Anyone else freaked out about delivery??

[liz87mk]

Hi, I am due October 30 and this was somewhat of a suprise. It might end up being a Halloween baby. I am happy about being a parent and everything and I am actually starting to enjoy the fact that my baby is inside of me growing but at the same time I am totally freaked out about the delivery. I've never been to the hospital for any injuries. I've never been in any excruciating pain. I just can't imagine myself getting stretched out that big and tearing and all this other horrible stuff I've heard. What if the epidural doesn't work or something goes wrong? I've always had a phobia about pain and going to the hospital. I'm afraid I will show up at the hospital and be so freaked out I can't do anything. Is anyone else this freaked out? Or has anyone else felt like this then had a good delivery experience? I know I'm probably just being silly but I can't help it...

[*Babylon*]

I've always been a wuss when it comes to pain. Never broke a bone or had a severe pain(the most painful thing I had was the removal of my "wisdom tooth") so yes, delivery freaks me out! I've read some truly horror stories and the fear of some serious tearing(or the episiotomy) down there is just too much. When the time comes(end of september), I'll first see how far can I go without the epidural, but once it's too much, I'm sure I'll be begging for it.

[Kerisweetpea]

well i am a big wuss like you guys!!! and i am pregnant with baby #2 so it cant be all that bad! :) but i did have it pretty easy. i will tell you a couple of things about my delivery......
first my water started to leak, i just thought i was peeing myself. then realized i wasnt! :) but i went into the hospital at 11pm and was so scared i could barely walk, and i wasnt having any contractions. i wanted to turn around go home and forget that it was happening! but that wont work! then the lady was signing me in and the door was right there! i really just wanted to run out! but anyway i walked all night still no pain (lucky me) but when my Dr came in at 7am i was 5cm. so he told me to walk some more. he came back at noon and i was at 6cm so he decided to induce to help things along. i got the drugs about 20 after 12 and about 12:30 it felt like my son had just kick the winning goal in a soccer game, and then i started to have contractions every 2minutes and yes it hurt like hell but i wanted to try to go without any drugs and by the time my son came out at 1:14 it felt like 5 minutes went by. i had to have a episiotomy done then i tore a little after wards too! i didnt feel anything the only thing i felt was a little poke from the needle where he numbed me before he cut. it kinda felt like a pinch. not bad at all. and trust me i didnt believe ANYONE when they said the pain will go away as soon as you get your little baby in your arms! its true i dont even remember delivering the placenta! and i dont remember him sewing me back up! but then again i got lucky.
i know its hard not to freak out about it but try not to. its not all that bad and the nurses will be there to help you out and give you all the pain meds you can have! :)
Good luck and let us know how it goes!!!

[giraffes_buddy]

It's funny - with my son, I was terrified - no, make that TERRIFIED - of a vaginal birth for the same reasons. I actually had hoped for a C-section because I thought it might be easier.

This time around, I'm terrified of a C-section. I think I'm figuring out that the fear of the unknown is worse than the pain. Not that I'm discounting the pain by any means, mind you, but Mr. Epidural was my friend the first time 'round.

[lismom2]

You are not silly to be scared of something you've never gone through & have been told horror stories about. Start by reading POSITIVE birth stories. My favorite book this last time around was/is "ina may's guide to a natural childbirth" by ina may gaskin. Whether you decide to go natural or not, this book is a treasure! It descibes the birth process fully, like how your body works during labor & delivery, different techniques, and is FULL of very positive birth stories. It's also worth checking out 'just in case' medication is not possible. Good luck on your delivery & congrats!
ps- pardon typos please, nak

[*Babylon*]

one of my friends has a 1 yr old, and she had a scheduled c-section.. she was relieved that she didn't have a vaginal delivery, she mentioned the biggest mistake she made was watching those birth videos, that were worst than any c rated gore movie. I have graciously avoided watching videos, but I'm still freaked out.

[hlperkins77]

It is SO scary to anticipate delivering your baby since you've never experienced something like that before. My grandma always said "it's called labor for a reason". Doen't you just love old people! :) I've heard that the more in shape you are during your pregnancy, the easier your labor will be. I walked 5 days/week w/ my 1st 2 and had uncomplicated deliveries. Just found out I'm expecting baby 3 and started my walking routine this week! I'm less nervous this time around, I was actually most nervous w/ my 2nd baby. It's worth looking into having a drug-free delivery, yeah the pain is pretty wild but you have NO side effects after delivery. The second both my babies were born, I felt amazing. And I didn't have a cathader (sp?) or an IV nor did I feel sick afterwards. Just educate yourself and forgo listening to peoples horror stories (they tend to like to share them for the response factor). Good luck to you.

[giraffes_buddy]

hehehe - I know what you mean. I think watching those videos might have helped put the fear of a vaginal birth in me. Then again, I got see a lot of pain management strategies in motion on those shows, and that actually helped.

But then I have to stop and think about those videos of c-sections. They're always so calm and easy-going in the videos, but I know from seeing friends how much harder they are to recover from, and those videoes usually don't show that. Nor do they normally show how much easier it is to recover from a vaginal birth. Watch them if you're interested - but have a grain of salt and some logic available.

Either way, birth is a scary time. There's no denying that. But it's also happy, exhilerating, hopeful, and wonderful.

