Traumatic feelings around medical things due to IVF

[Anonymous]

This is partially a spin-off of another poster's comment about feeling a bit violated by the regular vaginal ultrasounds. Something about that resonated with me.

I'm multiple tries into IVF, including a complicated miscarriage, and I'm finding I'm becoming unusually unsettled or anxious in medical settings. For example, I went to a new dentist and had a threatened feeling while I was in the chair and he was working on my teeth. Same thing with another non-IVF medical procedure. And even some of my IVF procedures lately, I've felt a sense of trauma or unease.

Has anyone else had this develop?

[Anonymous]

I don't have the same trauma associated with medical things but I do have some related to my child's birth, etc. It helped to talk to a counselor.

[Anonymous]

I didn't have IVF, but still I hate vaginal exams with a passion.

I also had a thyroid crisis, and now things have stabilized, I have terrible anxiety anytime my heart beats too fast, because that was the major symptom that led me into the ER and caused complications.

[Anonymous]

Post-partum I had a lot of unease -- maybe anxiety? -- related to medical care. I had invasive fertility treatments, a very medicalized pregnancy, and then was pressured to have a non-emergency c-section. I did my 6-week check-up and then didn't see a doctor again (for myself) for at least a couple years. I didn't want anyone touching me or examining me. I felt so violated.

The feelings eventually went away on their own.