I was terrified of the pain of childbirth and it DID affect how I felt during my pregnancy. Turns out it was not nearly as painful as I panicked it would be.

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Women are way too conditioned to fear the pain of childbirth. Nicole Ritchie needs to have tea with some natural birthing advocates.

I had a friend who had an awful labor 9 months before I was to have my labor. As my day grew closer, she asked my husband and I if we were scared. I would have loved to not come off the way we did, but the truth was that we weren't scare. My husband had a stick for me to bite on and we were just going to get on through it.

The fear hit me as I walked through the double doors to Labor and Delivery. I think I finally realized that there was only one way out of this pregnancy thing! Hindsight tells me that I had already finished dilating, so there really was no way but forward. My fear was fleeting and we just got down to the business of having the baby.

Five kids later, I'm leery of the pain of my impending childbirth, but the fact that it comes and then goes and that there's no choice in the matter keeps my fear from getting out of hand. It's not so much fear as reluctance. The reluctance really doesn't matter, anyway.

I guess that's what gets me through it...it doesn't do me any good to dwell on my fear, so i don't.

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my sister-in-law was so worried about the pain of pregnancy that she was excited that she got in a car accident 2 weeks before she was due because the Dr. suggested a C-section! i couldnt imagine wanting a C-section. sure, with my son, i was afraid but i was also looking forward to the one thing my body was truly made to do. and i did it completly natural. now, pregnant with my second son...i cant wait until the birth! i pray i get to do it 100% natural again.

i would assume most people have some fear about giving birth. and if you hve the money for a hypnotherapist...makes more sense to me than scheduling a C-section or getting an epidural.

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Yes, I was afraid of the pain. I did as much research as I could, talked to my doctor, talked to other moms. And, of course, some of those moms wanted to 'educate' me about childbirth, telling me in excrutiating detail just how painful/horrifying/death-defying their experience was. (Believe me, THAT helped...) On the other hand, I heard from some of the champs that had almost no pain, and their children appeared after 2 hours of labor. I'm still jealous of them.

In the end, I made the decision to avail myself of modern science, and had an epidural. Turned out to be a good choice, too, as I ended up with an emergency C-section, and it was one procedure that didn't have to be done in a rush.

I have a ton of respect and admiration for those of you who do it naturally, but if I get pregnant again, I'm going with the epidural again. Maybe even scheduling the C-section, because of the scariness of the first time around.

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With my first daughter, I ended up having a an emergency c-section after 14 hours of labor...then the epidural failed. I'll tell ya'll one thing, labor pains are NOTHING compared to having a section without benefit of anethesia. The general they were pumping into my iv finally took hold after the removed my daughter. Thanks, doc! But, at least I didn't have to feel them suturing me back together. I was coherant enough to hear my husband say "At least that pork roast looking thing isn't going home with us!" the doctor informed him that was my uterus, and yes, we would be taking it home :)
I was glad to bring "Ms. U" back home, because I had my 2nd daughter 2 days short of 2 years later. The first epidural didn't take and had to be redone, but over all, my second delivery experience went pretty smoothly.
I know some are dead set against epidurals, but the ladies in the labor rooms on either side of me who didn't opt for epidurals sure as heck did not sound like they were having a more pleasant and "natural" childbirth experience than me. Honestly, the noise they were making wore on my nerves big time. I think there should be seperate wings for the screamers and the women who have epidurals.
I've had other mothers give me "the look" aftering hearing I had epidurals. I told them to have a section without benefit of an epidural, as I did, then come back and give me that judgemental look.

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With my first, who was born when I was 17, I did nothing, really, to prepare for the birth. I woke up one morning when my water broke a month early, and was TERRIFIED. I had been dealing with it by not thinking about it, and it was then I realized that the baby was coming out, whether I liked it or not, and it was going to HURT! I had a pretty easy labor - about 4 hours from the time the contractions started, 7 from the time my water broke - and it wasn't so bad. At the point when I had almost given in and asked for pain meds (I was more terrified of the epidural, honestly), I was ready to push, and it was too late.

With my second, I knew I'd done it once before, so I knew I could, and it wouldn't be awful. I was still scared, though. And he was my hardest labor, and the most painful of my 3.

With my third, I read and prepared for it a lot more - "visualized" my birth (that sounds really new-age-y, crunchy, huh?), and when I went into labor there was no fear. It hurt, but really, only for the last hour or so, and during pushing. (If someone were to offer me an epidural during the pushing phase, I might have accepted.) He was my easy breezy labor!

And, while I think fear of labor is real, I also think it's somewhat cultural and brought on by the representations of birth we have in the media.

