Overcome Your Anxiety About Labor And Delivery

I would think it is pretty normal to have some anxiety about labor delivery.

I mean it is pretty easy to put the baby in, but the baby coming out is completely different.

We as women are very well aware of what we look like down there and on the outside and it just doesn’t look like it it’s made for a baby to come out of there.

Which will often lead many women to have a fear of childbirth.

And I can’t blame them.

When I became a mom for the first time and experienced giving birth for the first time, I was scared too because I just did not know what to expect.

I knew that my baby had to come out and the only way out was the way she came in unless I opted to have a C-section.

Women have been giving birth since the beginning of time including my own mother so I knew that it was doable and that I, too, can do this.

But it is still scary when you really think it.

Even though this is my second time around, I was still nervous because each birth is unique and anything can happen during childbirth.

It is normal to to be scared of childbirth, but you can overcome that fear.

With the birth of my second baby, I noticed that I did not have as much anxiety around labor and delivery because I had already experienced what it was like giving birth and found ways to keep it at bay.

And of course, I want to share with you all how I handled that anxiety.

Here is how you can overcome your anxiety about labor and delivery.

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Common Labor & Delivery Fears

Before I get into how to overcome labor and delivery anxiety, let’s talk about why childbirth is scary, to begin with.

How Bad It Will Hurt To Give Birth

I’m pretty sure the most common labor and delivery fear there is how bad it will hurt to give birth and the reason that is because that is what you hear most women say.

Now don’t get me wrong, it does hurts to give birth.

But your pain is going to be based on your pain tolerance and whether you choose to have a medicated birth or not.

There are methods that you can choose that will lessen the pain and make it more bearable and there is nothing wrong with choosing that route.

The one thing I can tell you about the pain of childbirth is that it only lasts up until you give birth.

You will actually feel relief pushing the baby out and once the baby is all the way out, the intense pain that you felt with each contraction will go away.

Getting An Epidural

Another common fear that I hear about is getting epidural.

A lot of people describe the needle as this long and scary-looking thing and may even complain about how painful it is to get it.

There even people who said that they got it and it did not work.

As someone who has gotten an epidural twice now, it felt like a pinch when I got it and I felt like it worked for the most part.

Since the needle goes into your back, I choose to not look at it so I have no idea what the needle looks like and my husband stood in front of me and choose not to look either.

Having A C-Section

So this was actual a fear of mine with this baby because there were moments during the last month that my baby was breeched.

I had given birth to my daughter vaginally and wanted to do the same with this baby.

My doctor knew that I did not want a C-section, but I had to consider it since my baby was breeched.

Having a C-section isn’t the end of the world and if it meant getting both the baby and me through labor safely, then I would do it.

But it was still not something that I wanted and I wanted it to be the absolute last option

Dying During Childbirth

So this was my other fear because this is a scary reality for many families.

Already having a child that needs me, this hit me hard because even though I am expanding our family and giving her a sibling, I need to make it out of this too.

Although this is rare and according to The Bump, happens about 11 deaths per 100,000 births, it is still a very real fear of mine.

Pooping While Giving Birth

So I thought this fear was hilarious, but some women are scared that that they will poop while giving birth.

If you are worried about pooping while giving birth, it is likely because you think it will be embarrassing and you don’t want the other people in the room to see it.

Well, I can tell you this….no one cares if you poop.

Even your husband.

There is a lot more going down there that a little poop is nothing and the doctors clean it up so fast that you wouldn’t even know if you did it.

Overcoming Your Anxiety About Labor And Delivery

Now that we have discussed some of the common labor and delivery fears, let’s get into how you can overcome those fears.

Have A Plan

I had mentioned above that part of the reason I was scared as a first-time mom was because I did not know what to expect.

Well having a birth plan at least takes some of the fear of the unknown out of it because you are going in there with somewhat of a plan.

I told my doctor that I preferred to go into labor spontaneously and that I would consider induction at 41 weeks if I went over my due date.

I also stated that I did not want an epidural unless I asked for it and that I would be breastfeeding so I did not want my baby to have formula unless it was necessary.

I had went over all of this with my doctor before I went into labor, so she knew what I was wanting.

I encourage all women to have some sort of birth plan going into labor.

Steer Clear Of Negative Birth Stories

My next tip in overcoming anxiety about labor and delivery is to steer clear of those negative birth stories.

Everyone’s story about childbirth is different and their story is valid especially if they did not have the best child birth experience.

But the last thing anyone wants to hear before going into labor is how bad another person’s experience was.

You are already nervous and this would just make you even more nervous if you are being told that this happened to them and that they would never give birth again.

Just because someone experienced one thing while giving birth doesn’t mean that you will.

If you are wanting to have a positive birth experience, it is best to steer clear of negative birth stories

Take Care Of Yourself

If you all have been following along on the blog, then you all know that I made it a point to take on some healthier habits this pregnancy.

And I personally think that helped eased any anxiety I had about childbirth.

It is something about taking care of yourself and trying to do the right thing during pregnancy that hopefully, all of it will benefit you when it comes time to give birth.

Practice Breathing Exercises

Breathing will be your best friend while you are laboring.

This is why it is important that you learn some relaxation practices that allow you to relax your mind and focus on your breathing.

With each breath, you will be able to get through each contraction.

Keep A Journal Of Your Thoughts And Feelings

So this tip is from Belly Belly and I thought it was a great idea as well.

For some individuals who have an extreme fear of childbirth, you might consider therapy and one of the things that a therapist might recommend is to keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings.

By keeping a journal, you can work through those feelings and keep track of your thoughts.

And not only does having a journal allow you to track what you are feeling, but you can also use this to discuss with your OB to help make a plan like mentioned above.

Focus On The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Lastly, focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.

Which will be you getting to hold your sweet baby in your arms.

All the fear and anxiety about labor and delivery that you had will disappear and you will be filled with joy and awe at what your body can do.

After being pregnant for nearly a year, enduring painful contractions, and what may feel like endless pushing, you will finally get to meet the little person you have been creating.

And you will realize then that it was all worth it.

Your Turn

Now that I have given you all my tips on how to overcome your anxiety about labor and delivery, I want to hear from you all now. What do you all do to cope with your fears of childbirth? Let me know in the comments below and while you are still here, check out my previous post below. Until next time!

• Read More: Remaining Encouraged When You Are Overdue In Pregnancy

Love,

Just Jass