[becoming]

I had various problems with both of my hospital births, including cephalopelvic disproportion resulting in nearly 2 hours of pushing with my first. This baby's head size is thought to be in the 96th percentile for his gestational age, which is the same as my first son's, so I'm envisioning the same type of problem with this one. Also, with my second, I had a failed epidural that had to be reinserted, and that was a nightmare. (They're painful enough going in the FIRST time!) So I'm getting pretty nervous about this upcoming birth and worried that I'll have a repeat of either or both of those two things.

Also, I don't feel well prepared mentally at all. I have been meaning throughout this whole pregnancy to research various pain management methods to try to avoid getting an epidural, and now that I'm so close and haven't done so, I feel like giving up and just going for the epi. Realistically I know I *could* do it without it, but it seems absolutely impossible when you're in the moment.

I guess this post really has no point, other than getting these things off my chest. If you're getting nervous/worried about the birth, post your anxieties here!

 

[~Demeter~]

My anxiety is I won't know that I'm actually in labor. I've never experienced going into labor on my own so I'm not sure I'll really know until it's too late. We aren't really close to the hospital and I have 3 kids to figure out what I'm going to do with before I get to the hospital.

 

[ahdoula]

I think we all have our own set of fears. My midwives have psyched me up for a fast labor based on my history and I am worried I won't be able to cope if it ends up being long. I also worry about transfering due to unforseen complications. Moslty, I just focus on the postive, do lots of visualization of things going right and tell myself I am just going to go with the flow come time.

 

[BumbleBena]

I'm worried that I won't know *anything* about what's going on. Nic, I understand- I'm afraid I won't know I'm actually in labor (although everyone assures me I will... but how do they know?!), and then what happens if I think my contractions are just gas/false labor, and don't call DH, and go into labor without him?

I'm probably freaking out over nothing, but it is daunting since I've never done this before.

 

[jee'smom]

Lindsay~ I'm not sure if you had an epi with the first, but if you did, then it would make sense that you had trouble pushing the baby out. When you lay flat on your back, it reduces pelvic outlet by 30%. So, maybe if you go "natural" and do position changes, it could help the baby out. Research it and maybe you'll feel more comfortable with your choice to go natural (no drugs), and not feel so scared, knowing it'll help your baby out faster and easier (so maybe it won't take 2 hours again!) Good luck!

 

[trmpetplaya]

I'm worried that my labour will go too quickly...

My labour with dd was very much like my mom's with me (I'm the oldest), minus the epidural and mine was one hour shorter (probably 'cause I didn't have an epidural).

My mom's labour with her second baby, my brother, happened super-fast. Her water broke with no warning and two hours later my brother was born

: We lived *right* next to the hospital (Naval Housing right next to the Naval Hospital) and I think she walked there (5 minute walk). She was so far along by the time she got there that they wouldn't give her an epidural even though she was asking for one.

Thankfully my midwife lives 15 minutes away, but still... I was already 6-7 cm dilated when she got to dd's birth so I can't wait that long this time to call her. I'm worried that I'll call her too late and she'll have maybe 5 minutes before this baby comes out...

love and peace.

 

[Juvysen]

I'm worried that I'm going to go past due to the point where I can't have my homebirth. My mom went 42 weeks w/her first baby (so did I, but I was induced and never actually went into labor) and 44 weeks w/her second (I sooooo hope I don't). I'm also worried I won't know I'm in labor b/c ALL my contractions were pitocin induced... had none other than BH before that.

 

[newmommaamy]

I'm worried becuase I don't know what it will be like. We took Bradly classes, and read a few books, so I don't think I could very much more prepared, but everyone says there is no way to describe what the feeling will be like. I don't really like uncertainty (I know once we have a baby I will just have to get used to it) so just not knowing when it will be, how long it will take, what it will feel like makes me uneasy. The one mantra that keeps me thinking everything is going to be OK is something that my mom said. Women have been giving birth FOREVER, thousands do it everyday, your body was made to do it, it will hurt but you will make it through just fine, then you will have your little baby.

 

[Racecar]

I'm worried that I will go to early to homebirth (which will really kill me since I am SO CLOSE this time--34.5 weeks right now). I'm also concerned that since my last birth was a C-section after PROM and then breech determination that I will be totally unprepared for the sensations of an actual labor and that it will....overwhelm me? I don't know. I am usually...99 percent of the time...more excited than anxious and very confident that my body and baby will know just what to do. But when I release my fears, those are what they are!

 

[jee'smom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trmpetplaya I'm worried that my labour will go too quickly... My labour with dd was very much like my mom's with me (I'm the oldest), minus the epidural and mine was one hour shorter (probably 'cause I didn't have an epidural).

Me too! My first was 5 1/2 hrs. and second 3 1/2 hrs., start to finish. The hospital where I chose to birth this time (b/c my midwife practices there) is a good 1 hr. drive. By the time I realize I'm in labor, and then get SIL and BIL here to watch kids, how am I going to make it to hospital in time? I'm preparing for a home birth, just in case.