'quick' dissociation after a traumatic event in adulthood?

Hi all. I didn't know how to word the title, but nevermind that.
Today I was reminded of something that happened to me after I had given birth to my child, and it crossed my mind that perhaps it had something to do with dissociation. By the way I'm not familiar with the English terminology relating to this topic, so please correct me if I make funny mistakes .

It was a difficult childbirth, and physically more painful that I could have ever imagined. Also, there was major concern for the baby's health, but all in all, the labour pain was way worse, and apparently they couldn't relieve it in the best possible way etc. My baby was fine immediately after she came to this world, but it was necessary that they monitored her for several days afterwards at the newborn intensive care unit. So they had to separate us after the first few minutes when I got to hold her , and it wasn't possible for me to sleep next to her for the following nights, which was very hard for me. To my great surprise this rather peculiar thing happened when I closed my eyes the first night in the hospital bed: I immediately moved into a different state of consciousness where I wasn't only near my brave little daughter, but I felt that we shared the same body and had the same physical limits. It calmed me down and I felt certain that she feels me close to her. Of course I can't know whether or not she felt that way for sure. I was able to sleep relatively well considering the circumstances (and I was really worn-out of the labour, couldn't walk without assistance the following day), and every time I woke up I sensed the two of us 'together'. Only when I woke up in the morning and opened my eyes it stopped. But the same thing happened on the second and third nights also, after that it has never happened again.
Did I split somehow because of the horrible pain I went through, or did I make this alter to help me get through the separation for the first three nights? I was able to visit and hold my baby in the daytime and her dad was there almost all the time. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Under Ice,

I may be the only one on here who might suggest this, but when I read your story, I actually thought it was beautiful, and that possibly the connection and "one-ness" you felt with your baby was real rather than dissociation. Although I don't have my own kids, I've cared for kids (and babies) for most of my life and know how close a bond can be between a mother and her child. Like I said, other people may have other opinions, but the thought that came to mind for me when I read your story was, "how beautiful." Of course there is no real way of knowing for sure, but it would be nice to think that your love and desire to be close to your baby actually brought the two of you close in your minds, even though your bodies were apart. I do believe that unexplained, spiritual experiences can happen that aren't necessarily a result of trauma or dissociation, and maybe this is the sort of thing that happened to you...?

Thanks brandic. I don't know, but the feeling when I moved my hand and at the same time felt that she was moving her hand and everything else was somewhat similar to what I've felt when R is around, and this actually made me think of the whole experience in the perspective of dissociation. I never thought about those two experiences together before today.

By the way, when I said that labour pain was much worse I didn't mean like it was worse considering everything. It was more overwhelming at the moment for me, we already knew that the baby perhaps will have some difficulties beforehand.

To me, it sounds like your attachment system was in overdrive. Years before I had any idea of my DID I had similar intense experiences of being with my babies when they were newborns and out of my presence. I feel this also in connection with the man my Alter 1 is in love with, and also with my alters now that I am aware of them. I participate also in a support group for infatuation, where many singletons report what seems to be the same experience of somehow being with another who is not there. So I think that although we multiples have this experience in connection with our DID, it does not arise from our dissociation; it is attachment.

In the wonderful book A General Theory of Love this experience is attributed to the activation of limbic attractors.

Congratulations on having achieved a very healthy attachment to your baby despite the inhospitable hospital circumstances of her birth.

Una, thanks . Yeah, what you said makes sense.