Read positive birth stories. Ina May Gaskin's books contain a lot.

Kept telling myself over and over it'll all be worth it and I won't remember anything once baby was here. Worked for me but I definitely know it's not for everyone!

There was too much pain for me to experience any other emotion. All I could do was spend every last bit of energy in my body to focus on breathing and only breathing. I was meditative about it. I took the whole labor one breath at a time. If I even tried to take on anything above and beyond breathing, I'd lose all control. There were points that I can remember having about 10 seconds of "oh crap, it isn't going to get worse, is it?" thoughts, like when they manually broke my water or when they told me it was time to push, but those moments were so fleeting.

#1 I was fine for about 30 hours and then the fear and pain from contracting but not dilating really set in on top of the fact they wouldn't let me out of the hospital bed.. that whole labor was awful.

#2 I didn't go in until I was 5cm and i had a plan. I used a yoga ball and walked almost my entire labor. I literally never laid down. I sat, squatted, bounced, leaned, etc. I had a mantra of sorts. I constantly repeated to myself. I am MADE for this. I can do this. I envisioned my cervix blossoming like a flower. Opening more and more with every contraction. I envisioned my breathing helping to push the baby downward with every breath out. And just stayed so positive that i was made to do this my body can do this. And most importantly I had a supportive partner who believed in me.

My contractions were painful but I could handle it, just breathed through them. To me it felt just like pressure pain. I didn't scream or get angry I was talking and smiling and laughing in between contractions. I was progressing 1cm every half hour. Then it came time to push and I think I actually dozed off a couple times in between. The only painful part that I hated was the nurse massaging my area cause I was too small to fit baby through.. her fingers slipped a bunch of times. Honestly I didn't even feel the ring of fire or anything that people mention. I did have to push for 2 1/2 hours to finally get DD out.

I didn't really feel afraid except for when it came to pushing (I was scared crapless of tearing). Ultimately it was just something that I had to "get over" because I knew that I wanted a drug free birth and the baby had to come out eventually. I finally just decided to push and I did tear a little, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. I had a really easy labor though, it was pretty short and went really smoothly.

My labor was so fast with my dd. Like only 3 hours lol. By time we got to the hospital I was already 9cm. What really helped me with my pain was literally just screaming when it hurt lol. Don't be embarrassed, if you need to scream because it hurts do it.

I freaked out both times but all of a sudden something will click in me and I literally say "okay, yep I'm ready to give birth now".

I was okay till i got to around 5cm dialted then i was dying of pain i just layd there squeezing my moms hand and the bed rail with the other hand an i think i dozed off until i had to push lol no idea how but my mom said i was out for alittle

I didnt get an epidural with amy of my pregnancies but i was induced with all 3 using pitocin. What helped me was breathing out slowly over and over and thinking of the contractions as waves that would ebb and then flow.

Came back to add that as soon as I finished with transition my contractions didn't hurt anymore. They went from overwhelming pain to overwhelming pushing, so there's always that light at the end of the tunnel :)

This might not be the same. I had a c-section, not a natural birth, but I wanted a vaginal delivery and I was terrified of having a c-section. When I hopped up on the operating table for the spinal, I was shaking out of fear and my nurse had to help me breathe. I never really let that fear go, either. I was barely present through my c-section.

But in the recovery room, when they put DD on my chest, I realized that if I had to be cut open with dull scissors and no meds to bring that precious little life into existence, I would have done it. I didn't know before how powerful my love was for my own baby.

Maybe try to remind yourself that you would do anything for your baby... you are her superwoman and you are capable of getting through ANYTHING for her. Have your partner remind you of that when it gets hard. As the old saying goes.. there's nothing to fear but fear itself.

I didn't get the 'transition period'. I was induced, so it was - incredibly painful contraction, catch my breath, and before i could ask for gas another contraction started. Then all of a sudden after about an hour of these contractions I felt myself starting to push. Just when i was about to yell for an epidural too... but as soon as i felt that first push I knew it was too late. My labour was so hard and fast I couldn't think about anything other than trying to breath lol.

