Pregnancy & Baby 

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Frightened of Labour?

You’re not the only one. Christine Hill offers a bit of reassurance

One glance at a pregnancy book, let alone the chapter on complications, is enough to set you off. Then your girlfriends find out you’re expecting, and someone feels compelled to tell you about a friend of a friend, who had the most horrendous time giving birth. Girlfriends can be a mixed blessing when you’re pregnant for the first time – they may have the best of intentions, but hearing all the gory details doesn’t help you. All the worries and fears about labour crowd in.

Let’s face it. It is a worrying time

You’re literally venturing into the unknown, especially if it’s your first baby. No one feels totally confident, when they have to do something for the first time. If you’re frightened of something, there are two ways of dealing with the issue; go into denial or acquire as much knowledge as possible cope with it.

Is ignorance bliss?

When women decide to ignore their fears about labour, they usually try to suppress their worries, by keeping themselves busy throughout pregnancy; working until the last possible week or buying and selling a house. They go into labour, already exhausted, with no idea of what to expect. In these circumstances, labour is much more likely to be a shock. But there’s another issue – not thinking about pregnancy and labour means that women aren’t preparing themselves for the impact of a new baby either. The whole experience is more likely to be stressful rather than enjoyable.

Knowledge is power

If you find out what’s involved in labour, you’ll obviously be in a better position to pinpoint what frightens you most. It means reading the books, surfing iVillage Pregnancy and Baby channel and learning the medical terminology, so you can understand what hospital staff are saying and ask informed questions.

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