what positive thoughts/phrases do you plan to use to get you through birth?

[swiftkick]

Hello. Just started mat. leave & my idle mind is turning to thoughts of birth & how the hell I'm going to get through childbirth. I look at my huuuge bump and wonder how I'm going to push this baby out!! Quick back story: this is DC2, DC1 was a ECS, I was only in labour for 2 hours, baby was in distress so I had to have a ECS, despite the emergency it was actually quite a calm experience with a quick recovery, and on reflection I feel have never really experienced true labour. I plan to have a VBAC but if I honest I'm really frightened, the pain, episiotomy, incontinence...
I need to summon all my mental strength & get into a positive state of mind.
What positive thoughts/phrases do you plan to use to motivate you through the grimmer aspects of labour? Thanks!

I'm hoping for a VBAC for DS2 (due today!) after an induced 39 hour labour which resulted in an emcs with DS1 when his heart rate dropped and didn't recover.

I am going to be reminding myself how much happier and healthier I have felt throughout this pregnancy and keep that positive attitude for the birth. If a pregnancy can be so much better so can the birth! Good luck OP!

I told myself I could do anything for 1-2 minutes - sprint really fast, hold my breath, lift a heavy weight - and so I could endure the pain of a contraction for a maximum of 2 minutes. I only had to endure 1 of them at a time. That helped, remembering that it's finite, you don't have to deal with it all at once, just what's happening in the moment.

I reminded myself that a healthy baby was doing its best to get out, and I was just supposed to help them - so it wasn't a battle between me and the pain/me and the baby/my body and theirs, it was a joint effort, we were a team.

I was taught a visualising technique where you imagine a rectangle, and mentally breathe out as your mind's eye traces the long edges, and breathe in as you trace the short edges. That helped with giving me a focus for the contractions.

I reminded myself that pain relief could be mine any time I wanted it although it turned out not to be true for my DC, but hey ho

My mum said to me you body will not give you anymore than you can handle, and when you start to think that you can't take it anymore this little baby will be here, and it's over with. Never a truer word spoken. Best of luck to you my love, enjoy it!!!

I will be asking politely for an epidural and then reminding myself that it doesn't last for ever and I will never do this again.

My first was an emergency (ventouse) but pretty rubbish delivery, I think I'll also try reminding myself that women give birth every day with no problems and I am in he best place for me and my baby's health.

K

Jeez I'll be asking for epidural on arrival for my induction! Last time I held out for 7 hours before using the gas and air as I thought I'd try and save it and that would be all I'd have. By that point it didn't touch the sides. Epidural was blissful! Was an induction tho and a 10.5lb baby! This time I'm not even going to attempt to be a hero because I know know and am happy to accept I'm a massive wuss! X