No one wants to hear that Life has any risks! We certainly don’t want to face the death of a mother after giving birth or a baby. Which is more tragic? Facing childbirth risks is important but you have to do this in a rational manner. No kidding. It’s not as hard as you think. You can reduce a huge amount of anxiety about childbirth risks if you take these simple steps:
Is the childbirth risk yours?
If you are NOT having multiple babies, you do not have a childbirth risk about multiples. Same for any other of the many PROBLEMS thrown at you. If you do not have high Blood Pressure then you don’t have a blood pressure problem.
Make a list of all the fears and see if each is pertinent to you. Let go of the ones that won’t impact you.
Make a list of any fear associated with a potential ‘issue’. Then talk to your midwife or Obstetrician as well as do your research.
If the childbirth risk is yours!
If you or your baby have known risks then make a list of those that could become a ‘problem’ that could actually threaten you or your baby’s life or health. Those are your HIGH priority!
Make a list for any childbirth risk that might become a ‘problem’ but not like your high priority. These obviously are your next priority.
And of course, your next list is those things that make you anxious but probably won’t become a ‘problem’. Honor your concern and see whether you can stop focusing on these and pay attention to your other lists.
Women are hard-wired to feel anxious about childbirth risks
This is GOOD. Being anxious does not mean becoming hysterical. That’s a poor response to the anxiety of any sort. Instead, your response should be: curiosity, awareness, interest, paying attention. honoring stress while using great skills.
In other words, use your anxiety about your childbirth risks to become knowledgeable about those ‘issues/risks’ that could become a ‘problem’. Having a risk does NOT mean you or your baby will have a ‘problem’.
Birthing Better Skills
The Birthing Better skills developed by hundreds of families in the early 1970s were focused on reducing or preventing ‘issues’ from becoming ‘problems’. This is not always possible. Very challenging situations happen but skills still helped. Birthing Better families didn’t feel helpless even faced with tragedy.
Childbirth risks are real. Read this phenomenal article
https://www.propublica.org/article/if-you-hemorrhage-advice-from-mothers-who-almost-died
Birthing Better skills were developed by moms and dads in the early 1970s in the US and used by many thousands globally in all types of birth. Birthing Better online birthing classes are housed in Common Knowledge Trust.