Anxiety over labor

This is embarassing but, I mentioned before that I am just a few weeks along
with my first, we tried (it was not a surprise even though I was surprised
it happened so quickly!) I have had an anxiety disorder before, where I
would get full-blown, terrifying panic attacks. I am not a worry-wart(ie,
causing my own anxiety mentally), but my body has the physiological problem
of making me feel panicky like I have too much adrenaline etc, my heart
speeds up, can't breathe etc.

I am nervous about the remainder of my pregnancy and labor. I am afraid of
having another panic attack, they are so horrible and the WORST is the
feeling that I can't breathe.

I am trying to figure out which route to take so that I have the best labor
experience possible..my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't breathe! I
cant breathe, help me".
Does anybody have advice, and am I the only person who suffers from such bad
anxiety? If I hadn't had experiences like this in the past I would not worry
but it seems like time stands still when it happens and like I am dying! It
is horrible.

And my other question is, if I choose not to have an epidural does that mean
I have to have a mostly natural childbirth? What is the best option for
me....you can bet in a few weeks when I get to see the actual doctor I will
be discussing this greatly!
Jill

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 01:51:30 GMT, "Jill" wrote:

I am nervous about the remainder of my pregnancy and labor. I am afraid of
having another panic attack, they are so horrible and the WORST is the
feeling that I can't breathe.

I am trying to figure out which route to take so that I have the best labor
experience possible..my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't breathe! I
cant breathe, help me".
Does anybody have advice, and am I the only person who suffers from such bad
anxiety? If I hadn't had experiences like this in the past I would not worry
but it seems like time stands still when it happens and like I am dying! It
is horrible.

I have the exact same thing. One of the things I'm doing about it is
hiring a doula to help me during labor, and talking with her
extensively in advance about what kind of response helps me to control
the panic when I start to freak out. In my case, for example, I'm
prone to wild terrors about what's going to happen: "I just felt
something tear; oh god, something ruptured and I'm dying," for
example. I need to be told clearly and simply that it probably isn't
true and if it is, the doctors can handle it. Over and over as
necessary. You know what works best for helping you calm down, or at
least you can probably figure it out by observation and experiment
over the next several months -- use the anxiety you're having now as a
lab experiment for techniques and see what works. Then hire a doula
and really sit down with her ahead of time and tell her what triggers
your fear, what your fear looks like and acts like when it shows up,
and what you need in order to control it. She'll help you; it's what
she's for.

Naomi

Jill wrote:

This is embarassing but, I mentioned before that I am just a few weeks along
with my first, we tried (it was not a surprise even though I was surprised
it happened so quickly!) I have had an anxiety disorder before, where I
would get full-blown, terrifying panic attacks. I am not a worry-wart(ie,
causing my own anxiety mentally), but my body has the physiological problem
of making me feel panicky like I have too much adrenaline etc, my heart
speeds up, can't breathe etc.

I am nervous about the remainder of my pregnancy and labor. I am afraid of
having another panic attack, they are so horrible and the WORST is the
feeling that I can't breathe.

I am trying to figure out which route to take so that I have the best labor
experience possible..my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't breathe! I
cant breathe, help me".
Does anybody have advice, and am I the only person who suffers from such bad
anxiety? If I hadn't had experiences like this in the past I would not worry
but it seems like time stands still when it happens and like I am dying! It
is horrible.


And my other question is, if I choose not to have an epidural does
that mean
I have to have a mostly natural childbirth? What is the best option for
me....you can bet in a few weeks when I get to see the actual doctor
I will
be discussing this greatly!

