How my second pregnancy made me realise I have PTSD from the first one
- After a very difficult first pregnancy, with complications resulting in the loss of two of three triplets, Stacey Skrysak was shocked to become pregnant again
- Almost overcome by fear and anxiety, she realised she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder
As the nurses slowly wheeled my bed down the hospital hallway, I felt the anxiety kick in. By the time I entered the operating room my heart was racing, tears streamed down my face.
Six years ago I had been in the same room, in the same hospital, having the same operation.
Now, six years later, I wondered what might happen to my unborn child. The bright lights and sterile setting brought back so many unwanted memories. It was at this moment I realised: I have post-traumatic stress disorder.
Pregnancy wasn’t easy. Years of infertility gave way to in vitro fertilisation and eventually the shock of expecting triplets, two identical girls and a boy. It was considered a high-risk pregnancy, so a team of doctors was watching me closely. I loved being pregnant; the glow of nurturing three babies within my womb suffused me as I grew bigger.
But at 18 weeks, complications set in. I came close to delivering my triplets that day. An emergency procedure to stitch my cervix saved my children, but just two weeks later my water broke. My husband and I remained positive. Yet at 22 weeks, I went into labour.