Anyone else due soon and dreading labour/birth?

[arabella2]

Following on from my last thread re. gory birth, the other question I've got is the above... Am due on the 17th - am excited about having the baby but not about pain etc... - this is my third. Am rationalising anxiety by thinking that in any case while it is happening there is not much I will be able to do about it, but have to say I am sometimes a basket of nerves (is that an idiom or made up?) that keeps on running to the toilet when I think about it...

I'm 38wks pg with baby no.3 and will have no hesitation in asking for an epidural if I need one.

It helps to remember that feeling when you first hold your baby and find out the sex etc. All those hormones come rushing in and stay around for a few days making you forget all about any long drawn out labouring (3 days for me).
When I had Tilly I am caught on camera saying 'well that wasn't as bad as I thought'!!
My cousin had her first last week with 3 gasps of gas and air and was shouting 'ooh I like pushing'!! We had a giggle about us both 'liking' the pushing bit - our practical farming roots coming to the fore do the think??

The one thing that helped me through my DS's birth was saying in my head...

"every contraction is bringing me closer to holding my baby".

And, as crazy as it sounds, trying to use that thought to 'welcome' the contractions.

Your body knows what its doing. I think just trying to shut your mind down and letting it take over, trusting it, is the best way of coping with the pain.

As painful as it is, me and millions and millions of other women would do it again if they wanted another.

The one thing that helped me through my DS's birth was saying in my head...

"every contraction is bringing me closer to holding my baby".

And, as crazy as it sounds, trying to use that thought to 'welcome' the contractions.

Your body knows what its doing. I think just trying to shut your mind down and letting it take over, trusting it, is the best way of coping with the pain.

As painful as it is, me and millions and millions of other women would do it again if they wanted another.

Marne, I can't wait for it all to be over either!!! And Distel - I can really relate to your sitting there and crying at the thought of the impending pain. It's the sheer inevitability of it that is frightening I think. I have taken on board people's positive comments though as well and am hoping for one of those births where you think - was that it??? :o. My neighbour often tells me about her third birth being the best (waterbirth) so here's hoping. Though painful however, my second birth was very easy so maybe I have run out of luck (hope not :().

Forgot to add - neighbour's prescription for an easier birth (she is a little smug about it all though saying there was a lady in the room next door who was screaming when she arrived and still screaming after my friend had given birth who obviously didn't know how to relax grrrr) is relaxing all the muscles in the belly as much as possible and think of the baby coming out, not only the pain which would cause you to tense up...

I'd posted further down about being apprehensive heading towards the birth of number 2. But I'm now reminding myself that it cannot possibly be as bad as 6 weeks with a prolapsed disc and the utter agony that entailed...