I didn't have time for fear, I was waiting for the epidural people to come, I had just been checked and was dialated at a 4 and 15 minutes later I was pushing. It wasn't intentionally drug free, but I was definitely determined to get it over with faster than my first because it hurt so bad.

I never distinctly felt transition. With my first, I was 4cm, then 9.5cm the next time I was checked. With #2, I was 6cm, then 10cm and pushing. I progressed fast and it all hurt, then baby was out and it was better.

Runsyellow the is very helpful! I asked for a birthing stool several times but that never happened. And walking was unbelievably painful, I felt best sitting in the shower with DH holding the jets on my back.

I do know I would NEVER have a baby with DH again. He was so unsupportive of me it was awful. He brought the frigging PlayStation to the hospital with us. He thought birthing classes were "ridiculous," refused to do any exercises with me or any birth prep at all. He doesn't believe in drug free birthing. Basically he was a poop.

Google images of birth affirmations and save them onto your phone. I just repeated those over and over like a mantra.

The best thing to do is become informed with the facts that counteract your fears.

-shoulder dystopia: staying upright & active in labor can help ensure baby is in optimal position. Pushing in a squatting position can give you 1-2 more cm of pelvic opening & the gaskin maneuver, which involves flipping to hands & knees has shown to relieve dystocia 100% of the time.

That's pretty much how I dealt with my fear before labor.

I did deal with quite a bit of discouragement after almost 40 hours of labor and "only" being 7 cm. But at that time I needed better outside support from DH.... to help change my inner dialogue that I couldn't do it anymore.

After having DD I dealt with fear of transferring with future babies bc our hospital stay was so awful. I've already started watching homebirth videos to help encourage my mindset into visualizing & accepting a peaceful successful homebirth birth... as well as talk with my MW & DH about our plan to help avoid some of the issues that arose last time.

I'm big on being educated & informed... I think that more you know they less you fear.

I was scared of pushing.

When I was born I had shoulder dystocia (my shoulders got stuck after my head was delivered) and that ended up happening to my daughter too. I was also a big baby (10 lbs 3 oz) and my daughter was too (11 lbs 3 oz).

I don't know. I had so many regrets with my pregnancy/birth and I feel like it all came out when I was in labor.

With my first, I don't remember. I honestly just lightly moaned through contractions and by time it came to push, it no longer hurt anymore. Even pushing wasn't that bad. The worst part was crowning for me, and even then as soon as baby passed through it was over.

With my second, I remembered the only time I experienced pain and that was with crowning, so I was fearful of that moment. When it came time to push I kept telling the nurse that I couldn't do it, because I was so fearful of the pain associated with it last birth. I think the fear is what psyched me out of being comfortable enough to 100% push, and finally went away when my OB reached for the forceps to assist my birth. Then suddenly I pushed extra hard and was determined to do it on my own. Yes, it was painful and awful, but I realized I could do it.

With contractions and transition, I focused on an object in the room and made sure I made it my focal point. I would stare at it and channel my pain to the object by breathing through contractions and being "angry" at it. It was a little red button on the side of my bed - I focused and just breathed through the contractions while yelling in my head "you're the worst button in this room" ?

I experienced fear the whole time, cause just the thought of going drug free was terrifying. #1 I had an epidural and wasn't expecting to go drug free with #2. So it was a major shock that I couldn't receive an epidural with #2.

So the whole time I was screaming and in major fear. I'm preparing myself for another drug free birth but praying I'll be able to receive an epidural.

I've heard the fear makes the pain worse but I'm like how am I supposed to not be scared when the shats painful and now I KNOW how painful it is. ?

I never experienced fear. My body just took over during transition and before I knew it I was pushing. I'm sorry you went through that.

What were you fearful of?

Did you go to the hospital then? Have a change in support? What?

It's normal to feel like you can't do it anymore in transition but it sounds like you dealt with something different.