Anxiety About Upcoming Csection

You have been through it. Go you!
So, knowing what to expect (at least in a general sense) is half the battle.
I hope it goes well.
I have the same anxiety about vaginal births, all five times. The fear of childbirth NEVER goes away. But it's all worked out just fine. I always wonder, so what did I fear anyway? I can do that again! LOL. And we are now blessed with a big family.

What are you stressing about? Is it the pain of recovery? The pain the 2nd time around was MUCH less because those nerves were already dead. I was able to get up and around much more quickly and I had a 3 1/2 year old to take care of when I got home.

Is surgery a little scary? Yes. Do you get a great big reward (i.e. a beautiful baby) yes indeed.

Focus on your little one and you'll get through this.

Congratulations!

M.

Are you spiritual? I pray and give my worries over to God when I need peace.

Keep busy at home now.
Spend time playing with your son.
Cuddle up w/your son & watch a kids movie w/him.
Make lists of things to do, things you want to accomplish later, organize.
Every time you feel yourself starting to think about the upcoming surgery
say to yourself "Stop. Breathe. Everything will be fine!" then get busy.
Keeping busy keeps your mind off of things. So keep your mind occupied.
Read a book or a magazine. Do a crossword puzzle.
Breathe. Take deep breaths every time you catch your mind drifting to
worry.
Envision your surgery day. See it being easy, quick & painless. See the
outcome...you holding your newborn. See it in your mind's eye. Replay
this in your head like a movie. It's your visual mantra.
Before you know it, it will be over and your baby will be here.
Wishing you a healthy baby & easy surgery.
Keep breathing. (Deep breaths to the count of five. 1,2,3,4, 5 in, exhale 1,
2,3,4 5.) You've got this!

My second C-sect was soo much easier than my first. I did not go through 18 hrs of labor. I was knocked out because the epidural did not work.
With my second, I was in a little labor but then they did the spinal and I was up and moving very well very quickly. It was a lot easier than the first. I was able to be more active quicker and I was out and about much faster.

Talk to your doc about how the procedure will go. For me the second one was much better.

Good luck and congratulations.

A., I'm so sorry that you are going through this! It's perfectly normal to be anxious about childbirth. I was too!

Maybe try to focus on the last few weeks of having your son ALL TO YOURSELF! That's what helped me. I would have a plan for the day, even if it was cleaning a room or sorting through old magazine for recycling.

I also tried to prepare for my new baby as much as possible. Keeping myself busy helped me to NOT think about what was coming up. I think because we already know what's ahead, it creates the anxiety. I'd like to think of it the way Maureen H. did- at least you aren't going to go through 18 hours of labor!! See? There's a positive!

So have a plan for the day and stick to it. Try to enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy and good luck! It's going to be okay, really!

Who is going to be with you after the baby is born to see to your recovery? Can you ask a friend or family member to fly in to take care of you. I never had a C-sec, but with my 2nd birth, I begged a family member to come help me and she stayed with me 2 weeks. I stayed home for 40 days resting from my home birth, as I read was the common practice abroad. I had a hospital birth the first time and I felt I need to really recover and did not. I also felt "forgotten". I just had a baby! My body went through a LOT! And I needed to recover and rest.

You will need someone to care for You and your older child. I don't want to see you caring for him by yourself. The baby should be easy peasy, but again, it would be best to have an extra pair of hands.

Daily Beast: Why are America's postpartum practices so hard on mothers?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/08/15/ame...

What exactly are you anxious about? What are your specific fears regarding the C-sec? That may help people who want to give you positive feedback and encouragement.

I agree that anxiety about childbirth is normal, but try to focus on the positives. I have had two c-sections (one emergency, one planned). I was nervous both times. I listened to calming piano music during the actual procedure, so you could see if it is possible for you to listen to some sort of music (maybe even something more uplifting would help!). Remember the c-secion itself isn't very long, and if you don't have labor beforehand, you should be able to get up and move around very soon after. Focus on meeting your new little one! You can do this and everything is going to work out. I actually had some tapes from a hypnobirthing CD (from my first pregnancy) that I listed to during my second pregnancy. They were actually very relaxing. So try to find something you can do to calm your nerves - breathing exercises, meditation, listening to something etc. Your little one will be here before you know it. I wish you the best of luck over the next few days!

Everyone is different. For me, my vag delivery and recovery were horrible. My c-section was wonderful. Either way, some anxiety is to be expected but it sounds like yours may be out of control. Talk to your doctor. The anxiety meds you are on may need to be adjusted. There is no reason anxiety should rule your life, regardless of what your situation is.

Can you talk to your OB ASAP to see if there is anything they can give you when you enter the hospital Wednesday to calm you down? I will be having my 3rd c-section come February and I realized that I will have to go through this all over again. But I have plenty of time not to think about it. Another thing I realized too was that, yeah, it hurt and was painful to recover from, BUT, I did heal and recover and could move and bend just like I did before. You got through it once, you can do it again. Focus on the positive (a new baby), not the negative.

I think anxiety about delivering your child if real no matter how the thing is supposed to come out! I have had one emergency and two scheduled C-sections. I understand the dread and fear. Make a little play list on your phone and have your husband bring it in with him. I really don't care for the sounds and hearing the dr.s words durning, so I listened to some quiet music right up to my ear and focused on that during the procedure.

Also here is some perspective: this last C-section i went into labor 8 days early. I was in denial about being in labor (I just had so much to do before the baby came). I went to run errands and get a hair cut even though I was having lots of contractions. By the time I realized I was in real labor and got my butt to the hospital, I'd been in labor about 4 hours. By the time I was rigged up to get rolled into the ER I'd been in labor about 6 hours. By the time I was getting my spinal block I was almost going out of my mind from the pain.
A., that sh($@T hurts. Thank God the whole time during the procedure that you do not have to go through labor. Think about the miracle and blessing of modern science and anesthesiology.
Also sorry to go here, but also consider that people used to undergo surgery and amputations with no Anesthesia. Consider the suffering and pain of a woman who needed to undergo a mastectomy without anesthesia. Then consider how lucky you are to be able to have a spinal block. It really is a blessing. I understand your fear, but try and put it in perspective.

I also dreaded the procedure to the point of wanting to be medicated for my anxiety. But in the end, I made it through, and it was more doable than I anticipated. However labor was not more doable than anticipated. Oh no. But the C-sections were a breeze. You'll be fine.