How to Overcome Fear During Labor

During labor, fear can be your worst enemy. Fear of labor pain can cause the naturally occurring labor-enhancing hormones to come to a halt. Fear can cause your uterine muscles to tighten against each other and provide resistance to labor. Fear can cause panic and increase the fear-tension-pain cycle to increase.

It is best to try and overcome your fears about labor and birth before it actually occurs. The following steps are ways to help you overcome and heal your fears. Taking these steps before going into labor is the best way to prepare for a positive birth experience.

Instructions

1. Recognize normal fears from abnormal fears. Normal fears about labor and birth include wondering how bad it may hurt, what you can do to alleviate the pain and how you're going to handle it. It is quite normal to be apprehensive. However, if these thoughts begin dominating your life and making you increasingly fearful of what is to come, you need to deal with these fears directly. Do not wait until you go into labor to answer these questions.

2. Sign up for a childbirth education class. Getting accurate information about what happens during labor and birth, and pain management is a smart decision. If you understand the process of what is going on physically, emotionally and psychologically during labor and birth, you will be able to deal with the pain.

3. Identify your fears. Everyone has their own fears about labor and birth. You may be terrified of having a C-section or an episiotomy. Identifying your fears allows you to be aware of what you are scared of and effectively deal with it.

4. Heal past birth experiences and fears. Oftentimes, we carry previous birth experiences into the current one. If you had a stalled labor or an episiotomy with a prior birth, you may be more fearful of the same thing occurring. Work on releasing those fears and understand that your previous birth experience was totally separate and has no bearing on the upcoming one.

5. Choose supportive people to attend your birth. Fear is extremely contagious. If you have someone at your birth who is fearful of the process or is not supportive of your method of childbirth, fear has the opportunity to rear its ugly head. Choose your birth attendants carefully and make sure they are willing to support you by believing in your innate ability to birth.

6. If you are dealing with past traumatic experiences such as sexual or physical abuse and think that it may inhibit your ability to deal with fear and pain, you can seek counseling. Childbirth counselors or religious counselors can help you deal with past traumatic experiences and prepare you for the upcoming birth.