Hey Mamas 
So I'm due to have my first this May and for the most part I'm very excited but I keep having these little episodes of "Freaking Out" where I Google incessantly about 'prolapsed cords' 'breech birth', 'shoulder dystocia', etc.... and sometimes I get so worried I just start crying. (hopefully thats just the hormones).
I'm just worried that something bad could happen to my little guy during birth. I've had two early miscarriages and it's made me very paranoid. I'm also giving birth at home because I feel it's a better environment for me, and while I believe it is as safe as a hospital I think I also feel pressure from family members that if something were to go wrong I'd be the one to blame- whereas if I had a hospital birth no one would think it was my fault. Does that make sense?
Â
Anyramble, does anyone have any advice or even book suggestions on dealing with fear at labor? I've read Ina May's book and another one called Natural Birth Choices and those were great. It's funny cuz they talk about the mental aspect of birth and how an emotional block can inhibit labor and then I start worrying that I'll be worrying too much! lol
I think addressing specific fears can be really helpful. For example, find out how to deal with a cord prolapse until you can transport, how to deal with shoulder dystocia, how to safely birth a breech baby. Your midwife (hopefully!) knows these things already and can share her knowledge with you, and there are great resources online too. Ina May is good. I also liked Heart and Hands, which is for both midwives and parents and goes into detail about both healthy pregnancy and things that can go wrong, as well as how to address them. You can prevent/deal with/recognize many complications all by yourself if you have to. Knowledge is power.
