Do you have trypanophobia? This long word means "fear of needles," and this phobia impacts up to 25% of all adults. While this fear doesn't come up often, it might weigh heavy on your mind once you're pregnant and facing nine months of frequent medical appointments not to mention glucose tests, epidurals, and IVs.
Medical anxiety is only one of the top pregnancy fears many women face when the reality of their condition sets in. It's normal to fluctuate between fear and excitement as your pregnancy progresses. The question is: are your fears warranted, or are you worrying about the wrong thing?
We want to help you focus more on the joyful parts of pregnancy and less on your parenting fears. Below, we've described five of the most common fears during pregnancy. We hope our explanations will put your mind at ease and help you feel less alone as you move forward. Read on to interrogate your pregnancy fears so you can face them with confidence.
Fear #1: Pregnancy Loss
Getting pregnant can be a fraught and even financially expensive process. Even when it isn't, mothers quickly bond with the baby in their belly and may begin imagining the future before they've even taken a pregnancy test. When you desperately want to be a mother, the fear of miscarriage can be overwhelming.
We want to assure you that the chances of miscarriage are lower than most women believe. The odds are about 10% for women under 35 and 18% for women 36 through 40. In nearly all cases, miscarriages happen so early that moms-to-be don't realize they're pregnant and aren't caused by anything they did or didn't do.
Once your doctor can detect a heartbeat (between weeks six and eight), everyone's risk drops to 5% or lower. Follow your doctor's advice and trust the odds. Pregnancy loss is never your fault.
Fear #2: Pain During Labor
It's hard for some women to keep their eyes on the prize because they're too worried about what might happen at the finish line. Nearly all women experience some fear of labor and delivery. Many fear the pain, while others worry about feeling exposed, being in the hospital setting, or even accidentally defecating during labor.
All these fears are natural. Childbirth does hurt and can be a very vulnerable experience. Hospitals can be frightening and uncanny, especially for women who have had negative medical experiences in the past.
Luckily, many new, highly effective drugs can help make giving birth more bearable. There is no evidence that taking pain medication will extend your labor.
If hospitals give you the heebie-jeebies, you may want to consider a birthing center or even a home birth. With the right professionals, alternative settings can be just as safe as hospitals. If an alternate location helps reduce stress, it's worth the extra effort.
If you feel uncomfortable with your doctor or birthing staff, you may want to work with a doula or holistic midwife to tackle feelings of vulnerability.
Fear #3: Weight Gain (and Loss)
We live in an image-centered culture that has made many women afraid of something as innocuous as weight gain. Diet culture is vicious and can make some women feel guilty for doing something as natural as giving birth. If you've struggled with body image, this is a valid fear, and you might need extra support to manage it.
The first thing you can do is listen to your doctor's recommendations about weight gain. Centuries of experience have taught us how much weight gain is necessary to carry a healthy baby to term. By the third trimester, you only need about 450 extra daily calories to support your baby.
If you only gain the recommended weight, you will have a much easier time losing it after pregnancy. Don't fall for pregnancy myths about "eating for two," and you should be fine.
Fear #4: Making It to the Hospital
Popular media has a way of influencing our subconscious fears. If you're afraid of making it to the hospital on time, you've probably seen a film or television show where a pregnant person gave birth somewhere inconvenient. You might also have caught a news story or two about a woman giving birth in an Uber or their living room.
These scenarios appear in so much media because they're dramatic, not because they're common. Some statistics suggest women give birth outside the hospital in only about 1% of deliveries.
All that to say, when you're going into labor, you'll know. Trust your intuition and head for the car at the first sign that your baby's on the way. The worst-case scenario is that you'll be a little early for your baby's birthday.
Fear #5: Feeding Your Baby
Some women are perfectly confident throughout their pregnancies and only begin to get scared when their baby arrives. You have trusted your body to nurture and support your growing baby for nine months. Will your body be able to produce enough milk after the trauma of birth?
Keeping a baby fed is a major responsibility, and it's not always intuitive. The great news is that there are so many experienced women and lactation professionals out there who can help you. A quick search will yield near-infinite social media groups, forums, discord servers, and in-person lactation meetups.
Breastfeeding is sometimes hard, but difficult things are still worth doing. Ultimately, 90% of women can successfully breastfeed their babies. Lean on your community, and know that if you're one of the 10% of women who can't, you are still a worthy, wonderful mother.
Facing Your Top Pregnancy Fears
Bringing a new life into the world is a privilege, but it's natural to feel scared about pregnancy and parenthood. While we've listed the top pregnancy fears, all pregnancy anxiety is valid. If you need more support to be the best parent you can be, please reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional for extra help.
Even the best parents need a little extra assistance from time to time. That's why busy new moms love the Pixsee smart baby monitor.
Visit our Amazon online store and Pixsee Shop to learn how Pixsee can serve as an extra set of eyes and help dispel all your new-mom fears.
