I wouldn't have considered myself claustrophobic before. If I had to hide in a closet or ride an elevator 30 floors, it was fine. Now? Now the mere thought of doing those things makes me panic.
I first noticed something was weird when I was on the subway and the emergency brake went off in the tunnel, so we were stuck there for about 15 minutes. There were other people on the train, including my husband. There was no reason to fear for my life or anything but just knowing that we were underground with no real escape sent me silently panicking for at least 5 minutes.
Anytime I have to ride an elevator, I'm filled with extreme dread. It happens mainly when I'm riding alone...but also with people. Last week, I was in a packed elevator of about 15 people at the American Museum of Natural History, standing in the back, and as soon as the doors closed I immediately started thinking it was going to get stuck and there'd be hardly any room to move and I'd suffocate. I nearly lost it. Once, the elevator doors took a little too long to open and I started panicking.
Usually as long as I can see the outside world, I'm fine. But I did have a bad moment when I was in the 3rd row of an SUV going to the hospital with my doula client a couple days ago. I couldn't roll the windows down in the back and the a/c wasn't on. It was getting incredibly stuffy and I was basically trapped back there – there was no gap to move up to another row. I was seriously considering climbing over the seat into the row my laboring client was in while the car was moving just so I could roll down a window. I finally just asked in a panicked voice for some air.
Anyone else relate to this?? I know this weirdness is pregnancy-related but I don't know why. How I wish I was back in Denver, driving a car with windows I could control, rarely riding elevators.
I first noticed something was weird when I was on the subway and the emergency brake went off in the tunnel, so we were stuck there for about 15 minutes. There were other people on the train, including my husband. There was no reason to fear for my life or anything but just knowing that we were underground with no real escape sent me silently panicking for at least 5 minutes.
Anytime I have to ride an elevator, I'm filled with extreme dread. It happens mainly when I'm riding alone...but also with people. Last week, I was in a packed elevator of about 15 people at the American Museum of Natural History, standing in the back, and as soon as the doors closed I immediately started thinking it was going to get stuck and there'd be hardly any room to move and I'd suffocate. I nearly lost it. Once, the elevator doors took a little too long to open and I started panicking.
Usually as long as I can see the outside world, I'm fine. But I did have a bad moment when I was in the 3rd row of an SUV going to the hospital with my doula client a couple days ago. I couldn't roll the windows down in the back and the a/c wasn't on. It was getting incredibly stuffy and I was basically trapped back there – there was no gap to move up to another row. I was seriously considering climbing over the seat into the row my laboring client was in while the car was moving just so I could roll down a window. I finally just asked in a panicked voice for some air.
Anyone else relate to this?? I know this weirdness is pregnancy-related but I don't know why. How I wish I was back in Denver, driving a car with windows I could control, rarely riding elevators.
. Having the enormous responsibility of caring for and protecting your unborn probably has all kinds of effects on us mommas that we are usually unaware of.
This really cracked me up! 
I just have this image of someone rolling down the stairs, targeting civilians. Kind of like a messed up paperboy, but using his massive rolling self to take people out!
