Yep, it sounds like you could have could have anxiety. Talk to your doctor about it. For me it started with what you mentioned: getting stressed out a lot, being irritable. Feeling hot and panicky in situations could definitely be a symptom of anxiety. It can be hard to admit you have these feelings. But don't wait to seek advice from a doctor. Sometimes these things can get worse over time if untreated. They might suggest medication or therapy, I don't know if those are things you are open to?

Where it is directly connected to child birth, and the description of the sensations, you will find your way through this, because you've taken the first step, which is writing it out to see what your thoughts are on paper.
Anxiety is natural and when you feel overwhelmed even though outwardly you look calm, your insides are having a field day with your emotions. Get checked out, and stay hydrated. Find a way to calm your focus for a moment, just enough to pause the spiral train of ...arrggh!...to a level you're more comfortable with being around the children.
Best wishes, you are not alone!

Thanks for your help. I am nervous about talking to my doctor about it. I don't want to seem crazy or end up on a ton of medications. I have felt so out of control with my anger and frustration that it's barely controllable. It has came to a point where i knew it was there before but hiding in the background now it's out and there is no hiding it for me. After I had my son I noticed it but didn't pay it much mind, now I have to

To me....you sound anxious, overwhelmed and exhausted.

The short temper, hyper-awareness of bodily sensations, frustration, feeling overwhelmed...that all sounds like anxiety to me.

Post partum is a time that anxiety kicks in quite frequently and that is normal. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with you. It just means that you are under a lot of stress with the new baby and the change in your identity and day to day life. Its a HUGE adjustment and even the most "normal" of people have negative reactions to it. But if you are a very sensitive person, as most of the people on this board are, then it is likely that you will have a more exaggerated reaction to the stress.

Anxiety is a sign. Your brain and subconscious are trying to give you a wake up call and get you to slow down your life and take better care of yourself.

Slow down your life and show your brain and mind some calmness, and this will get better. And don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about it. Post partum anxiety is VERY VERY common. I used to have the fear of getting postpartum psychosis and that I might "snap" and do something to harm my baby and even THAT fear is super common and not "crazy" at all. Its just an exhausted mind reacting to stress.

Forgot to say there is a great Twitter presence that deals with post partum anxiety. Twitter has a great anxiety presence in general...tons of support there....but for post partum anxiety as well.

sounds definitely like you have something. And you probably need to get it checked out before you give your kids only memories of stressy-mum who is never any fun and who half the time is a strung out wreck. I speak from bitter experience when I say this.

I wish I had got help when my kids were under 10, instead of in their teens. It took me a long time to resolve, five years. in those years my children have finished growing up and my son never calls.

So go see someone now, get some counselling to uncover the issues or causes. A brief period of medication might help. I'm coming out of a 2 year stint of medication which helped after the nervous breakdown i had because for 20 years of my adult life I didn't think there was anything wrong with me... lol. Anyway the medication's great. you learn how other people get to live. No wonder their lives are so easy. it's a feckin breeze living without all that stress!

Thanks everyone. I do need to clarify about the post partum portion my son is 7 so it all started back after I had him. It can't be classified as post partum now I guess but I do feel that it has evolved. Is that possible? Could something i didn't handle when it wasn't so bad could evolve so largely?

Go for treatment, and know that it can have a separate classification for post partum since that is when you are noticing changes.

Best wishes!

I think it is a post partum thing, or was for me. I had to grow up, I had to take responsibility, I had an absolute child of a husband who couldn't be trusted not to drown the kids at the pools (literally, he was that switched out.) So I was hyper responsible, I 'balanced' the scales as it were. It locked me into a nightmare.

Mideyebrow has said somewhere else that to change your own responses to situations can change the dynamics of them and lead to new exciting outcomes. This is sooo true.

So definitely go talk to someone and just investigate where it's coming from, and how you can maybe alter this or that little thing that will have a flow-on effect and release you from the stress.

Thank you, Bridgie, for that reminder. Yes, once we change our responses to fit our well-being, the usual response from others no longer fit, and that changes the situation.

Here's to healing. Good to know that all of us are looking out for each other together!