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This isn't any new phenomenon, hypnobirthing has been around for quite awhile. Just one more tool that an expectant mom can have in her bag for an easier birth.

To the mom who had a c/s without aesthesia, this isn't so rare. My first was a planned c/s with a spinal and it still wasn't effective and I felt the surgery. So the next time I went for a totally natural vbac instead. One easy way to avoid the results of surgery is to avoid the surgery.

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I wasn’t afraid of the pain of childbirth but I was sure plenty scared. I was afraid I wouldn’t know what to do. If I’d know when the baby was hungry and what if it cried. I was afraid of those kinds of things since I didn’t really have a lot of little ones around when I grew up. I really wanted children though. My first labor and delivery was so easy, 6 hours total. My second, since I had it so easy, I wasn’t really worried about that but was more worried this time that I wouldn’t be able to love another one the way I loved that “first” one. But, alas…..I did. BTW, second labor and delivery, 2 hours!!! I know, I had it so easy.

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I agree with Joy - I was scared of the pain of childbirth, but I was afraid of SO many other things. I think I was really convinced that I would somehow kill my new baby. I was convinced I'd die during labor. I was afraid I'd freak out at the pain of labor. I was afraid the baby would die from the stress of labor.

Being pregnant and scared isn't unusual, I suppose. As for Nicole Ritchie, I say "Whatever gets you through it!"

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I was able to go vbac with my second daughter.
I was thankful for the epidural then, also.
After coming down with a UTI and infection of my stitches, a nurse stated she had never seen so many stitches. She didn't even give me a plaque! :)

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YEAH I WAS AFRAID OF THE PAIN TO COME. I CONSULTED WITH THE DOCTOR AND FOUND THAT THE EPIDURAL WAS BEST FOR ME. I'VE HAD 3 KIDS AND WITH THEM I HAD THE EPIDURAL. IT DIDNT SLOW THE LABOR OR ANYTHING. THEN AGAIN I HAVE A HIGH PAIN TOLERANCE AND I WAITED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A FEW HOURS, TILL I COULD NO LONGER STAND THE PAIN.

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WELL I WAS IN EXTREME AGONIZING HORRIFIC PAIN;
SO MUCH SO; I COULDN'T EVEN SCREAM; I HAD A
C-SECTION; HAD I DELIVERED MY BABY NATURALLY;
I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PASSED OUT OR DIED
FROM THE EXCRUTIATING PAIN.............!

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With my daughter i had to have a c-section because she was breech. I had read up on natural birth for so long i didnt even read much on c-sections so when i was in the surgery room i was scared out of my mind. And i dont like feeling numb so i was scared that i was gonna die and everything. But when I heard my daughter and my husband held her so I can see her it all went away. I was too happy to worry about anything. My next child i want to have a vbac so wish me luck with that :)

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I arrived at hospital when pains were 2 minutes apart; nurse chewed me out, was nasty to me for not getting there earlier. Doctor decided to give me epidural, had me sit on side of of bed, at that time my water broke and went all over the nurse, I laughed; got even with Nurse Ratchett, the rest was a breeze!

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She'll be back on the wagon soon

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I think fear of the unexpected is what concerned me so much. Of course every mother you come in contact with, while your pregnant, has a birthing story to tell. The best advice I can give is to read, ask questions and prepare yourself the best you can.Try to eliminate the anxiety of the unknown by educating yourself. Focus on what is important...that beautiful baby.
My first was very hard..My doctor would only allow an epidural after a couple hours of active labor and extreme pain. Then the epidural was turned off while I was at 7-8 centimeters dilated so that I had no effects from it for the pushing stage...Since I pushed for almost 4 hours with no meds or epidural, with the threat of an emergency c-section looming, I do and always will consider that a natural birth. My second was the same way, but after my son was born naturally at 9lb 6oz..I did get a sympathetic look from my male OB..By the time my 3rd rolled around I was very prepared and thought I know what to expect..Again I was wrong, natural labor with forceps and a 10lb baby is IMPOSSIBLE to prepare for...For the women that look down on others that utilized modern medicine during childbirth. I say this: God created anesthesiologist for a reason, why not take advantage of what the good Lord gave!!

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I did not get to deliver naturally- I went in for a check up and they sent me on in for monitoring for pre eclampsia and my Blood Pressure just kept going up. I labored for 40 hours after being induced and dialated to 8 1/2 then the doctor decided on a c section- gee thanks doc-
I had 3 epidurals and none of them worked- I have a some kind of blockage in my spine which prevents it from working so needless to say the c section was fun! They had to keep shooting me with meds- but even though I was scared to death the whole time and it did hurt people are right when they say:
IT IS THE EASIEST PAIN TO FORGET
I would do it all over again in a heartbeat

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