Fear of Labor - Part 1

What I have found to be the biggest issue of moms-to-be is "fear".  For a first time mom, it is usually the fear of the unknown.  How long will labor take, how hard will it get, can I get through it okay?  For the 2nd, 3rd, etc mom, it is the fear of the "known".  How will I make it through labor again when last time I labored for 2 days, pushed 3 hours, etc.

Now in generalizing feelings, I am also well aware that there are definitely moms who have no fears and moms whose first births are short and sweet. 

But fear is still a big issue for many expectant moms.  As a doula, I'm always trying to explain enough about labor to eliminate some of the "unknown" for first timers, and some of the "known" for multips.  The reality of labor is that the less fear we have, the easier it is to handle labor.  But how do we get rid of the fear or do we even really need to get rid of all of it?

Tune in for part 2.