Pregnancy can be a fearful time, especially if you are unaware of the options available to you. It is important to face your fears, deal with them, and move on to making wise choices. Fear itself can have a crippling effect, both emotionally and physically, which can be harmful to you, your baby, and your entire birth experience if not well-managed.
If it's true that "the truth will set you free," then knowledge can be the antidote to fear. Fear, coupled with a lack of knowledge, can hinder our best efforts in three ways. It can paralyze us into accepting our assumptions, which may or may not be based on fact. It can lead us into bad choices, clouding our minds with emotion so that reason cannot prevail. And lastly, an unhealthy fear can have physical implications during pregnancy and childbirth that lead to complications, prevent relaxation, and make birth more difficult than it has to be.
Therefore, it is vital to the well-being of you and your baby that you take the time to face your fears and deal with them early in your journey. One way to do this is by examining all your options. If, for example, you fear the actual birth process, begin by learning what is really going on during that time. A childbirth class or the internet can teach you what your body does to bring your baby into this world. It is really quite amazing. Know what to expect during the three phases of labor and the different strategies for dealing with each.
In addition to the physical details of labor, find out about your options. Are you planning on a hospital birth because that's what everyone you know has done? What are the benefits of a birth center environment or a home birth? Learn about how midwives differ from ob-gyns in their philosophy, approach, and abilities. If you assume one kind of childbirth is the easiest, explore the pros and cons of that method as well as the other options and variations: cesarean, vaginal, epidural, medicated, natural. There is a lot to learn, but it's worth it to have the knowledge that can calm your fears and help you make informed choices for you and your baby.
Another important step in handling fear may include a fear release session. This strategy will help with fears that require more than mere facts to conquer. Hypnobirthing is one childbirth coping method that encourages taking an emotional inventory during your pregnancy, and facing the fears that might hinder you. A variety of hurts and insecurities from your past can interfere with the birth process if not handled. The fears need to be acknowledged and set free in some tangible way such as writing them on paper and burning them. This can improve your mental and emotional health in order to free your body to do its birthing work. Some more serious emotional fears and issues, of course, may require professional therapy.
Knowledge may not solve all your problems, dilemmas, and hang-ups during your pregnancy, but it can definitely bring you peace and confidence in making wise decisions at every turn, enabling you to do the best you can for you and your baby. Try to be objective and learn all that you can, setting aside your assumptions. You might be surprised. Better yet, you might be liberated.
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