Please don?t tell me your birth story. It?s not that I don?t want to hear how your little nugget came into this world. It?s just that I will probably faint.
You see, this is my dirty little secret. I work at a parenting magazine, and I can?t imagine my world not surrounded by kids. But I am absolutely terrified to give birth.
I should preface this by saying I am not pregnant?I am too scared for that. I am sure that sounds pathetic to all the woman who have struggled through pregnancy and labour and maybe it is. But since my teens I have had a deep fear of blood and all things medical?two things that are inherent in being pregnant.
It started with a routine blood test?my first?and as the nurse took many vials of blood, I all of a sudden became intensely hot. Then came the urge to vomit, but before I could ask the nurse for a puke receptacle, the world went blurry and I fainted.  .related-article-block{display:inline-block;width:300px;padding:0.5rem;margin-left:0.5rem;float:right;border:1px solid #ccc}@media (max-width: 525px){.related-article-block{float:none;display:block;width:280px;margin:0 auto 2rem}}

After an explosive birth, I found relief in the weirdest place

That day was the start of my fear. Now anytime I see blood, needles or step foot in a hospital, I go weak in the knees (and not in the romantic way). And that deep anxiety extends to birth stories. As soon as a friend starts telling me about their contractions and the pain, I feel myself start to buckle and I...