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Natural Birth
Terrified about being in labor again
I am pregnant with my 3rd baby, I'm only 6 weeks but I'm already dreading the labor. My first delivery was "normal." My second delivery from the first contraction to the final push was only 2 1/2 hrs. She was born 16 min after we got to the hospital! I'll head to the hospital MUCH sooner this time but I will probably research as much as I can about home births just in case we don't make it.....I don't know what else I can do to calm my fears. My midwife said I will most likely have another fast delivery.
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Re: Terrified about being in labor again
Married to J since 5/05, Mommy to T (10/08), L (08/10) and C (02/13) who was born at home.
I haven't been through a 2nd delivery yet, but I guess I'm not understanding exactly what you're finding terrifying. It sounds like your labor and delivery went awesome. Is it the possibility of baby being born not at the hospital that's bothering you? Perhaps meeting with a direct entry midwife to give you some advice and encouragement if that were the case. However, even if you deliver before you reach the hospital you will likely be en route. You wont be long in getting there I'm guessing.
Like I said, I'm not in your position, but your labor and delivery sound like what I'm hoping for. If it's gonna be furious, I'd rather it be fast. But then I labored over 24 hours with my first, so anything less than that sounds fabulous.
I can't speak for others, but for me it's the idea of not getting to the hospital. Giving birth in a car or unintentionally at home is a nightmare scenario for me. Having one of the most intimate and personal experiences of my life take place on the side of a busy road during rush hour doesn't appeal to me. And while I completely trust my body's ability to give birth and my husband's ability to support me, but I would prefer to have some trained medical person around. If we don't make it to the car, my husband would have to be watching our older children at home and I'd birth that baby alone in the bathroom.
I loved my fast birth- but only in retrospect, since I made it to the hospital.
I totally agree!!! My first was 6 hours my second was less than 2 and both were out in 3 pushes. I am SO TERRIFIED of this little one being born in a car or that I'll be home alone with my little kids when our new baby arrives this November. I know it's unlikely but I absolutely understand why you are feeling this way! Best wishes for both of our labors to be fast but not *too* fast...
Maybe Google some unassisted birth stories so you have an idea of how people handle it when it's planned and on purpose? I've had one hospital birth and 3 u/c. My first u/c, I let dh sleep for the first 2 hours of a 4 hour labor. My second u/c was a 4 day ordeal (he was posterior and took his sweeeeeet time getting in position). We went about our usual business until the last few hours. I sent dh to work the morning of the birth, and called him home around 1. He got home around 2:30, and the baby came around 4:30. My two older kids (at the time 5 and 2yo) played the computer for the last few hours of labor. With my third u/c, it was the middle of the night. I let dh sleep the first 3 hours of the 4 hour labor, then I woke him up because all the kids were awake (7, 4, 2yo). I labored in the shower for a while, then I yelled for dh when it was time to push. I'd like all the kids to be asleep this time, but I doubt that will happen.
Exactly. Except I have a feeling my husband would be so afraid he might not be much of a help! Also DD was born w/the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck & was blue from her head to her chest. The nurses had to put her on oxygen for 3 min just to get her apgars to 4. With DS it was a 12 hr labor & I felt very in control. With DD's I only felt control for the first hour & 1/2. I don't like that feeling!
DD1 was an 8 hour labour.
DD2 was a 2 hr labour, that ended up with her being born on our bathroom floor and delivered by my husband.
I'm not going to lie, the 15minutes from where I realised that the baby was coming NOW to her being born were stressful, and frightening and I spent a day thinking, "I am done having babies that was too frightening and I never want to do that again."
But the next day I was over the "trauma" and ready to have more babies.
If you'd asked DH if he was capable of/wanted to deliver a baby he would have said, "hell no", but he was amazing. Kept me calm, looked after us both and just rose to the occasion because that's what people do.
The ambulance dispatcher talked him through it while our midwife was trying to get to us. The paramedics turned up as she was head out, and they told DH to just keep doing what he was doing, so it's really special that he delivered our daughter.
Obviously things like cords around the neck can happen to anyone, and the dispatcher was talking DH through what to do if that situation eventuated, but it was a non-issue for us. I'm sure it was very frightening with your daughter.
We plan to head to my parents when I go into labour next time, immediately, drop off our daughters, and wait (they're only 5 mins to the hospital). Although I'm pretty sure DH wants us to just sit in the carpark at the hospital from around 38 weeks. :-)
Good luck.
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old