I think this may be something you need to discuss in
consultation with both your OB or midwife and your psychiatrist.
It seems to me there are two separate issues--managing labor pain
and managing your anxiety. In both cases, there are pharmacological
and non-pharmacological ways of approaching the problem. You
will also need to figure out which decisions need to be made
in advance and which can be put off until you're in the situation
and can see how you're handling it.
My own inclination would be to try to arrange a
situation where I work hard to get the non-pharmacological
methods working, with the drugs as a backup if they're
needed. This obviously works for dealing with labor pain.
You can generally wait until you find that the pain is
more than you want to cope with before you choose pain relief
drugs, and I imagine that *knowing* they're available is
the key for dealing with your anxiety. I'm not sure how
effective this is for dealing with the anxiety. If you
try to handle the anxiety without drugs and find that it's
not working, is it then too late to use drugs to try to get
it under control?
Also, in terms of your anxiety I think you'll
need to look into non-pharmacological methods of pain
relief for sure. Generally, epidurals are not advisable
before you've gotten far enough along in labor, so you
can be dealing with some significant pain before you can
get an epidural. With IV narcotics, there can also be
timing issues since you'd like to have the drugs getting
out of the baby's system by the time he or she is born
so that it doesn't interfere with breathing. I imagine
it would help the anxiety knowing that you have some
options for coping if drugs are not available for some
periods of time.
Another possibility that might help is hiring
a doula. A doula will focus purely on you and helping
you feel comfortable and safe during labor. She should
also be able to talk you through all kinds of situations
and give you ideas for how to cope with pain and help
you weigh your options. I imagine having someone like
that around would help you feel more secure going into
labor and would help you cope moment-to-moment during
labor so that perhaps your anxiety wouldn't get out of
hand.
As I mentioned in another post, there are other
options for pharmacological pain relief besides epidurals,
but in the US those are mostly limited to IV narcotics.
With some hunting you might be able to turn up other
options, but I don't think I've heard of anything else
being used in the US recently. What will work best for
you is a good topic of discussion with your OB and
psychiatrist. It may be that your anxiety issues may
affect what is the best choice for you if you need
drugs for pain relief in labor.

Good luck,
Ericka

Jill wrote:
This is embarassing but, I mentioned before that I am just a few
weeks along with my first, we tried (it was not a surprise even
though I was surprised it happened so quickly!) I have had an anxiety
disorder before, where I would get full-blown, terrifying panic
attacks. I am not a worry-wart(ie, causing my own anxiety mentally),
but my body has the physiological problem of making me feel panicky
like I have too much adrenaline etc, my heart speeds up, can't
breathe etc.

I am nervous about the remainder of my pregnancy and labor. I am
afraid of having another panic attack, they are so horrible and the
WORST is the feeling that I can't breathe.

I am trying to figure out which route to take so that I have the best
labor experience possible..my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't
breathe! I cant breathe, help me".
Does anybody have advice, and am I the only person who suffers from
such bad anxiety? If I hadn't had experiences like this in the past I
would not worry but it seems like time stands still when it happens
and like I am dying! It is horrible.

And my other question is, if I choose not to have an epidural does
that mean I have to have a mostly natural childbirth? What is the
best option for me....you can bet in a few weeks when I get to see
the actual doctor I will be discussing this greatly!
Jill

First of all, please take steps to monitor yourself and let your ob know
that you have had problems with panic disorder before. Sometimes the
hormones of pregnancy can cause flareups. I've had several struggles with
my depression, although I've chosen not to treat it with medicine until
after my baby is born.

My main advice to you is to get an education. Educate yourself about
pregnancy and labor as best as you can. I have found several books that
have calmed my fears drastically. If you had talked to me this time last
year, I would be signing up for every drug you could give me. Now I have
the strength to try for a drug-free birth, if there are no complications. I
realize that it is natural, that I have choices about how I want to deliver,
and I know what the stages of labor are and what to expect with the entire
process.

Going for an epidural or other medicine is not failure. The most important
thing about education is giving yourself choices. Without education, you
don't know what your choices are. If you don't know what your choices are,
you're going to be more afraid about the whole process.

I also second what someone else says and make sure that you have at least
one labor attendant. If you decide on Bradley, your husband will help you
through everything and be your coach. You can hire a doula to help you as
well. You're going to be concentrating hard during labor and it will help
to have someone to help you keep your focus and help you keep breathing.

Here are some things you should check out:

- Video tapes from your library or video store - there are many on natural
childbirth and will show you videos of actual labor, TLC's Maternity Ward
and other shows are nice, but they don't always show women that are trying
to overcome their fears

- Classes from your local hospital or other sources. I thoroughly recommend
Bradley classes, but even if all you can find is a hospital-run class, take
it for the basic explanations and compare it to what you've seen and read.
I would personally avoid Lamaze or other classes that heavily emphasize
breathing patterns, as they have been shown not to always be effective and
may even cause problems. If that's what you think you need though, go for
it! Do what feels right for you.

