Contents:
- Medical Video: Testimony Tuesdays: How God Set Me Free From Anxiety
- 1. Choose a trusted doctor or midwife
- 2. Have a flexible plan
- 3. Listen to your body and baby
- 4. Do relaxation
- 5. Understand pain during childbirth
- 6. Looking for support from family or friends
- 7. Meet a therapist
Medical Video: Testimony Tuesdays: How God Set Me Free From Anxiety
Although it seems that a pregnant woman has 9 months to prepare for labor, when the time is near you still feel panic and anxiety. Indeed physical preparation alone is not enough to give birth to a child into the world. You also have to prepare mentally. However, many pregnant women are afraid of giving birth. This fear and anxiety can come from various sources. For example, you have heard the story of your sister's labor that is quite tense or you are someone who cannot stand the pain.
Feelings of anxiety and fear of giving birth are natural. If this is your first labor, you might imagine bad things will happen. However, the second delivery can also still feel daunting. For example, because your first delivery runs smoothly, then you are afraid that the second will be quite difficult. Or precisely because your first labor is not smooth, you are also worried that the second labor will also be problematic.
If you are a pregnant woman who is afraid of giving birth, you need to practice special techniques to overcome this fear. Because, labor is a natural and beautiful experience, not always frightening and tense as in your mind. Remember that a woman's body has been designed in such a way as to be able to pass through labor. Do not let you miss these precious moments because of fear. Look carefully at some tricks to overcome fear and anxiety before the next labor.
READ ALSO: 13 Things You Must Do During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy
1. Choose a trusted doctor or midwife
The first thing a woman who is afraid of giving should do is choose the right obstetrician or midwife. Make sure your obstetrician is reputed, trusted, or has helped your family members and friends go through labor. That way, you will be more calm and want to believe in the words of the doctor. It is also important to ensure that you and your husband have thoughts that are in line with the doctor or midwife who is responsible for your delivery. You all can work well together during the process of pregnancy and birth.
2. Have a flexible plan
Remember that when the time for delivery arrives, the plan that you have arranged in such a way together with your husband and obstetrician can suddenly break up. However, that does not mean it means something bad will happen. Changes to the plan are normal in labor. If this happens, you need to be open to the suggestions and choices available. In order for you to be more calm if something is not in accordance with the plan, talk about all the backup options and the possibility of being together with your husband and obstetrician.
READ ALSO: How Many Times Are Caesareans a Woman Can Live?
3. Listen to your body and baby
In the end, the birth process is controlled by your own body and baby. Believe that your body and baby will have a special way to work together. So, you must learn to listen carefully to your body and baby from the beginning of pregnancy. Spend quality time chatting intently with the fetus and feel its presence in harmony with your body. Pay attention to any body changes that occur and find out the cause. You also become more confident and resigned to the labor process that will occur.
4. Do relaxation
For some pregnant women, the fear and anxiety that arises can be a very burdensome thing. If this is how you feel, you need to practice relaxation techniques. Close your eyes and think of a place or situation that makes you feel calm and peaceful. Imagine the atmosphere, remember the various smells that you smell in that place, and feel the emotion that time appears like happy or satisfied. While thinking about it, adjust your breath as slowly and deeply as possible. You can also join yoga and meditation specifically for pregnant women to help calm the mind before labor.
READ ALSO: 8 Yoga Poses that Are Good for Training the Pelvis During Pregnancy (Hip Opening)
5. Understand pain during childbirth
If you are afraid of giving birth because you cannot stand the pain, you need to change your mindset. Understand that pain during childbirth is not the same as the pain that arises when you are injured or have an illness that must be quickly expelled. This physical sensation is really needed to bring your baby into the world. Understanding this makes it easier for you to control panic because of the pain that arises.
READ ALSO: Benefits and Risks of Using an Epidural During Childbirth
6. Looking for support from family or friends
Pregnant women surrounded by people closest to birth will feel more confident and optimistic about the issue of childbirth. No need to be embarrassed to admit that you are afraid of giving birth, precisely by telling people who can be trusted you can vent the fear. However, you also need to limit yourself so you don't hear too many scary stories about labor.
7. Meet a therapist
If the fear and anxiety you experience before labor is too severe, immediately seek professional help. You can meet a psychologist or therapist to assist you in facing the fear of giving birth. Remember, maternal mental health is as important as physical health. A recent study in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed that fear of childbirth risks making labor more complicated and long. So, do not underestimate the psychological condition of pregnant women before labor.
