Forum The birth

Just copy it from me

14 replies

fay05
Hi everyone,
I'm 38.6 weeks pregnant today..
I'm experiencing a lot of physical discomfort and the baby is quite large, which makes me feel quite anxious..
I can choose to have labor induced, but I'm also really scared of giving birth..
I'm just afraid of completely losing control..

Has anyone here experienced this? What should I do about it..

Kind regards

Replies

  1. brigitte #2

    Hey Fay,
    If this is your first baby, I completely understand your fear. First of all, I'd suggest discussing your fears with your OB-GYN or midwife. If you're planning to induce labor and the baby is already quite big, I'd do that in your place, especially since you should know that babies often gain weight in the last few days/weeks, making them even heavier. This of course depends entirely on you and your doctor. Also, try to relax and keep in mind that most births go well, even with a heavier baby. I'm currently pregnant with my 5th child, with birth weights of: 3.9kg, 3480g, 4070g, 3500g, and I was induced for my 2nd and 4th because the birth weight was already so high, both at 38.5 weeks. I really hope you can let go of your fears and wish you an easy delivery. You can do it, girl! Greetings, Brigitte
  2. fay05 started this #3

    Super thanks for your sweet message!
    This is my second.. My daughter was a whopping 4 kilos at birth.
    My son was already estimated at 4 kilos at 37 weeks..

    I’ve had an anxiety disorder in the past, which is now starting to rear its head again because I’m also feeling physically pretty crap..

    Thanks for listening!
  3. nicole 1979 #4

    hey fay, that's intense, girl..
    I had post-traumatic stress syndrome after my second birth.
    I've discussed this thoroughly with the midwife and the OB-GYN, and I'm getting early support.
    The fact that you're noticing this now, I'd really call your OB-GYN about it tomorrow.
    You already know how to relax during labor, and your daughter was born safely.
    Try to reflect on this.. write things down on paper, just like you probably had to do in your treatment for anxiety.
    What's the worst thing about letting go of control during labor... you probably still remember.

    Secondly, the OB-GYN leaves the control to you; you decide whether you want to be induced.
    See, another point where you have control, girl.
    Try to stay positive! You can do this because you've already succeeded before!

    Girl, shoulders back and chest forward, because if you're strong enough to fight through an anxiety disorder, you can do this too!

    Good luck, big hug
  4. fay05 started this #5

    Hi Nicole,
    Super sweet, thank you so much for this!
    I already went to the OB-GYN today, explained everything, and she thought it made sense to lay out all the options to help me prepare.
    She wanted to do it this week, but it kind of caught me off guard.
    So we’ve scheduled it for February 29th.
    But now I can’t stop thinking about it, and I got really anxious when she said I’m already 2 cm dilated.

    I just don’t know what to do anymore. The feeling that there’s no turning back (even though I wouldn’t want to!) feels like a pretty crappy idea to me.
  5. nicole 1979 #6

    I can totally relate. I sometimes get really anxious just thinking about getting those fears back. I think that's the biggest issue for me. But you're strong! And yes, since it's your second baby, you'll likely already have 1 or 2 cm dilation naturally. Nothing to worry about—that's totally normal for the number of weeks you're pregnant. Induction isn't that bad, by the way. Both of mine were induced via IV drip. It's nice that you have a date to look forward to. Good luck, girl!
  6. fay05 started this #7

    Yeah, exactly, Nicole.
    It went super well throughout my whole pregnancy until things started getting tough physically, which made me lose the courage to do things alone in my car. After that, things went downhill psychologically too. But really, not nearly as bad as it was!
    But I’m dreading the birth; I’m scared I’ll panic. Fear of the fear, indeed.
  7. DeeDee012 #8

    Oh Fay, that's so hard to read! I completely understand how you feel.. it's and remains your choice whether or not to have your labor induced. Maybe the midwife can do a membrane sweep first to see if that helps kick things into gear. After all, you already have 2 cm dilation.

    The fact that you know anxiety might take over probably makes that less likely to happen. Make sure to communicate this clearly to the person guiding and supporting you. Ask them how they can help you stay calm and try to find that calmness yourself. You know better than anyone what works best for you..

    I had my labor induced during my first pregnancy and was caught off guard. I actually found it nice because I knew when I was going to give birth. Strange but true. I find it more exciting now because I don't know when labor will start.

    You've got this!!
  8. fay05 started this #9

    Yes, everyone knows about my situation. Even though I'm in the hospital, I'm very open about it and don't feel ashamed at all!
    I've had a good think about it tonight and I'm going for an induction next Monday!
    I'm going to mess around a bit in the last few days and try to enjoy being pregnant!

    Good luck to you all with your last little ones. I'll post an update later on how it all went for those who want to read it hihi

    Thanks girls!
  9. nicole 1979 #10

    Glad you're keeping us updated, Fay!
    It'll be okay!
    And your openness is really great—I'm also clearing the air in my own way.
    Enjoy yourself a bit more.
  10. DeeDee012 #11

    Enjoy your last days of being pregnant!! Good luck with the delivery, it's going to be all good!
  11. fay05 started this #12

    Hi everyone,

    I gave birth to a beautiful son on Feb 29th at 8 PM. We're now enjoying our time at home.

    The labor itself wasn't too bad, and I was very well supported in the hospital. The night before was a bit of a struggle though; I was up all night and so nervous that I felt nauseous. I really wondered if I should continue with the induction, but luckily once I was in the hospital, everything calmed down.

    Just wanted to send a quick update on how it went.
  12. DeeDee012 #13

    Congratulations Fay! So glad it went well for you! Enjoy it now!
  13. nicole 1979 #14

    That's great! Congratulations!
  14. brigitte #15

    So nice to hear that everything went well and smoothly, now enjoy...
    Love

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