- Books! I have read and reread several books that have given me confidence
and made me realize that I don't need to fear this.
- Childbirth Without Fear by Dr. Grantly Dick-Read --read this book even
if you don't read any of the others!
- Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon
- Husband Coached Childbirth: The Bradley Way of Natural Childbirth by Dr.
Robert A. Bradley
- The Pregnancy Book, The Birth Book by Dr. William and Martha Sears
- Immaculate Deception II by Suzanne Arms

- Ask questions! Ask plenty of questions here and anywhere else online that
you can find. Keep in mind that every woman may feel differently about her
labor.

- Joanne
#1 - 32w3d

"Jill" wrote in message
m...
This is embarassing but, I mentioned before that I am just a few weeks
along
with my first, we tried (it was not a surprise even though I was surprised
it happened so quickly!) I have had an anxiety disorder before, where I
would get full-blown, terrifying panic attacks. I am not a worry-wart(ie,
causing my own anxiety mentally), but my body has the physiological
problem
of making me feel panicky like I have too much adrenaline etc, my heart
speeds up, can't breathe etc.

I am nervous about the remainder of my pregnancy and labor. I am afraid of
having another panic attack, they are so horrible and the WORST is the
feeling that I can't breathe.

I am trying to figure out which route to take so that I have the best
labor
experience possible..my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't breathe! I
cant breathe, help me".
Does anybody have advice, and am I the only person who suffers from such
bad
anxiety? If I hadn't had experiences like this in the past I would not
worry
but it seems like time stands still when it happens and like I am dying!
It
is horrible.

And my other question is, if I choose not to have an epidural does that
mean
I have to have a mostly natural childbirth? What is the best option for
me....you can bet in a few weeks when I get to see the actual doctor I
will
be discussing this greatly!
Jill


I bet if you ask, your doc will say you can have benzodiazepenes (sp?) like
Valium or Klonipin during labor, which may be better for what you're
describing than a narcotic (which may give you a sense of loss of control
rather than the "whatever, I don't need control" of the benzo's).

BUT, I bet that once the first trimester has a little longer to break your
spirit you will not be so afraid of childbirth pain. I'm pretty much
kidding but not totally. Mostly I benefitted from reading books about
unmedicated births, why the pain is excruciating at times but tolerable,
etc.

I hope you have a great doctor for you. My current doctor loves Bradley
births and unmedicated births. He just thinks they are a lot of fun. But I
suspect most DO NOT. From what I've heard they are really into drugs and
having you nice and compliant when they whisk in for the last minutes of
your labor. Also how else would the nurses be able to say to a woman who's
literally about to give birth, "Stop pushing, you doctor is stuck in
traffic?" Then again the vast majority (like 90%) of the women in the
hospital where my doc has privileges, have epidurals. So I guess most docs
and most women are in sync with their expectations.

-- Dagny
EDD 10/6/03

:: This is embarassing but, I mentioned before that I am just a few weeks
along
:: with my first, we tried (it was not a surprise even though I was
surprised
:: it happened so quickly!) I have had an anxiety disorder before, where I
:: would get full-blown, terrifying panic attacks. I am not a worry-wart(ie,
:: causing my own anxiety mentally), but my body has the physiological
problem
:: of making me feel panicky like I have too much adrenaline etc, my heart
:: speeds up, can't breathe etc.

I suffer anxiety attacks and have noticed that the symptoms of panic have
been trying to creep in (at the strangest times). I just have to tell
myself to breath, keep my body temp low and focus on something else.
Drinking water seems to help. Don't know why. Then, talking helps.

Perhaps you should make your OB/GYN appointment sooner. When did you say
your first one was?

:: I am nervous about the remainder of my pregnancy and labor. I am afraid
of
:: having another panic attack, they are so horrible and the WORST is the
:: feeling that I can't breathe.

Same problem I have. I think you will be fine during labor. If not, your
doctor will help you.

:: I am trying to figure out which route to take so that I have the best
labor
:: experience possible..my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't breathe!
I
:: cant breathe, help me".
:: Does anybody have advice, and am I the only person who suffers from such
bad
:: anxiety? If I hadn't had experiences like this in the past I would not
worry
:: but it seems like time stands still when it happens and like I am dying!
It
:: is horrible.

