Terrified of labor.. any advice?

Question

So I’m going through this alone. I have one child already and with my first pregnancy the epidural didn’t work.. I felt all the contractions 😭 I was absolutely terrified of getting the actual epidural in the first place. I think the needle freaked me out & I was literally shaking. But the first time I also had my partner with me to let me squeeze his hand. This time I will be doing it completely alone, no friends or family. ￼& I’m actually terrified even thinking about it. With my son I had an induction though & this time I think I’m just going to let it happen on its own. My son had a little trouble coming out with the induction. It was traumatic and painful. Hoping to not have as bad of an experience this time 😭
Due September 7th 🩵

Answer

Try to spend the next little bit building community. See if there are other single moms in your area. If you can afford it hire a dula

Answer

I can relate to this for a couple of reasons. 
First reason being — with my 1st I was already at the hospital for a post dates ultrasound, when I went into labor. Long story short, my amniotic fluid level was low and since I was already 2 days past due, it was decided to induce me, but upon checking me, I was already 3 cm dilated, so I got hooked up to an IV to push fluids and see if that would help progress labor naturally, and it did. He was born the next day, after almost 24 hours of labor 🥴
So with my 2nd I was super anxious about labor because I’d have no idea how to gage when to go to the hospital or any of that. So I prayed like hell my water would break (it didn’t with my 1st, they had to break it for me) cus that would be the most and only obvious indicator to me that I was going into labor and luckily it did happen that way…kind of. I was having contractions but brushed them off as Braxton Hicks initially but a few hours later my water broke and my daughter was born 3 hours later. 
I was fortunate to be able to have an epidural with 1st, but didn’t with my 2nd. And honestly I’m glad it worked out that way and that I was able to experience both. 
But the 2nd reason is — while I had my fiancé at both deliveries, he might as well have not been there. The 1st time around my dad relieved him of being at the hospital and told him to go home and get some sleep so we were all under the impression he was home, he wasn’t. He was up all night with a friend smoking pot and didn’t get back to the hospital minutes before I started pushing. And the 2nd time he slept my whole labor. 
I don’t hold any animosity about it now — that was nearly 7 and 4 years ago and honestly idk how he could have been better there for me because when I’m in pain I just wanna be left alone anyway. But I definitely would have preferred he’d been more present. So I’m sorry you have to go it alone, I wish you didn’t. But maybe alone is better. It’ll be peaceful and it can still be a really beautiful experience. Especially once your baby is born, that time to bond just the two of you will be so magical 💕

Answer

Maybe talk to your doctor and the nurses? I had natural and I just listened the nurse the whole time. I don’t even remember my husband being there!

Terrified of labor.. any advice?

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