[JennyOJenny]

I was just wondering if any other birthparents had nightmares the first few nights after being separated from your child? (after you went home from the hospital alone)?

I had very vivid nightmares every night for the first 4 nights when I got home from the hospital

[bromanchik]

I had nightmares the first 3 years.

[SchmennaLeigh]

Yep. I had nightmares that I left her places. In fact, one of the most vivid nightmares I've EVER had was after my son was born (and then was walking) and in my dream, I lost HIM. I searched and searched and searched and searched.

When I finally found him?

He was playing with my placed daughter.

No, no underlying trauma there at ALL.

[quantum]

I'm having nightmares now! 22 years later... after reunion!
Ah well.

I did have a lot of nightmares right afterwards, but I'd also been in a bad car accident about a month before the birth so I blamed them on that at the time.

[josh1788smom]

Oh yeah - I remember nightmares.

[taramayrn]

Yes I had many years of nightmares and every so often now I will have one. The big one was that I was babysitting him and someone stole him or he got lost and I couldn't find him. Another one I had in the first months after he was born was the "phantom baby" crying....

[Rifilanna]

I woke up screaming every night for eleven years, I don't know what I dreamt all, but when I woke I would, for a moment think I was still at the end of my pregnancy. After D's parents found me (at her request, uh, outright insistance) I could sleep through the night. I still get nightmares from time to time though.

[lahdh4]

I still have nightmares. Here it is almost 3 1/2 years later and I will still on occasion have a nightmare to the point of waking me up. I honestly don't remember them but I know that they were nightmares just because I was afraid to fall back to sleep.

[keds]

I too had nightmares. Almost every night after placement for about 3 months and then a few times a week for many years. I've had 4 miscarriages since placing and 2 beautiful daughters since and I continued with nightmares, panic attacks, etc. up until the girls were in their teens. Not sure that I actually related it back to relinquishment but those in my support group made the connection. I am in reunion now and haven't had nightmares in years about placement but I keep dreaming he has come to some harm, car accident or the like - connection, I think so!

[belleinblue1978]

Three and a half years later and I still have the occasional nightmare. The worst though were when he was tiny and I would wake up from dreaming I was breastfeeding and could literally feel him in my arms.

[OhSerena]

Yes, I had nightmares for quite awhile. I still have them sometimes. Mostly they involve me seeing my daughter and the family and trying to speak to them, but no sound comes out. It is very upsetting. Even after 6 years...I think the nightmares don't ever go away, hon.

[thanksgivingmom]

My recurring nightmare is of me hanging out somewhere and D (A's amom) walks by carrying her, but I can't see her face and I run and chase after her but can never get to her and see her no matter how fast I run...

hm...wonder what that one means! haha

They come every now and then...

[krystabelle]

I had dreams that were bothersome before I gave birth while considering adoption. One I journaled about afterwards because it was so strange.

After her birth I have had nightmares. They're not frequent, but still disturbing. I try to forget them. In the last one I had a miscarriage.