Discuss this with your OB/GYN and psychiatrist/cologist. I'm sure they will
be albe to work out a birthing plan. I'm certain you are not the ONLY woman
who suffers panic attacks. I'm getting worried now...darn!

:: And my other question is, if I choose not to have an epidural does that
mean
:: I have to have a mostly natural childbirth? What is the best option for
:: me....you can bet in a few weeks when I get to see the actual doctor I
will
:: be discussing this greatly!

I recommend also purchasing a few books or checking them out from the
library. Also, I read many pregnancy websites. WebMd, Baby Center, Very
Best Baby...

Again, call your doctor and ask to see them asap. They should be able to
squeeze you in!

~Carol Ann
www.lowcarblosers.com ~ Home of the Monthly Weightloss Challenge

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 01:51:30 GMT, "Jill" wrote:

.my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't breathe! I
cant breathe, help me".

Actually this did happen to me. I had an emergency c-section due to
pre-eclampsia. While I was laying on the operating table, I kept
telling them (and my DH), "I feel like I can't breathe. I can't
breathe. I need to sit up. I can't breathe." It was not fun.

The doctors wrote it off as anxiety. Well, I was anxious at what was
going on, but I still felt like I couldn't breathe.

A couple of days later, I woke up with shortness of breath (I was
still in the hospital). They did a chest x-ray, and I had water in
lungs. Pre-eclampsia can cause that.

So I was right about feeling like I was suffocating. The water on my
lungs was partially suffocating me every time I laid down flat.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan
"Boy" EDD 11 Jan 2004
See Jayan: http://jayan.topcities.com/

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 16:27:41 -0400, Ericka Kammerer
wrote:

In addition, a possible side effect of an epidural
can be a feeling of being unable to breathe. If the epidural
is placed too high, it actually can interfere with breathing,
but more often it is just the sensation of not being able to
breathe, even if in fact you *can* breathe just fine.

I didn't have an epidural. I had a spinal. I don't know if that
makes a difference.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan
"Boy" EDD 11 Jan 2004
See Jayan: http://jayan.topcities.com/

Daye wrote:

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 01:51:30 GMT, "Jill" wrote:


.my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't breathe! I
cant breathe, help me".


Actually this did happen to me. I had an emergency c-section due to
pre-eclampsia. While I was laying on the operating table, I kept
telling them (and my DH), "I feel like I can't breathe. I can't
breathe. I need to sit up. I can't breathe." It was not fun.

The doctors wrote it off as anxiety. Well, I was anxious at what was
going on, but I still felt like I couldn't breathe.

A couple of days later, I woke up with shortness of breath (I was
still in the hospital). They did a chest x-ray, and I had water in
lungs. Pre-eclampsia can cause that.

So I was right about feeling like I was suffocating. The water on my
lungs was partially suffocating me every time I laid down flat.


In addition, a possible side effect of an epidural
can be a feeling of being unable to breathe. If the epidural
is placed too high, it actually can interfere with breathing,
but more often it is just the sensation of not being able to
breathe, even if in fact you *can* breathe just fine.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Jill wrote:

I am nervous about the remainder of my pregnancy and labor. I am afraid of
having another panic attack, they are so horrible and the WORST is the
feeling that I can't breathe.

I know the feeling, used to have terrible travel anxiety and I totally
screwed myself up over any trip in a bus or plane. I had to learn that
it was *me* doing that, and that I was the only one who could control
the anxiety. Slowly but surely, I learned how to.

I am trying to figure out which route to take so that I have the best labor
experience possible..my biggest fear is being in labor "I can't breathe! I
cant breathe, help me".

Most pre-natal classes are focussed on exactly that: breathing. Try to
find a Lamaze class, they will teach you all sort of exercises you can
do to relax, tune into your body by breathing. You may even consider
taking singing lessons: your unborn baby will enjoy your voice, and you
will learn how to breathe properly.

Before you think about labour, try to come to terms with yourself and
the anxiety. Don't be afraid of the attacks, don't fight them. Instead
try to control a little piece of yourself, starting with your thoughts,
then your breathing. It is hard, but doable! You have plenty of time
to think about labour, and you can change your mind any time you like.

--
-- I
mommy to DS (14m)
guardian of DH
EDD 05-17-2004
War doesn't decide who's right - only who's left