Really scared about the birth all of a sudden

I am now in week 37, and many of you know my history - mild GD (diet-
controlled), hoping to deliver at home, with the same midwife who
delivered my first, last year, where mild shoulder dystocia occurred.

I've been very busy this time and have not really been able to prepare
mentally for the upcoming delivery. Last year I had taken
Hypnobirthing classes and my confidence was sky high. This time, I
feel the slightest contraction-like twitch sends me in a panic, that I
won't be able to deal with the pain, and worse, that something might
happen with the baby. This is night 2 that I am obsessed that labour
is about to begin and I just can't sleep from the anxiety.

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?

"Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am now in week 37, and many of you know my history - mild GD (diet-
controlled), hoping to deliver at home, with the same midwife who
delivered my first, last year, where mild shoulder dystocia occurred.

I've been very busy this time and have not really been able to prepare
mentally for the upcoming delivery. Last year I had taken
Hypnobirthing classes and my confidence was sky high. This time, I
feel the slightest contraction-like twitch sends me in a panic, that I
won't be able to deal with the pain, and worse, that something might
happen with the baby. This is night 2 that I am obsessed that labour
is about to begin and I just can't sleep from the anxiety.

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?

I had little worries the first time round. Felt prepared and "it wasn't
really going to be that painful". It was that painful and then took me 2
years to think I could live through it again. With #2 I was terrified and
had an easy birth with only TENS and a bit of gas and air. I was talking
about "next time" within a few minutes.
Debbie

"Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am now in week 37, and many of you know my history - mild GD (diet-
controlled), hoping to deliver at home, with the same midwife who
delivered my first, last year, where mild shoulder dystocia occurred.

I've been very busy this time and have not really been able to prepare
mentally for the upcoming delivery. Last year I had taken
Hypnobirthing classes and my confidence was sky high. This time, I
feel the slightest contraction-like twitch sends me in a panic, that I
won't be able to deal with the pain, and worse, that something might
happen with the baby. This is night 2 that I am obsessed that labour
is about to begin and I just can't sleep from the anxiety.

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?

I feel for you there. My confidence was sky high until I actually got to the
hospital the night of my induction when I went into a panic. All I can
suggest is to try to realax and remember your baby will be with you soon. I
went to no classes when I was pg, and so all I could do was try to visualise
each stage of how the baby would move down. I don't know if it worked, but
90& of the delivery didn't freak me out - apart from the bit where she
crowned - that freaked me Try taking some time just for yourself to help
relax.

*hugs* I hope it all goes well for you, I'm sure you'll be fine. And you
know you can do this, and your midwife knows you can too.

Take care

Lucy x

Hi Lady

I know others have already replied to you but I wanted to reply before
reading so that noting taints my oppinion. It's my oppinion that yes it's
completly normal to feel like that. I felt very scared about labour with
Joanna and yes okay I had good reason but I think even without those reasons
I would have still been anxious. My friend has also just found out she's
pregnant again with number 4 and she's also scared about the end stage of
pregnancy so yes I think it's perfectly normal.

April

"Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am now in week 37, and many of you know my history - mild GD (diet-
controlled), hoping to deliver at home, with the same midwife who
delivered my first, last year, where mild shoulder dystocia occurred.

I've been very busy this time and have not really been able to prepare
mentally for the upcoming delivery. Last year I had taken
Hypnobirthing classes and my confidence was sky high. This time, I
feel the slightest contraction-like twitch sends me in a panic, that I
won't be able to deal with the pain, and worse, that something might
happen with the baby. This is night 2 that I am obsessed that labour
is about to begin and I just can't sleep from the anxiety.

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?

On Feb 21, 2:50�am, "Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward"
wrote:
I am now in week 37, and many of you know my history - mild GD (diet-
controlled), hoping to deliver at home, with the same midwife who
delivered my first, last year, where mild shoulder dystocia occurred.

I've been very busy this time and have not really been able to prepare
mentally for the upcoming delivery. *Last year I had taken
Hypnobirthing classes and my confidence was sky high. *This time, I
feel the slightest contraction-like twitch sends me in a panic, that I
won't be able to deal with the pain, and worse, that something might
happen with the baby. *This is night 2 that I am obsessed that labour
is about to begin and I just can't sleep from the anxiety.

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?

I imagine it's quite common -- I was certainly more frightened of my
second birth, because my first was long and difficult. I lost a fair
amount of sleep over it. Once labor began, though, it was a totally
different story. The contractions felt familiar, somehow, and that
helped me feel they were manageable. Also, my labor was much, much
shorter, and felt much easier, despite my epidural the first time
around and going drug-free the second time -- I think it was just
easier on me psychologically. They were really totally different
experiences, and I felt so wonderful after my second birth. With my
third pregnancy, I thought back to my second labor and was able to be
less nervous (though of course I still lost some sleep) for the third
labor. My third birth was very similar to my second. I think that
second pregnancy fears are the worst because first labors tend to be
the worst and that's the only experience we have with labor. I don't
know if this helps at all, but the odds are with you that your second
labor will be significantly easier than your first. Good luck!

Bryna

On Feb 21, 9:59 am, "Bryna" wrote:
On Feb 21, 2:50?am, "Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward"

wrote:
I am now in week 37, and many of you know my history - mild GD (diet-
controlled), hoping to deliver at home, with the same midwife who
delivered my first, last year, where mild shoulder dystocia occurred.

