I also find birth very painful and I had a crisis of confidence about a month before I was due too. The reality hits and as much as you know all the good stuff, the fact that it's going to be hard work is inescapable. I agree that it's like any endurance sport, mountain climbing, marathon running... the reward is partly in the fact that it IS hard. It is such an amazing achievement and given I'm a little lazy I'm not sure I'll experience that any other way in my life because I'm not keen on the idea of running a marathon
It's exciting to see you planning your next baby PZ! I want to have another baby in Feb 2015. I keep getting confused about when we need to TTC. I don't get enough sleep these days! But that's the plan anyway
Last edited by meow; August 4th, 2013 at 07:51 AM.
Thanks ladies! Luckily I already have an awesome midwife who would be on board with it. We haven't talked much about birth yet because she knows I am undecided. Though Im pretty certain I want to do this. Then I read all of you talking how painful it is!! hahaha
For me I am nervous of the unknown but focusing on HOW painful my csection was helps. I feel I am a great candidate for it. My first was a successful vaginal birth (with lots of interventions), and my 2nd was breech presentation so thats why I had a c-section. I have a bicornuate uterus so the unknown of IF that affects this process scares me.
I just need reassurance that I CAN do it. In America pain is so taboo and there are pain meds everywhere that not many people understand wanting to do it WITH pain.
A good friend of mine just had a c-section after 5 vaginal births. She'll definitely tell you YOU DON'T WANT A C-SECTION! (Her water broke at 25 weeks and she had a borderline placenta previa and a breech baby. They held off delivery until 29+5, and mom and baby are doing well now, btw. Baby just came home a couple days ago.) And while labour is painful and challenging, it's short - a day of pain, even if it's a longer labour, if you know what I mean. You don't have nearly the recovery time of a c-section. I was up and about immediately, and felt just about normal within a couple days. Don't second guess your desire for a natural homebirth! It's still hard, but it's the best, and in some ways the easiest way to go.
I never felt any apprehension about labour until baby #6, that I can remember. I always looked forward to it as a challenge, and felt like each time was going to be better. But with #6, I was really looking up against it, and I have the same thing, (but to a lesser degree) this time. Not sure what changed to make me feel this way. I've had easy labours and births, mostly under 3 hr, and never needed any stitching or anything. Short labours are intense though - it is a pretty tough 3 hr, especially at the end! And like I said before, I think it might be because I achieved my goal (home water birth) and now I don't have anything left to improve on, if you know what I mean. I'm considering trying a TENS machine this time around, having heard some good reviews from other mums. The only drawback is I can't use the water then, and I do LOVE the bath in labour! I'll have to talk about it with my midwife and see what she thinks.
Bookmarks