Hi.I am 31 wks pregnant with my 2nd child,I had my 1st (a wee boy) 6yrs ago when i was 17..i'm now 23!?

Question

I know this might sound abit silly but i am so so scared and nervous about labour,I have just 9wks 2go and every day that passes i'm gettin more nervous! I wasnt that bothered about it 6yrs ago bcus i knew nothin much about it..now i know wot i'm in for and i knw that its rare but giving birth can b dangerous! I dnt want 2 have an epidural or anythng like that bcus i want 2have my baby and go home asap..i dnt wanna have 2b stayin in hospital as i have a thng about them! Its not the pain as such i'm worried about its more a matter of the dangers..i knw thats so negative me thnkn thngs like that but i cant help it,my boyf thnks i'm bein silly and just tells me 2wise up but he has no idea how scared i am.I'm excited about havn my baby but the fear seems 2 b takin over the excitment! Any1 any useful advice? Thanks..emma.x.

Answer 1

If it makes you feel any better, the first birth is 95% of the time the worst birth.

Answer 2

you really have nothing to worry about, im 33weeks on friday with my 3rd and i found i was quite nervous with my 2nd about giving birth but it is so much easier for most people and quicker the second time and so on. i can see where your coming from though because im alittle like it this time and its my 3rd, i think its because i had 2 girls first and now having a boy and its been so much different carrying a boy for me,good luck xx

Answer 3

a wee boy?? what's a wee boy?

Answer 4

I got that way the closer I got too, but the baby has to come out somehow.  I ended up doing the epidural thing for my first and not for my second.  It was much easier the second time around.  You will just have to be positive because you are going to have to go there no matter what.  Just enjoy it, yes things can go wrong but you'll just have to look past that and think ... I get to FINALLY see my baby.

Answer 5

Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your second child.  I had all three of mine w/o any drugs.  It is not easy, but if you have your mind in the right place you can get thru it.  If you believe in a higher power,,turn over your delivery to it.  Take care of your child and yourself for the next few weeks and know that it is going to be the way it is supposed to be.  Being anxious will not help your delivery.  Good Luck.

Answer 6

I was the same way when I was pregnant... placenta previa, placenta abruption, twisted cords.... I was petrified!  I spoke with my doctor about this and she told me that she rarely sees complications especially in normal pregnancies.  If you have had a normal pregnancy this far (i.e. no underlying health problems, no preeclampsia, no vaginal bleeding), then chances are that you are going to be fine.  As far as the dangers of the actual birth... well, that's why you are going to the hospital to deliver.  If something happens, a staff is in place to correct any problems that may arise. Women dying during child birth was a common occurrence not that long ago, but nowadays, it's pretty much unheard of.  I also so recommend staying in the hospital as long as you can afford to.  A while back, insurance companies were trying to get women to deliver their babies and get them home in 24 hours (talk about drive through delivery!).  Well, they were finding that this wasn't adequate time to assess the mother and make sure that she was doing ok after the baby was born.  The initial post-partum period can also be dangerous, so I recommend you stay the whole two days.  And try not to worry about what can go wrong during labor.  Like I said, complications are rare, and most of them can be picked up before labor actually comes, which means they can  correct the problem, or do a c-section so that it's less dangerous for you and baby. I know it can be scary, but the important thing is that you relax.  The more tense and nervous you are, the more tumultuous and uncomfortable your labor will be.  Good luck, I hope I was able to alleviate some of your concerns. If this didn't help, definitely talk to you your OB/GYN.  She can tell you how rare complications actually are, and sometimes hearing it from your own doctor really makes you less apprehensive.

Answer 7

I've just had my fourth child, and with every single one of them, as the birth approached it was hard not to panic about the upcoming event because it is painful and because things can go so wrong and because when you've had at least one, you know what you're in for, more or less, not only with the delivery, but with the recovery and then actually going home with a new baby.  But these feelings will go away when the time comes to have your baby.  Your focus will change when it's unavoidable that the baby is coming--you're going to have to get through it one way or another.  As far as the method of birth goes, be prepared to do what you can do to make it as stress free as possible.  If that means going all natural, go for it.  If that means having an epidural, don't rule it out.  Neither one means a longer or shorter stay in the hospital.  That is solely determined by how well you and baby are recovering from the birth and whether insurance covers a longer stay or not.  You might find that you enjoy being in the relatively peaceful hospital with people waiting on you hand and foot rather than hurrying back to take care of a 6 year old and a newborn alone while still recovering.    

Answer 8

If it makes you feel any better, I had my first child last year and I'm way more scared this time around.  I'm due in 5 weeks.

The best thing to do is take it moment-by-moment.  Take each contraction one at a time and breath deeply.  Don't be afraid to ask for medication (epidural) if it gets overly painful.  There is no shame in getting the epidural.  I had one and was released to go home in less than 48 hours after my child was born.

Also rely on the nurses to tell you when to push.  You can do yourself a huge favor by keeping your pushing time to as short as possible.  Give each push everything you've got. Go in with the mindset that you are going to get the baby out in 5 pushes and you will do it.