I recently read "Birthing From Within" - a great book! I couldn't write a review of it due to the fact that it was due back at the library about 15 minutes after I finished it, but I highly recommend it. (I had a hard time living through the artsy part at the beginning, but it was still great!)
Anyhow, part of her birth preparation is having mothers write out their fears about birth... and so I did! I thought I might as well share them, and I've added my "birth hopes" as well (though these are really birth fears re-written).
My Fears About Birth
Major
- Pain (I don't subscribe to the 'birth is really painless' model.... been there, done that, and it is NOT)
- Not being able to handle the pain
Minor
- Doing something that disgusts people (I won't give details... there are a lot of possibilities)
- Something happening to the baby (not that this would be minor, but I have complete trust in the competence of our midwives)
My Hopes For This Birth
- Having an easier time, pain-wise
- Being able to handle the pain better than I did last time
- Experiencing birth ecstasy/high - last time I totally missed out on this, bummer!!!
- Better bonding with baby - last time I was just in too much pain to care
- Easier start to breastfeeding
- Better connection to DH during the birth - last time I just wanted to strangle him, i.e. "You got me into this!"
- Better connection to doulas
- Easier postpartum period - I think that this will definitely happen, barring complications - last time I was so exhausted from the hyperemesis that I started out utterly exhausted pre-birth, and it just got worse from there
Birthing from within was one of the most inspiring books for me, and one of the many reasons why I was able to look to the light to Vba3c.
ReplyDeleteWoo!
I think that since you know what to expect pain wise then this time will be a little less shocking.
I am praying for you.