the taste of fear? literally..

[mercii]

Not sure if this belongs on this board, but I would appreciate some input.

Has anyone experienced an actual taste in your mouth that you might describe as fear or pain?

I had a pretty normal labor with my 3rd baby but the pain was indescribable and during the worst contractions I tasted a strange, metallic, sterile flavor in my mouth. It somewhat makes me think of blood, but not quite like that either.  I'm experiencing the same flavor during latch-on while breastfeeding (apparently due to my sensitive skin, I have to do the whole cracked nipples/bleeding/blisters first week or two of breastfeeding postpartum.)

This wouldn't be a big deal except that thinking about the flavor (ie: while I type this) gives me flash backs to labor and I start crying uncontrollably.  This is a bit confusing to me, since I know that while the labor was painful, it was a quick five hours from start to finish, there was no hemorrhage like my previous birth, and I had no stitches and am feeling really great physically.

Has anyone experienced something like this? "Tasting fear"? and is there any way to deal with flashbacks? I am so in love with my new little one, it is painful to think that her labor is somehow haunting me even though technically it went so well.

[Yuba_River]

I'm vaguely remembering that adrenalin causes a metallic taste in your mouth, so maybe that is the cause of the taste? Congratulations on your baby and healing wishes to you.


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[ss834]

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I have heard that people who have seizures will often have changes in taste or smell in relation to a seizure. I think taste changes can also be associated with migraines. In both cases, they are called 'auras.'

Smell and taste are very strongly tied to memory. What you are describing doesn't sound as serious as migraines or seizures, but I don't think it is too strange to have this kind of taste change associated with a neurological change (a strong memory, for example). I am not sure what you can do about it.

On the topic of birth, I was very happy with my birth experience in the beginning, yet I'm still haunted by it in a way. I don't really understand why I became so fearful after his birth, because I felt so empowered during the birth. Strangely, the fear and dread seemed to increase as time went on, but over the past year it has subsided a lot. It has kept me from wanting any more children. DS is 4 years old now. 

[olaz-b]

Yes!  I had fast labours and I clearly remember a strange metallic taste in my mouth.  I thought that I was prepared to have a natural birth, but holy cow, it came on so fast that I freaked out.  I mentioned the taste to my midwife the first time and she said that maybe it was the penicillin for GBS.  However, I was GBS negative for my second and didn't have antibiotics, but still had that weird taste.  It was another super fast labour, where I freaked out again, despite thinking that I was prepared, again.  So, yes, I would believe you that fear has a taste.