Labor & Delivery Fears: Moms Share Their Biggest Pregnancy Fears As Their Due Date Approached Third Trimester Labor and Delivery Wit and Wisdom
As D-day approaches, are you getting nervous about labor and delivery? Relax, because you are not alone! With your first baby, not knowing can put your mind into high gear thinking of everything that could go wrong. With your second (or third or fourth), past experiences can play a role in developing fears and getting nervous about delivering your baby. Read on to learn about some common pregnancy fears other moms-to-be have overcome.
- “Maybe TMI, but [poop] on the table. That was the one horror story I couldn’t get past! For the record, four deliveries (one with twins) and I never did.”
- “[My] fear was ending up with a C-section. Worry was if they would be OK after delivery.”
- “The. Unknown PAIN. Could I handle it?”
- "That my husband would flake out. I worried more about him than myself and my unborn baby. He hates blood and hospitals and is not good in high-stress situations. He ended up being in the room with me during delivery, but was standing on the other side of the room. It was a good compromise."
- “I tore so bad with my first baby, so I feared doing it with my second and third.”
- “I had a bad experience once getting an IV. My biggest worry when I thought about labor and delivery was getting my IV. When the nurse had finally put the IV in, I cried. Literally. I burst into tears from an emotional release. It scared the poor nurse to death – she thought she'd hurt me.”
- “Episiotomy!! An on-call doctor delivered my first, and he made a BIG cut that was absolutely miserable to recover from. With No. 2, I had another on-call doctor and I gave her an earful about NOT doing that! My son was huge, so she did make a small cut, but it was much less traumatic afterward. Fortunately, No. 3 was a very petite baby and I was able to deliver her with no cut or tear. They are currently 16, 17 and 20, and I still say that was the worst part of the whole process!”
- “Getting to the hospital on time. You see these movies where women are delivering in elevators, taxi cabs and in the Walmart. I did not want to be one of these women! Fortunately, that’s just movie drama most of the time, and both of my kids were born safe and sound at the hospital.”
- “My fears centered on pain medication. I was worried about the pain but even more concerned about getting an epidural. Probably because I hate needles and the thought of one in my back made me cringe. So, I was committed to a natural childbirth. I ended up delivering all three of my kids (including twins) without an epidural or any pain meds at all, even though in the moment, I asked for an epidural. Turned out, the deliveries were too quick for an epidural to be administered. I guess the takeaway is, be careful what you wish for!”
- “My biggest fear was my baby not being healthy. Four babies in, and the only thing they’re plagued with is a sassy mouth from time to time.”
- “I hate getting oxygen!!!! I’m sensitive, so all my senses are heightened. The smell of the tubes in my nose gives me a migraine. With my fourth and last baby, I literally yelled, ‘Nooooo oxygen!! Let. Me. Die.”
- “That my husband would miss the birth. He travels a lot for work, so it was hit or miss if he would be there. I handled this by preparing myself for the worst-case scenario. Luckily, he was in town when my water broke and got to see our beautiful daughter brought into the world!”
- “That I would not be a good mother. That my fears about motherhood would overtake the natural instincts everyone said would kick in. That I would fail. So far, I think I’m doing pretty good.”
- "I was so worried that my water would break in public or at work. Talk about having a vagina fixation. I was in the bathroom all the time just to make sure everything was good down there. My water ended up not breaking at all. The doctor had to do it. Go figure."
What was your biggest fear about having a baby?
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