DS1 - really looking forward to labour.. Am I crazy?

[heatherxo]

Title says it all.
I'm 28 weeks with my first and am SO EXCITED about labour..... (not scared/nervous)
Anyone else? Please tell me I'm not going insane!

Labour is great. Do your own thing, chill out, feel special, meet a baby, have a nice bath, have your mates round, get a pizza, get presents. Well, maybe a bit more involved but still.

And the best bit about it is it means the end of pregancy!

I get some people that are like "are you not totally crapping it for labour"
But I'm not, I'm not scared one bit. I actually cant wait for my waters to go and to start labouring.
I've never met anyone who feels the same, hence the reason I asked! Aha

I'm looking forward to doing it again and its my second. I felt really relaxed about my first birth and it was lovely and a really positive experience and am looking forward to doing it again. It's our last baby and it makes me sad I'll never go through labour and birth again.

I was quite excited about giving birth. DS was two weeks overdue and I just wanted to meet him.

I'm 36+2 and I can't wait for the birth I'm fed up of being pregnant now haha I have a 20 month old who wants to play but mammy's to fat to move round and I have SPD which is starting to kill me now I'm counting down the days till he's due I'm only scared that I'm going to have to baby's in the house but looking forward to meeting the little man and my daughter having her baby brother to play with
Xx

Yes.

I think a tad unrealistic. Nice to be excited but dial back the expectations . Better be prepared how you're going to deal with it. Being relaxed is good. I don't think it's helpful to be scared. Good to do some positive thinking but around embracing and managing pain.

What's your birth plan?

I've dreaded the thought of giving birth for years but being pregnant has turned out to be such a horrible and traumatic experience that I've found that I am actually looking forward to it now!

I dont think your crazy as such, but like someone else has said, maybe keep a hold of your expectations.

I wasn't scared at all with ds, but It was also nothing like what I thought it would be!

Oh no - I'm not expecting all to go well, quite the opposite (I'm such a worrier)!
I've not made a birth plan just yet, seeing mw on Thursday so hoping to put a few suggestions forward about hopefully going to the birthing unit which is quite new and does pool births, which I would really love.
I know it doesn't all go the way you want it to though but I don't mind that. I'm just hoping I won't need a section..

Four hours before my pfb was born I was asleep in bed with my DH wh started pat leave that day. We had a long lie in.two hours after my pfb was born I was eating pizza with friends and in laws.we stayed up late on a birth high and watched a box set on telly until late, and had celebratory brandies bought for us by the new grandparents.

The birth high is better than heroin I hear.

How can you be excited and not expect it to go well?

Just remember it's not really a plan... more preferences.

Not crazy. I really looked forward to it too after TTC for years and needing IVF. As it happened I had pre-eclampsia and had a very managed labour with an epidural from the start as I was v high risk, so not how I'd imagined it would be. My second labour was spontaneous, fast and intense though - exactly the experience I had dreamed of!

I think it sounds more like you're looking forward to having your baby. Not quite the same thing as looking forward to labour.

Of course I'm looking forward to having my baby here with me, But honestly I can't explain it... Like I'm really excited about labour itself. I wouldn't say I can tolerate LOTS of pain, but my tolerance is pretty high so I'm not bothered about that at all..
Ahh its just so hard to explain!

heather I would think that on the whole being relaxed and positive is better than scared.

You can never tell how labour is going to go, so nice positive gritty determination to deal with what ever is thrown at you will work well however it turns out.

I had lots of interventions and a section. It wasn't what I'd have chosen obviously but my children were delivered safely and my own health protected so I have overall pretty positive feelings about the experience.

Best wishes.

First time round I was very curious to see how it would feel but wasn't particularly worried about it. Ended up being induced and it was pretty awful and I felt like nothing was under my control. Second time round was, dare I say it, almost ejoyable and I made damn sure I was in control.

OP no matter how your labour goes, you are about to go through the most amazing experience of your life so good luck!

Thank you Eigg!
As with any woman, I would love for things to go smoothly but I accept that its not always how it happens.
I feel very positive, I know exactly what I want (complications bypassed) so maybe that's why I'm feeling so positive about it. :)

No problem heather, twirly and zen make good points too. I have a lovely friend who is still very upset that she ended up with a section over a decade after her DS was born. That's not a good, healthy way to end up so be positive but practical too.

I'm really hoping it doesn't escalate into a section (dreading a section) but I understand that the baby's health comes first, I would never intentionally put his health in jeopardy.
So yeah, positive and understanding of all outcomes.. Here's hoping I still am when I'm in the labour ward! Haha

Good for you for being positive! I do agree with others you have to manage this excitement though, too much of a high now is linked strongly to a big low later should things not go to plan. Birth trauma is most strongly correlated to preconceived notions of control that birth simply doesn't offer you. I say this as a former labouring in water, ju ju sundin devotee who ended up in HDU after baby number one, and who ended up watching baby number two on a ventilator and spent 81 days before she could come home. Both utterly uneventful pregnancies prior to labour. That isn't to scare you, but There's a big element of luck in labour, so you mustn't beat yourself up if it doesn't match your expectations. I do totally get where your coming from though, that was definitely me before dc1, and if there had been a dc3 Id still feel excited, sadly now equally terrified. But one look at my grey hairs and crazed expression tells me to most definitely quit while I'm ahead.

Don't dread a section. It's preferable to avoid one of course because not bring able to lift or drive get in the way for practical purposes but I didn't find it scary and the pain was manageable afterwards.

I do understand I'm expecting a lot and I must admit I will be gutted if I end up having a section but all that matters is my little manny arriving safely.
Thanks for everything that everyone has said, I really appreciate hearing how some of you were all positive and smiles and things didn't turn out as planned..
I'm just gunna keep up the positive and hope that I don't go down that labour ward kicking and screaming haha!

I don't know what it is about c-sections but I'm totally freaked by the whole thing.
Its not the pain or even the scar - I just don't know why I dislike the idea so much.
But if it comes to it then there's not much I can do about that

I loved my section. It was absolutely brilliant actually. After my first delivery I was in shellshock because it had been so horrific. After my section I was totally calm and at peace.

If you search the childbirth topic there are threads on having a natural section. Do have a read, there are some great tips to put on your birth plan.

I hope it goes well for you