Let me be real with you for a sec.

Before I ever got pregnant, I was that girl – you know, the one dramatically saying at every girls' night, "I want a baby, but OMG childbirth?? That’s a HARD pass."

Fast-forward a few years and two pink lines later, I found myself Googling "how to survive childbirth without dying."

Cute.

But the truth is, the fear is real. I mean, there’s an actual human growing inside you who is eventually going to exit your body. How is that not terrifying?

And yet… I made it. And you will too. But here’s what helped me go from "nope nope nope" to "okay, I’ve got this (kinda)."

📚 1. Get Educated (But Not Obsessed)

I dove deep into birth education like it was my full-time job. I even bought a full-on course about natural birth. I learned all the things: hormones, stages of labor, breathing techniques, what mucus plugs are (spoiler alert: ew).

And guess what? Knowing what's coming actually helped. It turned the unknown into something my brain could manage.

Just don’t overdo it. Google can be a dark, terrifying hole.

Trust reliable sources, follow positive birth accounts, and maybe skip the horror stories your neighbor’s cousin wants to tell you.

🧘‍♀️ 2. Practice Calming Your Nervous System

During pregnancy, I made meditation and self-hypnosis part of my daily routine. And no, I wasn't levitating or chanting naked in a forest.

Just 10 minutes a day with my eyes closed, deep breathing, visualizing a calm birth, and telling my brain, "You’re safe."

It worked. I genuinely felt more grounded. Less panic, more peace.

(Side note: I now want to become a clinical hypnotherapist because it’s THAT powerful. Stay tuned. 🧩)

💬 3. Talk It Out (Even the Scary Bits)

I was super open about my fear of childbirth. I didn’t pretend to be some zen earth goddess. I told my midwife, my doula, my partner, my Instagram followers, the lady at the grocery store…

Saying it out loud helped release the shame around it.

You don’t need to fake bravery. Real bravery is saying, "I’m scared" and choosing to walk toward it anyway.

👯 4. Build a Support Team You Actually Trust

I had a partner who knew my fears. I had a birth plan (that went out the window, but hey, it gave me structure). I had nurses who were kind.

Support matters more than the scented candles or perfect playlist.

Choose people who will hype you up, advocate for you, and maybe remind you to breathe when you forget how lungs work.

🔄 5. Prepare for Plans to Change

True story? I wanted a natural birth.

I ended up 14 days overdue, baby had a high heart rate, my amniotic fluid turned pink, and I was wheeled into an emergency C-section under general anesthesia.

And yep, I didn’t even feel like I "gave birth" at first. I woke up confused, sore, and disconnected.

But looking back? That was the moment my daughter entered the world. And it was beautiful in its own messy, chaotic way.

❤️ Final Thoughts

You don’t have to feel fearless to give birth. You just need to feel supported, informed, and grounded in your power as a woman.

Whether you push, pull, breathe, scream, or get rolled into a surgical room—your birth story will be yours, and that’s what makes it magical.

You’ve got this, mama. 🌟