Is it normal to feel so worried?

[Youcannotbeserious]

I am 38 weeks PG and feeling more and more anxious about being a parent.

I'm worried about the birth, how I'll cope, what if there is something wrong with the baby? The list just seems endless.

I almost feel like I'm 'tempting fate' to talk about my baby reaching one, or being a toddler.

I can't seem to relax and just believe that everything WILL be OK.

My PG has been totally straight forward so I've no reason to believe there is a problem...

I had a show yesterday, which my DOula said might mean things are kicking off in the next day or so, but I'm not due to have my CS until next Friday and I'm just stressing about everything.

Why can't I just relax and feel more positive?

If anyone has any tips, I'd be really grateful. DH isn't about to talk to and I don't really have any friends or family that I can talk to either....

[Excitable]

Oh, that's a rotten feeling, but I bet you there isn't a mum in the land that hasn't felt like you. All I can say is that the fact that you worry will probably make you a better mum. You're not going to be a parent that doesn't care. We will all love our kids and we will all worry about them and I can't think of anything more normal.

I think you might need to hear this rather than read it. Why not drop your doula a line and tell her how you feel? I bet you a tenner she'll understand...

[hertsnessex]

YCBS,

We have all been there. The whole wa through my pregnancies I didnt even want to buy anything as I was sure my babies wouldnt be born alive. I didnt even contemplate past the birth as it was too scary. Once they were here I would worry every night and day about all the childhood illnesses and cot death.

I think having your baby is a HUGE deal, and your feelings are all valid. Perhaps alot of it is related to the 'shock' of the pregnancy.

A show can mean things are imminent in the next 24-48hrs - but also a plug can reform. What will be will be in regards to when your labour starts of if you reach your CS date. There is not point in stressing and worrying about this - it doesn't change the outcome.

Try some relaxation and visualisation techniques, talk to your baby, get things ready for his arrival and enjoy the last few days of being pregnant. I know I look back and wonder why I worried so much - if only I could have enjoyed it more - hindsight is a wonderful thhing!!! .

It is perfectly normal to feel so worried. As your DH isn;t around why not call your doula - have a chat - I am SURE she is there for you.

Cxx

[Essie3]

See the other post on this - I think we're all going through it!

[Youcannotbeserious]

THanks - I think I just needed someone to tell me I wasn't going mad.

Seems like this will be my last night with Bump, so I will try to relax and enjoy!

(Hertsnessex - what would I do without you!? Thanks! )

[Orissiah]

Good luck. I am so nervous about the baby being born okay that I haven't yet snipped the tags off her clothes or unpacked things out of their boxes; I am also so nervous about the birth having watched women in birthing videos make such painful, primeval sounds that have made me cry (I should never have watched them!). Curiously I am not nervous about after the birth though ie looking after the baby. Just the next three weeks.

O
37+6

[Pinkjenny]

DD is one tomorrow, and for nostalgic reasons, I've just looked back over my posts on the ante-natal thread from the day before I gave birth.

I was absolutely terrified, completely overwhelmed, scared she wouldn't breathe, scared she'd need to go to special care, scared there'd be something wrong with her. I was apparently in a totally foul mood. And I have to be honest, I have no recollection whatsoever of feeling like that! I wish I'd tried to enjoy it more, especially in the last weeks of pregnancy.

I think its perfectly normal. Once you see your LO, it'll all fade away.

She was fine by the way, well apart from her clicky hips ha ha! But they're fine now !

[meep]

YCBS you are not going mad - I was bloody terrified - DH was bloody terrified - in fact I was the only one in my antenatal group who wanted to be late!!!

And step away from the baby programmes - I would sob through them and they scared me even more!
(I sounded like a cow when I was in labout and didn't care at all !)

Would second what riven said - you will forget them once your baby is here - but gain a whole load of new worries! But you will also have a new small gogeous bundle of babyness in your life and that is the best feeling ever!

Good luck!

[cory]

Those birthing videos are more scary than the real thing. I remember the midwife (!) walking out of the room muttering "I can't bear to watch those'. That is one good thing to be said about labour- we don't have to see ourselves