Anxiety about childbirth tips

[Devondoll]

I had an emergency c section as baby was stuck. I hardly remember it, but I asked them to take the sheet down so I could watch and they said no the one bit I remember is after baby was out, they had to do something and said 'it will feel like we're washing dishes in your stomach' and it did! So bizarre. Wasnt traumatic though and I wasnt scared. I just struggled afterwards, getting up to walk around etc. I believe a planned section is much calmer from what I've been told. Good luck xx

 

[Jelly Bean]

So I’m actually having a planned c section tomorrow, does anyone have any experience of this? I keep feeling a mixture of excitement and absolute nervousness and keep crying. I think it’s the waiting that’s awful!

Ooh good luck!
It will all be fine and you'll have a lovely baby today!
Very many congratulations in advance. x

 

[Ladyloulou35]

I think all women are scared, you are given a date and you know on that day you will have the worst pain ever! As soon as my due date had gone, literally the next day I realised that the baby was going to have to come out and the more relaxed I was the easier it was going to be. For me it was a lot of mind over matter, I went in had a two hour labour then he popped out, no drugs no nothing , it was like have a massive poo, I realise I was lucky as I know some women have a really hard time, but thinking positive will have a massive effect I think. I have to add that although I had a great birth I had nine months of hell, I was lighter the day I gave birth than the day I got pregnant, I was so sick, often in hospital on a drip, so I feel I had earned my easy labour lol.

 

[Unknown1]

So I’m actually having a planned c section tomorrow, does anyone have any experience of this? I keep feeling a mixture of excitement and absolute nervousness and keep crying. I think it’s the waiting that’s awful!

Congratulations! Mine was kind of planned, I had a failed induction so after two days I asked for a c section. The waiting was fine for me more a feeling of excitement, it became very real when they read the risks out. Because it was planned it was very relaxed, the radio was on and everyone was very friendly.

Make sure to keep on top of your pain relief, get moving and stand up as straight as you can as soon as possible. The only thing I’d ask for next time is anti sickness medication before hand as the morphine made me vomit for 24 hours.

 

[Scvee13]

A friend recently used pregnancy yoga and hypnobirthing to prepare and said all was well. I had my daughter 16 years ago and decided one labour was enough for my lifetime.

 

[TriviaNewtonJohn]

The second series of The Dream podcast is about wellness and I've just listened to a brilliant episode about childbirth saying about how choice has got a bit out of hand and confusing. I thought it was really interesting.

 

[Devondoll]

I'm currently expecting my third baby. My first birth was an emergency c section as baby was stuck. Second was natural with no pain relief at all and I literally pushed for 10 minutes. I was 8 days overdue with my second and I'm convinced it went so smoothly due to him being ready. I'm under the consultant again due to my previous c section and have the option to be induced this time but wont be. I feel it'll go smoother if baby is allowed to come when ready. I had a bath both labours as I wasnt allowed in the birthing pool first time and there wasnt enough time the second time round and for me it numbed the pain entirely.

 

[clt1992]

So I’m actually having a planned c section tomorrow, does anyone have any experience of this? I keep feeling a mixture of excitement and absolute nervousness and keep crying. I think it’s the waiting that’s awful!

 

[clt1992]

Thank you everyone!
Its the not knowing when the babys going to come that is making me anxious too as I really don’t want to go overdue, obviously I know they come when they’re ready!

 

[DevaVictrix]

I’ve just reached my third trimester and I’m so excited I only have a few weeks left to meet my baby.

However, it’s just hitting me the reality that I am going to have to get through labour first. Any tips on how to stay calm?

this literally could be written about me. I had my first baby back in October, had no idea about labour at all (no big sisters etc). Mine literally could not have been worse, it was truly horrific and I thought at one point this was actually how I was going to die. I was 12 days overdue and their induced labour did not go to plan, it sent my baby’s heart rate soaring. They had to cancel it 6 hours in and just try to break my waters themselves, but couldn’t reach my cervix. The doctor couldn’t do it and he actually said “I’m going to stop because I don’t want to traumatise you.” He wanted to get an anaesthetist in to give me a spine block “so he could do it without me feeling”. Long story short, there was an emergency somewhere, and the anaesthetist “wouldn’t be back for a few hours”, so a senior midwife insisted she could reach my cervix. Well that was literally the most traumatic experience of my life, and even through all the drugs and gas I remember staring at the ceiling and SCREAMING for my life. In the end I got a spine block and a few hours later my baby girl was born. The whole way through my pregnancy, all I was told was “you don’t want an epidural.” Flip me...the dang epidural was the only good part of the whole 12 hours. My advice to you....feel confident to ask for an epidural if you feel you want / need one. There really is no medal at the end of it for getting by without any pain relief.
I don’t mean to scare you by writing all this. I just wanted to share my experience, because to be quite honest, I was not mentally prepared for the experience of labour, no one was honest enough to tell me about how awful it could be. I’m not saying your birth experience will be horrendous, you could well be totally fine and sail through it. Obviously your baby will make it all worth it in the end. But my experience was so bad I could never ever ever have a ‘push labour’ again. If I get pregnant again, I will have to fight for a C-section.
I wish you all the best, and just remember, epidurals can be total life-savers.

 

[runningmom2019]

Hypnobirthing/gentlebirth for sure. You do NOT have to be stressed about labor. It literally changed my whole pregnancy. You have nothing to lose by learning some of these techniques and they help a LOT after your baby is here too (that's when the real stress starts!) I used the gentlebirth app and found I was able to manage really well. It teaches you mediation too and that really helps with anxiety. Then you do your hypnobirthing at night going to sleep to stop your mind racing.

Breathing and moving around helps - don't let nurses put you in bed or it'll make your anxiety and pain worse.

This is a good blog about breathing in labor as it can be confusing with all the different techniques.

Confused about Hypnobirthing Breathing for Labor? - Hypnobirthing Breathing Techniques — GentleBirth

Confused about Hypnobirthing Breathing for Labor? It’s one of the top worries parents have as the due date gets closer - concerns about how to breathe properly and doing it ‘right’. And there’s there’s no shortage of YouTube experts sharing their ‘technique’ as the most effective (and how do you

blog.gentlebirth.com

I got a tens machine and that was a great way to stop back pain.

The TENS Machine - A Tiny Gadget with a Big Impact on Labor — GentleBirth

I’m always surprised when I meet parents who haven’t heard about the tiny but mighty TENS machine for labor and birth. I just assume that everyone has heard about this brilliant little gadget but it’s slowly gaining popularity in the US as a comfort measure and a tool for shortening labor.

blog.gentlebirth.com

I loved the bath too - they call it the midwife's epidural and make the surges a lot more manageable. Write birth preferences about what you want or don't want if things are going well.

You can do this!

 

[Doingitforthegram]

Positive birth company hypnobirthing for sure!

 

[Suzesnooze]

Hi everyone thanks for all the advice, the section was really successful and not half as bad as I thought it would be, in fact it was absolutely fine!

Congratulations!