Are you planning on an epidural?
Personally, I'm terrified of needles. I'm going to try hypnobirthing. The idea of doing hypnobirthing doesn't scare me. The idea of getting an epidural and giving birth that way terrifies me.
Just wondering what everyone else with my shared phobia was planning.
Re: for those afraid of needles...
I hate needles. The worst part about my c-section (which was all bad) was getting the spinal (very similar to epidural). My contractions were coming every 3 minutes at that point (baby was breech...we knew it was going to be a c-section, but I wanted to go into labor on my own) and I started praying for another contraction to start because the anesthesiologist stopped working during my contractions.
I've heard great things about hypnobirthing. Another super helpful way to avoid epidurals is to be very informed and have a doula!
I definitely have a fear of needles, especially long, giant needles going into my spine. I don't know what method I want to try for delivery yet, but fear of actually receiving the epidural is definitely helping me remain confident in my decision to go for a for a natural birth. Fear of needles was actually on my list of "reasons why I should never get pregnant."
Similarly, I am using my fear of needles to reinforce my fear of gestational diabetes. I would hate to have to deal with needles more regularly as a result of GD (on top of putting my baby at risk obviously)!
Not afraid of needles whatsoever... unless it's a needle in the mouth (ugh, hate dentists!) Those terrify me.
I plan on having a natural birth without pain meds but am open to changing my plan if need be. The though of getting an epidural doesn't bother me. What worries me is how the epidural will make me feel.
I can give shots and handle them all day, but when ones pointed my direction...COMPLETELY different story. I definitely would like an epidural, but I am terrified of the needle. I'll handle it better if they don't let me see it.
BUT I'm hoping I can even get one? When my mom went in labor with me...she dilated so fast that they couldn't give her one? So she had me with absolutely nothing. She went from 1 cm to 10 in an hour. That's what she told me. Sooo I'm hoping that doesn't rub off on me...if it can?
Out of anything pregnancy related, the epidural/spinal was what I was afraid of the most. It haunted me my entire pregnancy... when the day finally came and they put me on the table (I had a csection so I just had a spinal block) I was shaking like crazy and didn't think I'd ever settle down. It wasn't bad, at all. It was basically a slight poke, a weird nervy kind of pain that lasted for a split second, and then it was over. I don't really want to do it again, because who wants a needle in their back, but I'm not afraid of it hurting or anything, because it really didn't!
ETA- I must have hit the jackpot with an amazing anesthesiologist, I certainly hope I get that lucky again! I'm sad that other people had bad experiences
I was terrified of needles the first time around but I got over it pretty quick after all of the shots and blood work from DS and when I went into labor the pain was so unbearable for me that I didn't even notice the epidural and it was such a relief when I was finally able to have one.
But I never thought of Hypnotherapy.... that would be a great thing to try!