'Seeing and hearing things after giving birth'

[Comps83]

We went for our 8 week check the other week and I had a trainee doctor who seemed to be reading from a script almost. Anyway one of the questions she asked me was
'sometimes after birth, people see or hear things which aren't there, have you experienced anything like this?'
I just shot her a 'eh , what? Really? Look and said no
But I did!
I opened another post a few days before this about weird things that have happened after people died as I heard someone say the baby's name a few days after my mother died which was a week after he was born
Did she mean this as in pnd as I don't think I have pnd ? I've never heard of people seeing or hearing things after giving birth apart from in severe pnd , and I wasn't willing to admit that I had heard something as it was just the once and I feel fine in myself.

Could be evidence of post partum psychosis? However if it’s the only thing you’ve heard I’d probably put it down to complete exhaustion. I had a very scary episode of (what I now know was probably sleep paralysis) after giving birth. I thought a demon was in the room with me, I honestly thought I was going mad but it only happened once.

I had that years ago it was terrifying

I hallucinate from lack of sleep and I did after DD was born but I always have for example from jet lag so I didn't think much of it.

I wasn't asked about it though and it probably is a sympton to watch out for.

I wouldn't worry too much as a one off. After my first night at home from hospital (ds1 was a week old at this point), I woke up very confused thinking I was still in hospital and was crying to DH that I couldn't find the baby even though he was sitting right next to me holding ds1! Think it was a mixture of sleep deprivation and still being half asleep!

It really was a question I didn't expect to be asked and caught me off guard .

It's good he asked, for some who have never heard of post partum psychosis they may just think it's a standard post birth symptom when it's not.

I'd assume it's a check for psychosis but it's a bit blunt isn't it. And hopefully I'm not the only one who hears phantom crying..? 😐

Me and lots of my friends used to wake up not remembering where the baby was. The day after DS was born he was crying and I picked him up and remember thinking 'never mind about you, I havent felt the baby kick today!'

spam, omg you have just reminded me ... I got the phantom crying! mind you, there was of real crying too...

After DD1 was born, I heard sirens for weeks. Was really strange. I had a traumatic birth ending up In a category 1 crash c section so I can only chalk it up to that. I wasn’t taken in an ambulance but they did press the red button and chaos ensued.

When DS2 was born a 'heard' someone say "what a beautiful little girl"
A few times in my room, it made me feel warm and fuzzy like an old lady on Tesco has cooed over him.

It happened 4-5 times, I even once did say "it's a boy!".

I always wondered why I heard that. I never had PND or even a hint of it with any of the kids.
I've no idea what it was but it was years and years ago now and never heard anything since!

I mean, how would you know they’re not there if you see and hear them though.. ?

That's so true!!!