Calm your labour and birth fears

1. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that women have been giving birth since the beginning of time. Childbirth is a natural part of life, and you will succeed without major hassles, like millions of other women around the world.
2. Talk to your gynaecologist/midwife before your due date. List your fears and ask questions. Discuss a birth plan after researching the options (normal vaginal delivery, elective C-section, water birth, homebirth, etc.).
3. Try to attend antenatal classes if possible. This will help you to prepare for your labour and birth. You’ll learn various relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, and stress management.
4. Closer to your due date, take time out each day to think about the birth process. Visualise it the way you want it to be. Choose a calming method that works for you, whether it’s prayer, meditation, or just quiet, reflection time, and tell yourself that you will get through this.
5. Arrange to have a good support structure available around the time of your birth. Check if your mom, sister or any other family member, apart from your husband, can be with you at the hospital when you go into labour. Just knowing you have family around you automatically strengthens your resolve.
6. Write down your fears. Just as many moms keep a journal when their baby is born, start a little earlier with a pregnancy journal. On the days you find yourself fretting too much, write it down. Not only is writing therapeutic, but it will lift your mood once you have offloaded your fears onto paper.

• Don’t listen to old wives’ tales or horrific birth stories.
• Don’t believe everything you Google, or hear about or read.
• Don’t be closed to the idea of a different birth option from the one you planned. Say that you want to have a natural birth, but ask your doctor and read up about C-sections as well. In the case of unforeseen circumstances where you require a C-section, at least you’ll be well informed about the procedure. By doing this, your fear will be halved!

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