AIBU to suddenly feel terrified of motherhood at 39 weeks pregnant?

[CobaltRose96]

Hi all.

I am currently 39+4 with my first child. This pregnancy was very much planned and wanted (I suffered a traumatic miscarriage last year) and I was overjoyed to fall pregnant again. I am excited and can't wait to meet my baby.

However, with my due date looming ever closer I've suddenly found myself utterly terrified of what I've gotten myself into. The thought of a whole little person being completely reliant on me for EVERYTHING is terrifying! I often sit and think 'What on earth am I getting myself into? What am I doing?!'

I think a good deal of it is fear of the unknown. I have exactly zero experience with babies. I've never even held one before, let alone changed a nappy or bathed one.

Did anyone else feel this way when they were pregnant? Like I said, I cannot wait to meet my little girl, but she's also seeming pretty scary right now!

I’d say YABU if you weren’t feeling this way!! Totally normal and demonstrates your understanding of what a huge undertaking it is! Nothing can really prepare you for it - but it’s bloody worth it.

It's so normal at this stage. I was exactly the same.

Wishing you all the best

Everyone feels the same. I was so clueless when DS was born. Still feel like I'm winging it but it's a hell of a learning curve. You need your maternity leave to learn to be a mum, practically and emotionally. I had zero experience with kids so everything was terrifying in the early days: feeding, changing, bathing, cuddling, even picking him up from the cot terrified me (he was quite tiny and fragile at just 5lbs). I put his first few nappies on the wrong way round, didn't even realise.

You'll be fine!

Read a book called What Mothers Do (Especially when it looks like nothing).

Never limit love, never limit cuddles

This is so true.
DS was hardly ever put down as a baby - was always on either me or his dad. Took most of his naps on me - he is now 16 months and the time absolutely flies. Don’t be afraid to hold and cuddle your baby all the time. It makes them so much more secure. I have a very happy, confident and secure little boy and people are always commenting on his demeanour. I like to think it is partly because of how much love we showered him with!

I definitely felt like this, even for a couple of weeks after DS was born! I had many moments of "What the fuck have we done?!" in the last few weeks of pregnancy and once he was here.

Fortunately, that's passed and all is good - wouldn't be without him now!