22 April 2010

Are you more or less nervous?

My sister and I were talking about this at lunch yesterday. She asked me if I was more or less nervous/anxious about labor then I was with Carter. {I'm talking about actually birthing a child again, not life with a newborn AND TODDLER... that thought alone gives me heart palpitations. Oh no... here they come again.}

Now, my first thought was: "Less, of course... I've done this before, duh!"

But am I really less nervous about it? It got me thinking...

I know exactly what it feels like to deliver a big baby, to be induced, to get an epidural, to push, to tear, to have stitches, to be in pain after labor, etc. All that is coming back to me now that I know my birth with this baby will be almost identical.

And I think I'm more nervous now then I was before.

Of course "more nervous" is relative... I wasn't nervous AT ALL for the birth of Carter... so any little pang of nervousness that I feel would be considered "more" then before. But I think the first time you go into it, it's more "ignorance is bliss" then anything. I had no idea what to expect, I just knew that I could do it and I did.

So why don't I feel the same way this time?

I mean, I do... really. I know I can do it again. But I also know what to expect and how difficult it will be. And that makes me a little nervous. About the only thing I'm banking on is that subsequent birth's tend to be faster and easier then your first...

Let's all hope this holds true, shall we? Where's my birth plan? I would like it to be like that, thank you very much.

In all seriousness, I'm hoping that this is just some "pre-birth jitters" because I honestly feel that, when the day arrives, I will be completely ready. And I don't think there's a mom out there that doesn't absolutely know how completely and utterly worth it, it is.

I think, going forward, every time I feel a little pang of nerves, this is what I'll focus on...
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11 comments:

Shannon said...

I think your lower with Carter! You look like your carrying higher with Brynn(maybe its just the angle??)
LOVE that picture of Carter, wow its beautiful!

Anonymous said...

My mom always talks about how nervous/scared she was for my younger brother's birth. My grandma said to her, "Why are you so nervous? You've been through this before!" My mom's response..."That's exactly the reason I'm so nervous."

You'll do great!!

Anonymous said...

I'm only a little nervous. And considering how my little Landon was not breathing when he was born you would think I would be terrified. But I'm just not. I KNOW I can do this again and I get the feeling that my baby will not be taken away from me in the beginning like how Landon was. God just can't do that to me a second time, ya know? I haven't sinned that much, lol.

Totally ready to get this job done!

Mommy Moreno said...

when I got to L&D with Brooklyn I started to cry because it HIT ME. I was going to have to birth a baby again and I was scared SH*TLESS.

Its a double edged sword knowing what youre in for - isnt it??

Suzanne said...

I'm not nervous about the birth or the recovery. I'm nervous about taking care of a baby while taking care of a toddler. The demands this time are so much greater.

grammy brenda said...

you'll do great!! just look at that cute little boy! your little girl is going to be so worth it too!

Momrempel said...

I am sure you will do great! All the best:) I am a new follower from Friday Follow and can't wait to read more:) Please come by and follow back when you have a chance.

Shirley At http://therempels4.blogspot.com

Michelle said...

Beautiful baby belly :)

Don't be nervous at all! Just have faith in yourself and let your love pour through your beautiful babies & everything will be alright!!

I'm a new follower from FF & would love it if you could follow me back :)

Kristie said...

hi there! found you on today's friday follow! congratulations on your precious little one and your little girl to come! i've got three .... SweeTart is 2, Twinkletoes is 7 and DinoBoy is 8. None of my pregnancies nor births were the same - 2nd and 3rd are a piece of cake. No worries if you don't remember what to do, your body does!! All will go smoothly and you'll have your precious little one in no time at all (hopefully on time unlike my early birds #2 and #3) :-) Enjoy your weekend!

Larissa: said...

I was the same way before I had Lillian. With Brock I was so naive. It was totally "ignorance is bliss." The second time around I knew exactly what to expect, but I was also more aware of the risks. I was scared to death. But I just kept telling myself that I had done it once and I could do it again. I knew that I had to focus on my breathing and listen to my body. You're going to be fine! I cannot wait to see your little girl :-) Good luck!!!

Larissa: said...

Oh! And I hope your second time around is easier and faster too! My labor with Brock was 15 hours. Lillian's was 8 hours and one big push! No joke! I asked the doctor how many pushes I did, and he laughed and was like, 'it was one big one!' She shot right out!

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