Birth phobia is crippling me with anxiety....

[claireanddaz]

I was the same and for me it worked out how i wanted it as i had a breech baby! I'm having another c section this time as well. One of my friends got an elective section on the nhs due to being scared of having a natural birth she just had to have a counselling session and they booked her in so it can be done if you push for it. I'm all for being able to chose how you want to give birth and i understand the fear of childbirth!

 

[karlilay]

i do really want to push for it, but i feel like my family will judge me. They're very much just get on with it kinds of people, and while i agree to a certain extent, none of them suffer with anxiety like i do so they would never understand.

Did you prefer the section?

 

[LisaL79]

Don't worry about what anyone else thinks. It's your body, you do what you feel is best and definitely INSIST on that epidural if it's what you want. It should be criminal to deny pain relief if it's what the woman wants.

 

[lilmisscaviar]

I agree with the pp to do what you feel is right for YOU and not what is considered ethical to anyone else. Nobody is going to see you on the operating table aside from probably your OH and the staff, so nobody honestly HAS to know, and I'm sure the medical staff seen plenty of women get elective C-sections. Honestly if I were in your shoes and for sure that was the way I wanted my birth to go, I would bring it up at your next appointment. They should discuss a birth plan with you soon. At my hospital they give me a booklet to fill out with my wants/wishes.

 

[Enasy]

i have had tocophobia (phobia of pregnancy and childbirth) since I was 9years old. when i had my first child i had been in counselling since i was 16 until i was 32. i came to the conclusion my only way of being a mum was to just do it and deal with it as it happened. it took me 24 cycles to fall pregnant only then for my therapist to say she could no longer help me! i was a mess. right from the word go i demanded a c section through mental health reasons to help with my anxiety and panic attacks. I has a panic attack at my first scan i was terrible. i had to get a second opinion from a third party therapist so advised my consultant a c section was the best plan due to blood pressure/anxiety/panic attacks. i was about 20 weeks when it was finally ok'd but still they kept pushing for a natural. i went into labour a week early and was still then asked if i was sure about the c section.

i can completly understand why they are so hard to get ok'd it is by no means the easy way out. it took me ages to recover. But i did it. i am now a mum, i even have another on the way and a 2nd c section already ok'd.

if you are sure it is what you want then be determined, and fight for what you want. I did and instead of my worst nightmare id been stressing about for 23years the day my son was born was the happiest day of my life by far

 

[Jkelmum]

My midwife refered me at booking to a specialist mw that deals with mental health issues maybe u can ask if there's one in his area