Can i really do it..?

Question

i am due to give birth in january, just over 4 months away and i am really starting to sh*t myself !! this is my first baby and have been told things by family members and friends about birth but i have no idea what to expect! seriously, how am i going to cope with the pain? any advice or ideas in coping with labour? thanks

Answer 1

ask ur doc for drugs to not feel the pain. it works.

Answer 2

First of all congratulations!!  You can always enrole your self into a class, that'll always put your mind at ease as it prepares you and guides you through the whole birth.  Then if you're still a little paniced closer to you due date you can opt for pain relief.  But there are many many ways of birthing.

There's the birthing pool, which is a very relaxing way, it takes the preasure off your back so the contractions aren't as extreme (they're not bad I promise). You can chose to have the baby in the pool or opt to get out and birth in bed when you're ready to deliver.

Active Labour (I did this with number two, with nooo problem).  Once labour begins, keep active, stay calm and just potter about a bit. A little walking around the house, check your hospital bag etc. It makes the labour go much quicker and the baby moves down in the birthing cannal much faster as you're not sitting and so you're not causing any preasure. (My daughter was born very quickly this way, by the time I got to the delivery room her head was crowning!)

Proops - There's a load of proops you can use, that can aid you much more comfortably than being confined to a bed.  There's the birthing stool and the ball, where you can position your self to let gravity help.

Though it's easier said than done, don't worry, you're body will cope with the labour and though there's nothing in the world that'll prepare you, you'll do brilliantly, when the time comes you're main concern will be the excitement of meeting your new baby, not the discomfort you're in.  Think it through carefully your choice of birth, you don't want to look back and regret it. I had an epidural with my first and delivered naturally with my daughter, and I hate to say it but I regret taking the easy way out with the epidural.  Good luck!

Answer 3

Im 2 weeks away from my first baby! I guess Im not completely free from anxiety, but Ive had a reeeeealllly hard pregnancy so I figure if I can survive this, I can survive birth. One moment at a time.

A good quote I read is: "Birth is hard, it hurts, and you can do it"

Our bodies are designed for this. Sometimes things go wrong but it is noooo use focusing on what can happen. What has really helped me is equipping myself with knowledge. When my family tells their horror stories I think "How inconsiderate to tell me that - well at least I know Im doing everything I can to avoid being butchered like that" and my mind is full of thoughts like "hmm that forceps delivery could have been avoided by..." I don't open my gob and tell them like that though. I just rest as well assured as I can be.

Ive read over 40 books but I would sincerely recommend reading "birthing from within" seriously I dont often recommend something like this - but it was a GREAT book. It focuses on preparing you physically, mentally and emotionally for the 'rite of passage' of birth. Rather than just medical knowledge.

See if you can get it at your library (maybe they can order it for you) if you can't afford it.

Also if closer to the date you get your husband to stretch your perineum with oil this will give you some idea of what to expect and lessen your fear. You can try to use coping techniques like breathing or vocalising "ahhhh" or "hmmmMMMMmm" to get through the stretch. It can also help reduce or prevent tearing BONUS!

Check out the link below for birthing from within