However it happens for you, you'll do fine, *Babylon*. If a big ole' wuss like me can do it, you'll make it through in a breeze. :D

[*Babylon*]

A c-section is something I really don't want unless there is some serious complication, but again, knowing that my hoohoo will be all torn and stitched is not something I'm looking forward to. I don't know about you guys, but mine has been always treated pretty nice :D so stitches, cutting, tearing... urgh...

Although what freaks me out even more than the pain is the fact that because of the language I won't be able to understand what's going on or explain what I'm feeling at any given moment.

[jeadra2010]

I am I never had to have a C section, I am having baby # 5 I cannot wait, I had 3 of them without drugs, I had to have an epidural with # 3 because he was a 9 lbs baby, to me labor is the final step to see the fruit of my labor, a perfect little person you had inside you all these months after it is over all the pain is gone bye bye.

[RLTMommy]

Yes, I was scared of the actual birth part. When it's time you have no choice--that really helps :)! Also, by the end of my pregnancy, I was so huge and heartburny that I was ready.

[Jill_at_StorkRadio]

being afraid of birth makes a lot of sense. all i can say is that it was the MOST Pain i have ever experienced in my life and the hardest thing i have ever gone though but it was so worth it. i would do it all over again. i also have a new sense of pride in my body that i didn't have before - just in that it was able to heal so quickly after the ordeal. i also had back labor, the worst kind so lots of people have much easier experiences but the point is that it is hard, it is okay to be scared, but in the end i think you will have found it all totally worth it!

[redheadedtexan]

I am pregnant with our first and I am a little scared and alot nervous of giving birth. I am not due until January so I have some time to "prepare" for it. What I am and am not looking forward too is getting the epidural. I hate bees and people keep telling me "oh it's like a bee sting." well that just makes it worse. We shall see how things go.

[NoAdditives]

I got very nervous toward the end with my daughter. And then she was almost 2 weeks late and I had to be induced. My fear turned from vague labor worries to concerns of a c-section. It all worked out fine. I got an intrathecal in the nick of time, pushed three times and she was out. Yeah, I had an episiotomy, but none of it was that bad. While I can't say what a natural delivery is like, I came as close as possible before the anesthesiologist arrived with my shot. And the pain wasn't that bad. It wasn't painful like a cut or a broke bone, it was more like a muscle stretching. (If you're not flexible, sit on the floor and stretch out your legs. Lean forward and feel your hamstrings pulling a little. It feels like that.) There aren't as many pain receptors in your muscles and tissues internally, so it's a different kind of feeling.

[RachalAnn]

Ya its a freaky thing but i just keep picturing my labor being easy .... i know that it will hurt but i know the second i see my son it will all be worth it!

[Lindsey73]

Maybe birthing classes would help. I started to go but my pregnancy was complicated and I didn't feel well enough to go back after the first visit. But I got a nice book on labor, delivery, and postpartum that gave me a lot of insight.
My labor was intense once I hit four centimeters. I had an appt at the drs early in the day and when they hooked me up to the monitor my contractions started. I went home and slept for a while, and after I was up for a bit they came every ten minutes a few times then every two minutes! i was hyperventilatng cuz it was like being squeezed inside by an anaconda! I had to wait for a room too, but I got through it, and once I had the epidural the pain was totally gone. I didn't even hardly feel the shot, I was concentrating on not moving cuz I had a contraction while they did the epidural (my fear) , but the nurse helped me through it and the anastesiologist stopped until my contraction was over. I had pre-eclampsia too with a horrific headache, but once on the magnesium i was okay. And the pitocin kicked up the contractions again. But the pressure is intense, it's so hard not to push. I felt all the pressure even with the epidural. I had to hang on to the bedpost cuz my body beared down automatically.
I used the mirror too, and it helped motivate me to push. And keeping a little pressure down there even when I took a break helped him come out faster. I pushed for three hours, but only cuz magnesium slowed things down. I had the worst tearing possible-4th degree, and an episiotomy, and I felt them sew me up and it hurt some, but I was fine. Even the postpartum was mostly uncomfortable, only painful enough for ibuprofen, not the strong stuff.
Sorry just trying to give a lowdown...

[isagri]

well why dont you look into hypno birthing? thats what im going to do, and the whole reason i looked into it was because i saw a video of a woman doing it- and she wasnt screaming or anything... so im preparing myself!!!

[LMonkeyBad11]

Omg I am so scared to give birth I heard it does hurt pushing. I have always been careful. So I'm so scared of the pain and I'm also scared of the epideral.

[Stargazerranch]

Nothing helps against the fear of the unknown better than educating yourself. Start by watching "The Business of Being Born" and other positive birth videos and stories, e.g. "Birth Day".

Read some books that explain exactly what will happen, how your body is built for the birth process and what you can do to help it go smoothly.

If you're not educated about the process, you will completely at the whim of the doctors and nurses at the hospital. YOU need to be able to make the decisions for you and your baby.

Some great books even if you don't decide to go for a natural birth:
Birthing from within
Active Birth
The Birth Partner

Good luck overcoming your fears

[mum2mum]

No, I didn't really freak out. Thanks to the birthing course we attended beforehand. All we learn about watching out for signs of labor, labor positions, breathing techniques and so on we put into good use. The only regret was the hefty sum we paid for the course.

I only discovered that they are Online Birthing Course after I had my kids! The topics covered are just as wide and you can even take the course at your own pace. Find out more at http://www.mumsafari.com/for-mum-to-be. I think it is a good foundation especially for new parents!