Ok, so I know I keep banging on about how scared I am of labour, but I figure ive got to get this little lady out of me one way or another.

The main thing im scared about obviously is the pain, but also...pre-pregnancy I suffered quite bad with panic attacks and im scared that I will have a panic attack whilst im in labour.

Now originally my sister was going to travel down so that she could be with me whilst im in labour (aswell as Matt) as she has done it 5 times herself so knows what I will be experiencing, but now she's not sure if she can as there car is broken.

I do have the offer of our friends wife who is also a Student Midwife to be there instead.

I guess the main thing im asking is....have any of you lovely ladies on here been as scared as I am at the thought of giving birth to your first child, or has anyone here suffered with panic attacks and have any tips??

I just kept focusing on the thought of meeting the baby that I loved so much already. Also every contraction is one closer to meeting the little monkey

I mentioned it before, maybe hypnotherapy - it teaches you how to breathe and how to think and it really does work. You'd need to get a hurry on though as you cant learn it over night

Oh yeah, I forgot you had mentioned that on my other post...shall look into it xx

siobhan i was petrified of going into labour, its the fear of not knowing what to expect but you'll get through it.

i found my mp3 player helped when i was getting panicky x

My OH was brilliant. So much more then I thought he'd be. We didn't plan this but during contractions he'd hold my hand and be would breath in and out slowly and I would watch him and copy his breathing then he'd tell me the contest on was going (as I was strapped to a machine) this really helped me. 1. As I was concentrating on him and my breathing and not the pain and 2. Being told it was easing off would sort of bring some relief I knew it was going to end

When I was in labour with Lily I spent most of the time on gas and air (from 7cm, I didnt need it before that).

When I felt a contraction coming, I would suck in the gas and grip the handle as hard as I could and count to 10 really slowly. It was amazing how it got me through it. I just focused on getting to 10 and knowing that it would have eased when I got there.

x

snap with laura, just breath and count in your head, knowing once they get to their peak it only goes down from there and its one less!! and one nearer to havin you LO in your arms!!!

Lillie, I found keep mobile as much as possiable, I paced (sp??) up and down and trying to keep relaxed as possiable, shrugging shoulders.

hollie now well didnt have time for anything lol I think I had 10 puffs on gas and air and that was that, done haha didnt have time to stay relaxed so I must say I found hollie even though she was quicker (loads quicker) I found she hurt more.

breath and take it as it comes, go with your body not against it!!! you'l be fine lovely, you wait day after you'l be back on here saying to us...... argh what was I worrying for!! hehe xxxxx

i have had lots of anxiety/panic things in the past (including when pg cos feeling hot and shaky lots of the time used to feel like the start of a panic attack and stress me out argh!). i felt remarkably calm actually during the labour, one of my biggest fears was that i would panic too.

i found that i focused a lot on trying to get my muscles to relax (so during a contraction start at the head/face/shoulders/arms/back/tummy/legs/feet/toes and by the time you have concentrated on that it is over - plus relaxing muscles actually help things move on)

i also found positive labour affirmations amazing; things like 'my body knows what it is doing', 'every contraction brings me closer to my baby', - i thought it was a load of b*llocks when i read it, but thought oh well it can't do any harm - so i chose a few i liked (could only remember 2 in labour but that was enough) and said them to myself in my head, whilst trying to breath and concentrate on my muscles. they were really really helpful to me http://www.positivebirthstories.com/affirmations/

and finally, just remember that this is the end of one journey and the beginning of another one - you may never get to (or have to!) do it again, so enjoy the experience as much as humanly possible

haha i quite like this one actually

Quote :

The power and intensity of your contractions cannot be stronger than you, because it is you.

true!

I found having my ipod really helped. There were moments when i was just getting scared/thinking i couldnt cope and listening to some of my fav tunes really helped. It just took me out the moment for a while so i could refocus. xx

aww hun.. not long aye.

all i can say i was like you. i was really worried untill baout 38 weeks n i was like. right bring it on! n then paige didnt show untill 11 days over and 3 days on contrations and then 2-3 days of full born labour..

i suffer really bad with panic attacks i was really worried about it, as i thought i would go into one and not be able to control it or do any thing which i needed to do..

turned out, apsrt from the probs i had with birth, (hospital fault) it was fine..

no panics, nothing. i had gas and air, and metdrid (sp) n that wore off, had the gas n air taken off me to push so for a few hours i was going without help. yes it hurt like hell, but your working so hard to get the baby out you dont feel it as much. in the end i got taken in to the op room as they said i might have to have a section. but last push was forcets which worked. so i had a full spinal block. yes i was scared but i think i didnt care i just wanted her out lol x