Calming Your Labor and Delivery Fears

Experts say that most first-time moms -- and many experienced moms, too -- can get a major case of the jitters as their due date draws near.

"If your first pregnancy was easy, you worry that your second one will be hard; if your first one was hard, you're terrified that history will repeat itself. And if you've never done this before, well, your imagination can simply go wild as you begin to imagine every worst-case scenario possible," says high-risk obstetrician Laura Riley, MD, author of Pregnancy: You and Your Baby.

If you're thinking you'll control those fears with a detailed birthing plan, guess again. Surprisingly, doctors say this isn't the best approach to easing your fears.Â

"The truth is, the only person controlling things on delivery day is your baby, with maybe a little help from Mother Nature," says Riley. So even if your birth plan is as detailed as War and Peace, she says chances are slim that things are going to go the way you planned.

A far more reassuring method is to jot down five or six points of concern about labor and delivery and discuss them with your doctor long before your due date.

Facing Your Labor and Delivery Fears: Some Calming News

When it comes to specific labor and delivery fears, every woman has slightly different concerns. But experts tell WebMD that there are also some that are common to almost every woman, affecting both first-time as well as experienced moms.

To help allay those fears, the experts we talked to offer the following calming and reassuring advice.

Labor and Delivery: Fear of Pain

Any woman who's ever heard a "labor pain horror story" -- and who hasn't -- can't help but feel apprehensive about the pain associated with childbirth. But experts say that if you're even a little frightened about how you will react, talk to your doctor about your medication options well in advance of your due date.

Many women are concerned about the narcotics' effect on a baby, but doctors say the impact is mild, often just causing the baby to be a bit sleepy. Atlas says your doctor can tailor your drug regimen to your labor stage so that the impact on baby is minimized.

"The point to remember is that no woman has to experience more than discomfort during labor, and there is no need at all to suffer. The pain medicines used today are generally safe for mother and baby," says Atlas.

Labor and Delivery: Fear of an Epidural

While it may be comforting to know an epidural is available, it can also be a source of anxiety for many women. Fear of the procedure, as well side effects including numbness, can cause some women to avoid pain medication completely. But doctors say there is little to fear. According to Blumberg, "the complication rate is exceedingly small, especially long-term complications." Short-term problems -- like a spinal headache -- are more common she says, but "still rare, affecting only about one in 200 patients, plus they can be easily treated," says Blumberg

Labor and Delivery: Fear of a C-Section

With all the recent headlines touting mother-elected Cesarean births, you might get the idea that this is the delivery method of choice. But doctors say most women still fear the procedure -- and will do everything they can to avoid it.

If your doctor does suggest a C-section during labor and delivery, experts say be sure to ask why he or she thinks it's necessary and if there is any way to avoid it. But if there's not, then Riley says this is the time to "go with the flow" and "trust the person on the other end of the table."Common reasons for an unplanned C-section include a very large baby (in proportion to your size), your baby assumes an abnormal position during labor, or your cervix is not dilating enough.

Labor and Delivery: Fear of Not Getting to the Hospital on Time

We've all heard the stories of a baby arriving in the back seat of a taxi -- or in the produce section of the grocery store. But the reality is that for most women, particularly first-time mothers, labor rarely progresses quickly enough for this to happen.

If this is not your first baby, however, then labor may be shorter. But doctors say if you pay attention to your body cues, it should still leave you with plenty of time to get to the hospital.
To further calm those "get me there on time" fears, make sure you pack your labor bag at least two weeks before your due date -- and have a definite plan in mind for how you will get to the hospital during both the day and nighttime hours. If this is your second or third child, experts suggest having someone you can call to care for your other children when you leave for the hospital.

Labor and Delivery: Fear Your Doctor Will Miss Your Delivery

OK, so you've made it to labor and delivery with time to spare. Now, where's your doctor? The fear that he or she won't arrive in time is a major one for many women.

Relax -- you're never on your own. First, experts say that most doctors live closer to the hospital than you do, so getting there is almost never a problem.

Labor and Delivery: Fear of Pooping on the Table

It may not be life-threatening, but many women fear they'll die of embarrassment if what they see as the ultimate labor horror story occurs -- they poop on the delivery table.

While we can't promise this won't happen, Blumberg has some very reassuring advice if it does.

Says Blumberg: "Nobody is happier than me when a woman in labor has a bowel movement, because that almost always means the baby is on the way, that a vaginal delivery is progressing normally, and that I don't have to be concerned about a C-section. It's really a sign that everything is A-OK and if you can just look at it that way, you'll forget about the embarrassment and feel as happy as I do that your baby is about to enter the world."

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