Fear
is the other side of pregnancy. There is a constant apprehension
of what will happen during pregnancy, labour and delivery. These
apprehensions are upsetting and unsettling but hardly unusual.
Women get their labour heebie jeebies at different times during
pregnancy, and they vary from women to women depending on age,
personality and nature. Many pregnancy fears are based on reality.
Any slightest doubt should be voiced to the doctor.
Am I really going to have a baby?
You
experience an uncertainty whether you are really pregnant, as
you haven’t
changed
much, especially if you don’t experience nausea. You just had
a missed
period
and a positive pregnancy test (The results of which you may
start to
doubt!)
and your mood swings compound these anxieties.
Assurance: Don’t
worry, soon your pregnancy will start showing. You can hear
the baby’s heart beats around the 7th-8th week, on ultrasound
examination.
Will I lose the baby?
This
doubt assails every mother’s mind on every bump and serve and
is especially so, if someone had a miscarriage earlier.
Assurance: Jerks and bumps do not end in a miscarriage.
Reassure yourself with
ultrasound examination, as they are harmless for you and
the baby.
Will I have a normal baby?
Every
mother prays for a healthy baby, but the nagging doubt continues
until the doctor has given you a clean chit, after having accounted
for every toe and finger.
Assurance: Prenatal
tests help you to rule out most problems. Clarify your doubts
with your doctor who will suggest appropriate tests, if there
are any indications. Educate yourself by reading various informative
books.
Will I have a painful labour?
Each
woman’s pain threshold varies and anxiety produces more tension,
which increases the pain, so you dread this period. Inspite of
you grilling your friends and mother who reassure you, it is not
easy to know what to exactly expect.
Assurance: Best way to deal with
it, is to take it as it comes.
A relaxed mind and a bit of grit will get you through it.
Also epidural analgesia (giving pain killers at the right time
during labour) can help you have a comfortable painless labour.
Will I regain my figure?
You
may feel unsettled seeing yourself having gained 10-12 kgs, with
your size
increased in all directions with enlarged breasts.
Assurance: The
weight gain is due to the baby, increase in fluids, increase in
uterine size and placenta. Therefore most of the weight is shed
off after delivery. A regular regime of exercise, with a doctor’s
approval will help you get in shape sooner. Breast feeding helps
shed weight faster, at the rate of 500 cal/day more than formula
fed babies.
Will the baby change my life?
Mother’s
fear a baby means getting tied down, increased responsibility
and less free time. Adding to that might be economic pressure
and a rush to get back to your
career.
Assurance: Anticipation
of what is going to come is half the battle won. You will realise
as a parent, how much is demanded of you. The more you give, the
more will be given back to you and you will feel it was totally
worth it, at the end of it all.
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