Tips to overcome fear of birth

[Lenny]

Don't feel you have to go the full educated route because others do if it doesn't suit you. I knew I'd overthink it if I let myself get too deep in information so I went the head in the sand approach.

Two brilliant births. It was right for me.

So my tip is just don't think about it lol. When you're in the moment of labour you have to face it so you do. Before labour all you can do is speculate.

I share similar views to jellyfish. I took a head in the sand approach, more or less. There just seemed to be too much information for me, and too many variables. I knew what i absolutely did not want, and the rest I left up to the night.

I know that this approach ( if it can be called that!) isn't for everyone. But just wanted you to know that it's ok not to have read up and studied, if that's not really your thing. I love information and education, but for me birth was going to be very subjective.

[BellyBelly]

Depends what sort of birth you want though. Rhea Dempsey talks about the different types of women going into labour - from completely pain avoiding to completely avoiding intervention. She has great names for them all, including the 'Wait and See' woman, who waits, she sees, she doesn't like - and ends up down the intervention route. Or the 'Status Quo' woman who thinks that hospitals are good and safe, doctors are experts, they'll take care of me and it will all be good. Then they too head down the intervention route. Its really interesting - after 30 years of births, she's noticed strong patterns in birthing women and is pretty good at predicting what sort of birth you will have just by talking to you and your partner. Rhea has finally put it all into a book too Recommended reading!

My personal tips would be to go to independent education, it will give you confidence and strength, where some hospital based classes gear you up for drugs and can leave you more fearful (have seen this a fair bit, but not always of course), as L&B said, Calmbirth, Hypnobirth etc, get a doula for support, read empowering books/info only. I believe with information comes power and confidence, if you pick the right materials. You dont have to read a heap, just a couple of goodies. Lastly, trust and believe you were made to do this and take one contraction at a time. Nature gives you a break between contractions and a kind slow build up.