I've been very busy this time and have not really been able to prepare
mentally for the upcoming delivery. ?Last year I had taken
Hypnobirthing classes and my confidence was sky high. ?This time, I
feel the slightest contraction-like twitch sends me in a panic, that I
won't be able to deal with the pain, and worse, that something might
happen with the baby. ?This is night 2 that I am obsessed that labour
is about to begin and I just can't sleep from the anxiety.

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?

I imagine it's quite common -- I was certainly more frightened of my
second birth, because my first was long and difficult. I lost a fair
amount of sleep over it. Once labor began, though, it was a totally
different story. The contractions felt familiar, somehow, and that
helped me feel they were manageable. Also, my labor was much, much
shorter, and felt much easier, despite my epidural the first time
around and going drug-free the second time -- I think it was just
easier on me psychologically. They were really totally different
experiences, and I felt so wonderful after my second birth. With my
third pregnancy, I thought back to my second labor and was able to be
less nervous (though of course I still lost some sleep) for the third
labor. My third birth was very similar to my second. I think that
second pregnancy fears are the worst because first labors tend to be
the worst and that's the only experience we have with labor. I don't
know if this helps at all, but the odds are with you that your second
labor will be significantly easier than your first. Good luck!

Bryna

Thank you so much for this Bryna. It certainly helps! I think I've
been having some Braxton-Hicks contractions (which I never had or at
least I never noticed in the first pregnancy) and they made me think
labour was imminent, which scared me so much... I do hope to 'get in
the zone' once the contractions start and the familiarity of the
process hits me.

My first labour took 24 hours but I dealt with it reasonably well
thanks to the Hypnobirthing. Still, it was exhausting and
exasperating when after 16 hours I still hadn't fully dilated (my
membranes hadn't ruptured, so the midwives had to do it, and then
things moved more quickly)...

On Feb 21, 9:49 am, "april" wrote:
Hi Lady

I know others have already replied to you but I wanted to reply before
reading so that noting taints my oppinion. It's my oppinion that yes it's
completly normal to feel like that. I felt very scared about labour with
Joanna and yes okay I had good reason but I think even without those reasons
I would have still been anxious. My friend has also just found out she's
pregnant again with number 4 and she's also scared about the end stage of
pregnancy so yes I think it's perfectly normal.

April

"Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward" wrote in oglegroups.com...



I am now in week 37, and many of you know my history - mild GD (diet-
controlled), hoping to deliver at home, with the same midwife who
delivered my first, last year, where mild shoulder dystocia occurred.

I've been very busy this time and have not really been able to prepare
mentally for the upcoming delivery. Last year I had taken
Hypnobirthing classes and my confidence was sky high. This time, I
feel the slightest contraction-like twitch sends me in a panic, that I
won't be able to deal with the pain, and worse, that something might
happen with the baby. This is night 2 that I am obsessed that labour
is about to begin and I just can't sleep from the anxiety.

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Wow, even after three kids? Well, that makes me feel a bit less odd!

On Feb 20, 11:50 pm, "Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward"

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?

Hopefully! I'm at 30 weeks right now, and am starting to get nervous,
both about delivery (not labor so much; I figured I made it through
labor last time) and about another C-section (for me, it's scarier
thinking about the section as a very real possibility this time round,
even though I know I made it through OK last time, than it was
thinking about it as a faint possibility). Anyway, this doesn't
really make much sense, but yes, I'm much more nervous this time than
I was last time, when I pretty much blithely expected everything to be
fine.

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04
#2 due 4/27/07

Wow, even after three kids? Well, that makes me feel a bit less odd!


Yes even after three kids and she's only 8 or 9 weeks pregnant. Perhaps we
just have different fears with each labour?

April

On Feb 21, 2:50 am, "Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward"
wrote:
I am now in week 37, and many of you know my history - mild GD (diet-
controlled), hoping to deliver at home, with the same midwife who
delivered my first, last year, where mild shoulder dystocia occurred.

I've been very busy this time and have not really been able to prepare
mentally for the upcoming delivery. Last year I had taken
Hypnobirthing classes and my confidence was sky high. This time, I
feel the slightest contraction-like twitch sends me in a panic, that I
won't be able to deal with the pain, and worse, that something might
happen with the baby. This is night 2 that I am obsessed that labour
is about to begin and I just can't sleep from the anxiety.

Is it normal to feel this frightened the second time around?

I'm 31 weeks with number 2 and also feel somewhat anxious, though I
wouldn't say frightened. It's like the first time I had no idea what
to expect, and I knew I had no idea. So I could just go with the flow.
Now I have a sense of what's coming but am also aware of the millions
of ways this labour could be different than my expectations. My first
birth was a very positive experience for me so I thought I'd be more
relaxed about this one -- but instead I am worried that I won't get so
lucky twice! Your lack of time to really focus on the birth might be
what is throwing you off -- it must feel like the pregnancy has flown
by and you haven't really had a chance to wrap your head around the
fact that it might soon be over, let alone psyching yoursef up for the
birth. Maybe you can try to set some time aside over the coming few
weeks to just relax & focus on yourself. Also have you shared your
feelings with your midwife? She might have some calming words for you.

Take care,
Elle