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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Massive phobia of blood - scared of birth

15 replies

harleysmammy · 26/02/2017 23:15

I know some people are gunna say im over reacting but i've actually been told by a doctor i have hemaphobia after i fainted and ended up in hospital when we were in the science lab in school and my lab partner cut her finger open with a scalpel.

I've been absolutely petrified of blood forever but it only really became apparent and a big issue when the sight of blood was either making me throw up or faint. When i was younger, whenever i had a graze on my knee or accidentally cut myself, i'd throw up and then when i got to about 15, it got worse. When i was in year 10, my science partner cut her finger open with a scalpel and thats all i remember, because i fainted, hit my head on the stool on the way down and landed up in hospital. I was fine but because i hit my head, the school made me go to hospital. Since then, it hasn't got better even though obviously im not a kid anymore and i know that its quite a silly thing to be afraid off.
Obviously periods were an issue but i went on the pill which made them lighter and a lot more manageable.
When i found out i was pregnant i didnt really know much about birth but now im almost 8 months, i have read more and more about birth and have realized there is gunna be a significant amount of blood. I'm also quite anemic and was told i was higher risk of bleeding more during birth and might need a transfusion. That completely petrifies me.
I have had so many blood tests this pregnancy and every time has been a drama -i just get so panicky and end up in a state even though i know there is no reason to get in that state. I've always got my dad with me whenever i have bloods taken because he's the only one that doesnt dismiss how much it scares me - most midwives just say "dont look" but thats not the issue, the whole concept of blood makes me feel horrible.

I didnt really know where else to ask as even family that understand how scared i am, dont understand why im so scared and whenever i ask how much blood there was etc they dont really take it as a serious question. Im not really scared of birth as such, im just scared of working myself up and getting into a state if i see the blood, i will just panic. So basically i was just wondering if anyone had any advice on how to deal with it or what i should do? And if anyone remembers how much they bled giving birth and if it was a lot? Also, has anyone been so anemic that they hemorrhaged and what happened?
Thank you, sorry for being so rambly haha x

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EyeStye · 26/02/2017 23:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FartnissEverbeans · 27/02/2017 04:18

My husband says I bled a lot but I had no idea as I didn't see any of it.

ItchyFoot · 27/02/2017 04:22

I'm extremely squeamish. I can't even watch Casualty and have nearly passed out several times during fake and real life situations. I was worried about birth. I had an episiotomy with my first and honestly I never saw any blood and didn't feel faint during any of it. Your period after birth will be quite heavy though.

junebirthdaygirl · 27/02/2017 05:13

I have had 3 deliveries and can genuinely say l saw no blood in the delivery room. As already said there is bleeding afterwards for a few days but you handle it just like a period. Tell your midwife. Maybe write out a special note so everyone understands.

user99009960546 · 27/02/2017 08:10

4 deliveries and I don't recall seeing any blood, they are very good at hiding/cleaning up anything without you knowing just make sure you midwife is aware and they will cater for or fear

savagehk · 27/02/2017 08:17

Not all women bleed until after. Tell your midwives, put it in your birth plan. You don't have to see any blood from birth. They'll probably recommend the injection to deliver your placenta and you can ask they clean up baby before giving it to you if there is any blood. The main issue for you will probably be the bleeding after -the lochia. That can be very heavy and can last a while. If you're anaemic get the iron tablets or spatone / floridax to boost your levels.

ScrapThatThen · 27/02/2017 08:40

I don't think other people stories will necessarily help your anxiety - although I agree, I didn't really see any blood. Just make sure you tell all the people involved in your care, and make sure they know you are not just anxious, but what is likely to happen if you see blood, and what happened when you had your injections. The last thing they will want is you passing out, although they might be glad to know what is likely to have caused it :).

CharminglyGawky · 27/02/2017 08:47

I tore quite badly so lost quite a bit of blood, I only saw any of it because I looked down at the wrong moment as they were binning what I had been sat on at the time. I saw none until after the birth. Ended up in theatre being stitched up and still saw nothing. Didn't feel any blood either but then I had an epidural and didn't feel much at all after that!

I know you say it's the idea of blood and not the sight of it, could you tell yourself that it's all just waters. Unless you tear or have an episiotomy it will be pretty much just waters anyway.

After birth the blood was no worse than a period and after about a week was very light although it was a lot longer before It stopped completely. I hated maternity pads (no wings) and once I was healed enough and I was bleeding a lot less I switched to washable pads which were lovely and soft and made of dark material so the blood was much less visible. There was no special care needed for the pads either, I didn't have to rinse them or anything, just put them in the wash with everything else and they always came out clean. Not sure if that would help by making the blood easier to ignore or worse because they go in the wash!

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 27/02/2017 10:44

4 deliveries & I've never seen any blood. Have they offered you any advice on how to cope with changing pads etc after? It is like a heavy period but with my 1st the bleeding tailed off after 3 or 4 days & was entirely gone within a couple of weeks.

needapaddle · 27/02/2017 10:49

Genuine question - but how do you cope with periods? Surely any blood during birth is basically from the same source so how is it any different to that (perhaps in scale but not content IYSWIM). Perhaps ask your GP or midwife about some counselling before the birth to see if they can help you manage how you feel?

savagehk · 27/02/2017 10:56

Also, as others have said, during the birth itself, there's a lot of fluid (that's not blood!) coming out of you anyway, especially after your waters have gone. So don't start getting panicked by feeling any liquid coming out of you - it's more likely than not just waters!.

hellomarshmallow · 27/02/2017 10:59

I can't rtft as I'm just like you and can't think about this too much or I feel faint! Just to say that I have had 2 csections. The 'loss' afterwards can be quite significant but not so much worse than dealing with periods, except you can't use tampons.

I tell all staff that I can't talk about blood (I struggle to even type the word...) and some of them manage to avoid it.

It was not as bad as I thought so try not to worry :)

AyeAmarok · 27/02/2017 11:12

I had an episiotomy and had a major hemorrhage as a result.

I didn't see any of the blood at all. Neither did DP actually, he just didn't look down at the floor. It's quite easy to not see it.

I needed a blood transfusion, but I really did lose a huge amount, they don't do blood transfusions for most people who hemorrhage, even majorly. It is quite unusual. I was scared of the transfusion process, but it was actually OK.

laurzj82 · 27/02/2017 11:18

Oh gosh I'm exactly the same. I was a nightmare probably driving everyone mad constantly worrying. I had an EMCS everyone was very very patient with me because I kept asking constantly how much I was bleeding etc etc. No advice on how to deal but i can say surgeon kept reassuring me all was totally normal.

I was freaking out about the blood loss afterwards as id heard it could be very heavy but for me it was just like a normal period.

Make sure you tell midwife, consultant etc about your phobia , they will be able to reassure you. Good luck. it's all totally worth it in the end!

User24689 · 27/02/2017 11:19

I saw no blood during labour and only noticed it when I went to get up afterwards. The midwife definitely could have gotten rid of it without me noticing if I had asked in advance as they will have disposable material underneath you. I am also prone to anemia and had low iron throughout my pregnancy. I was also told it may be a problem but I managed it fine with supplements and diet and was fine after the birth. Your phobia sounds really hard and I hope everything goes well for you - I'm sure all the staff will do their best to minimize the impact of this on you when the time comes.

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