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Page 16| Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com normal – and what's not – can make a huge difference in letting go of unnecessary worries. There aren't too many symptoms to worry about, so make sure to talk with your midwife or doctor about those. You can also learn about natural solutions for common symptoms in my book, The Natural Pregnancy Book. 9. What labor will be like. Labor can't be controlled. All you can do is set a destination on your GPS, prepare well for the journey, and then move gracefully through any obstacles on the way. You can't force a homebirth, vaginal birth, un- medicated birth, or a perfect story. And worrying about it is not going to get you there. The best thing you can do is prepare for labor. Take childbirth classes and read books that are supportive of the kind of birth you hope to have. (I recommend Spiritual Midwifery and Birthing from Within to start.) You can also take a hypnobirthing class to give you mind-body skills that can help. If something comes up that requires you to reroute your plans – for example, a medical reason to have a cesarean – it's, totally, normal and healthy to grieve. Be gentle with yourself. It's all-good. You can't force a perfect birth story and worrying is not going to get you there. 10. Dying. OK, truth be told, the most common fear that women experience is probably fear of death – our own or our baby's. Fear of our own death stems from the intense uncertainty of the process of birth, compounded by the historical risks, magnified by movies in which birth is depicted as dangerous and even life-threatening. That can make birth feeling really terrifying. The reality is that there is an infinitesimally low risk of dying in childbirth for healthy women in the U.S. There's also a very low infant mortality rate. Remind yourself that it's normal to have such thoughts. And then have an affirmation or meditation you can use to transform the fear. Talk your worries out loud with your midwife or other women, or write them down in your worry journal. If you're severely plagued by worry or anxiety, see a pregnancy knowledgeable functional medicine doctor or