beautiful twin babies about 2 weeks ago. Everything was fine and went smoothly. I managed to overcome the severe panic I was experiencing and actually for the last month or so felt very relaxed about the whole thing. I guess I got so tired from carrying twins that my body overrode my mind and made me rest and sleep. I was concerned that I would have a complete flip out on the operating table as the babies were born C section, but actually no problems there.
It really was the weirdest freakiest thing that I experienced at 5 and a half months but I think I really had started to be quite large then and I was really panicking about how there babies were gonna get out! I guess if I could have somehow spoken to my pregnant self the best advice I could have given was that everything will be just fine and actually just let go, there's an inevitability about the path you're on and you may as well try and enjoy it as its a special time in your life. I also think what I experienced is actually more common than I thought, I have spoken to quite a few people and lots have said they experienced similar thoughts and feelings.
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