petrified about giving birth..1 week to go.....

[bumbly]

have always been so

ever since a little kid..so much so it put me off ever being pregnant..but here i am with one week to go

• and now even more scared after seeing the NCT Happy Birth Day DVD that came with recent magazine

anyone seen it??

it was awful and those are meant to be straight forward births...how can a woman be put through so much pain in this day anD age baffles me...

i don't want to go through labour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

had sleepless night (not ideal at this stage and time) recalling THAT bloody DVD!!!

argh really wish had never seen it!!!

had a look on websites re hypnoCDs but they will all take time to arrive via post and with one week to go they probably would arrive late...so I think I will just go with my own flow....

scared

I would try and order anyway - I went 2 weeks overdue and only borrowed the hypnobirthing stuff after my due date. Just remembered, gave it all back to my SiL, so can't describe the visualisations in detail, but order now, and I will try and post later to describe in the meantime.

Don't worry - my one NCT antenantal class where I actually felt sick and started shaking was the one with that video - it's really not that bad! Once you're in that 'zone' you just kind of ride with it. It's not scary pain - it's just something you learn quickly to handle. Breathing techniques are essential, together with the visualisations. I also found a CD of 'crystal bowl' music helped - look it up on Google - you'll see what I mean.

just to add my thoughts...i haven't actually given birth yet (due tomorrow) but last week i suddenly developed 'the fear' after 9 months of being really zen like about it all!

I had a maternity reflexology session, and have had lots of baths and just tried to relax. Everytime i start to panic, i pick up something crappy and easy to read that distracts me from the panic. but to be honest, the reflexology worked wonders. if you can arrange it, get a session booked ASAP. it just calmed me down and allowed me to get the whole thing into perspective again.
still pooing my pants, but know i can manage/cope IYSWIM.

good luck!

My advice is to just imagine it to be the worst pain you could ever imagine and times it by 10. My line of thinking with DD1 was it can't possible be that bad if I prepare myself for it to be horrendous.

Good Luck.

Think of it like a tattoo or something - pain only lasts for a while (hopefully a short while but in my first labour a bloody long time) and once baby is delivered the pain just washes away.

bumbly-
go for an epidural if you're worried about the pain. Don't worry about what everyone else says it's up to you.
Have you spoken to your midwife about this? She should be able to help and guide you. Also, despite what you hear the midwives in the hospital( if that's where you are having baby) are there to help and support you .
You can contact me on [email protected] if you want some extra reassurance - I did have quite a tough time but I would still recommend having babies to everyone because the end result is worth it every time.

Bumbly if you don't live in London this may be of little use but Foyles bookstore on Charing Cross road sell the hypnobirthing CD's - I bought a pack earlier.

Might save you having to do the mail order thing.