Does the Thought of Giving Birth Scare You?
Fear of giving birth is a natrual part of pregnancy. The more educated you are, the easier it wil be to calm the nerves and allow nature to take over.
It is not surprising that first time mothers are tentative about giving birth. Unchartered territory is coupled with sheer terror gained from horror stories of mothers who have gone through the ‘ordeal’. Think back to the last baby shower you attended. After the scary stories delivered there, it is a wonder the baby isn’t frightened enough to jump from the womb on his own. Every former pregnant woman has a story. Even grand-mothers chime in on what it was like; how excruciating, how long, how very hard it was. It may have been forty years since granny gave birth, but how well she remembers. Young mothers also have to contend with the media. Doctor and hospital shows have episodes of screaming, panting women. Stupid husbands, from the side of the bed, attempt to coach the incoherent and un-cooperative. If you are pregnant for the first time, why wouldn’t you be afraid?
President Frederick Delano Roosevelt was the first to say ‘there is nothing to fear but fear itself.” This is mostly true when it comes to delivery. Allow me to alleviate your fears. You are certainly not the first woman to give birth. As you know, women have been ‘birthin’ babies since the beginning of time. Besides the fact that having a baby is nothing you can not do, medical science is the best it has ever been.
New moms can face their fear and trepidation by educating themselves for what is ahead. Talk to your doctor about what to expect in the coming days. Take a tour of the hospital where your new baby will be ushered into the world. Do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions. Read books on delivery and better yet, take a birthing class.
One such class is named for the French doctor who introduced the birthing method in the early fifties. He had observed the method in Russia. It incorporated correct breathing for mom and support from the husband. Suddenly the days of ‘knocking mom out’ to deliver her baby were gone. Dad was no longer relegated to the waiting room, his only job to pass out cigars. He became an integral part of the birthing process.
According to the Lamaze International website, the organization “promotes a natural, healthy and safe approach to pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.” Pregnant women learn breathing techniques which will, believe it or not, lessen the pain associated with child birth. Mom and dad take the Lamaze class together. Dad’s job is to coach mom through the contractions, and to breathe along with her. He becomes a liaison between mom and her doctor, nurses and other medical personnel in the delivery room.
Take the class! You do not have to accept every notion- line, hook, and sinker, but the class is guaranteed to help you. The breathing alone will be of much value in the delivery room. Most hospitals which have a labor and delivery unit will offer a Lamaze class. If one is not available in the hospital where you are pre registered, certainly your doctor has information on where you can find one.
The Lamaze method is not big on medication during delivery. So what I am about to tell you will conflict with Lamaze. It is this; medication is your friend during delivery. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of an epidural. If your labor is not progressing too quickly he will most likely allow you to have one. An epidural blocks the pain; completely. Like any other medication complications can arise with an epidural. This is why you must be educated on the risks associated with this form of medication.
It is natural to be a little afraid to enter this final phase of pregnancy. Perhaps you will find comfort in knowing you are not alone. A myriad of women have gone before you. Probably even in the same birthing room in which you find yourself. Also, your doctor is well prepared. With attention to the information outlined in this article, so are you.
