Mister Pip - wish I hadn't read it the day I gave birth

[jaz2]

Do you think you would have been deeply upset by this book if you had read the last few chapters (including the one where the mother is killed) the day you gave birth?

Stupidly I wanted to read something to pass the time in hospital, and didn't realise what was coming...I finished the book at 11am (after being induced!) and gave birth to my daughter (DC2) at 4am.

It haunts me now, and I'm really quite upset by it. But maybe I'm over-reacting? I was so sickened by events in the story that I can't bear to talk to anyone about it.

Was this recently jaz2? I don't think it's unusual to feel very emotional about the events surrounding your baby's birth - and you did read the book during labour. I don't mean that to sound glib - after I had DS, I felt hugely emotional about the hospital for a while afterwards and, in my case, not in a bad way - but in a slightly disproportionate way! So, no, I don't think you are over-reacting.

Your hormones and emotions will have been on high alert and you read an unpleasant book, so it's not surprising that it's stayed with you. But I do think you need to try and seperate it from your birth experience itself. Easier said than done, I know, but can you talk to your DH/DP about it? Sometimes just saying things out loud can help to break the spell a bit IYSWIM.

Hope this makes some sense, it's early and I haven't had any tea yet..

Glad you don't think I was over-reacting. My daughter was born 10 weeks ago. I am absolutely content about the treatment I received at the hospital - it was fantastic. The birth was a little bit stressful - but I got what I wanted - a healthy baby.

I'm a bit of a wuss about violent films / books - and try to avoid them - I just wish I had avoided this one. It's the mother/daughter bond that gets me - it's very different to having a boy (DC1).

I suppose I'm so horrified by what I read that I can't voice it, even to DH. I suppose I could try to explain it to a good friend, but when we're all juggling terrible twos and babies it's a bit fraught for anyone to pay a serious subject adequate time.

Thanks for warning me off it! Am impressed that you were self-possessed enough to read during labour. I tried, but was too excited and distracted at first, and too in pain later on... Couldn't even concentrate on The Archers omnibus, and I'd missed it that week, too...

I saw Pan's Labyrinth while pregnant and it was bloody horrible. Really stupid idea of mine.

I found it a very upsetting distressing story and had to read some chick lit romantic bollox afterwards just to get my mind off it.

MamaH: you missed The Archers omnibus - the pain must have been bad - I wouldn't do labour on a Sunday morning for that reason . I would avoid the book if you are of a sensitive nature.

OverMy: Glad I'm not the only one who found it upsetting. I may find some chicklit to take my mind off it - tho when I'll read it and how I'll hide it from DH I'm not sure!

I started to read The Blind Assassin by Margaret Attwood when I was newly pregnant some years back, and feeling pretty sick. To this day I cannot look at the book, even the colour of its cover, without feeling queasy.
And I still have never managed to finish it!

I read The Fat Wives Club... Its a non-fiction read and I enjoyed it very much until the end... I was a howling mess. I walked outside to my husband who was working on the car and told him what was wrong.. he said later that he tried hard not to laugh at me... but walked me in sat me down and made me a cuppa while I blabbered to him. It's not stressful or ugly, its real but I think what tug at the old heartstrings was the fact that I was about to me a first time mum and would hate to have happen to me like at the end.