8 Big Fears About Childbirth ?? and Why You Shouldn’t Worry

From the moment you get pregnant, there are a bazillion things to suddenly get settled. You have to get a nursery ready. You need a gift registry. There will be a shower. You will have to hit doctor's appointments. You'll want to attend a birthing class. And for nine months, you're probably grappling with more than few worries about what will happen in the delivery room.

Cosmopolitan.com talked to doulas who shared eight of women's most common fears about childbirth — and why you should rest easy when it comes to each one.

Fear No. 1: I'm going to poop on the delivery room table.

Pooping during the second stage of labor, when the cervix is completely dilated, is super-common — and most docs are stoked to see this happen, says Alice Turner, CD(DONA), LCCE, a doula and Lamaze-certified childbirth educator. "When a bowel movement occurs, it means that the woman is pushing well and health-care providers see this as a positive thing," she insists.

Why you shouldn't worry: Most women don't even notice if they poop during labor, Turner says. But if you do, someone will handle it STAT. "The nurse is very quick to remove the bowel movement without mentioning it to the laboring woman," she says. "I often suggest that the birth partner spray something that smells good, like essential oils diluted with water, when this stage of labor begins, so that any unpleasant odors that may result from a bowel movement can be covered.

Fear No. 2: My epidural will be ineffective or won't be administered in time.

For women who would prefer not to deliver unmedicated, the thought of possibly having to do so can be terrifying," says Allie Sakowicz, CD(DONA), a certified birth doula. "I once had a patient request an epidural as soon as she found out she was pregnant, just to be extra-sure she wouldn't feel any contractions during labor.

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