Ive had 3 kids.. its well worth it... I medicated through 2 of my pregnancies and went through the last without meds, I have medical anxiety and was able to get through 3 sections, 2, asleep, and 1 awake... You can do it.. Mothering is not easy with anxiety issues but I get through it with the help of their father.Hugs...good luck on your decision

Well from a fellow sufferer, I can tell you that its going to be fine if you do decide to have the baby! I did get a little sick for the first 3 months but seems thats more uncommon than common. But after that, pregnancy was just purely a beautiful thing! I loved it!!!! I too was worried about the laybor. Thought it would kill me! I remember having the same thought that my heart would give out. I'm telling you, your body is so strong! Women have babies everyday and if it was THAT bad, they wouldnt do it more than once which most do!

No laybor is a small amount of time compared to the rest of your life with a child! Until they grow up ofcoarse. But its so worth it!!!!

They give you something to help the anxiety and help you sleep (it doesnt make you sleep which is good), and you feel relaxed enough to sleep. I slept like a log!!!! Then when the time comes, youre not even thinking about your heart! You just push until that baby comes out. Its fine. Painful yes but not as bad as I thought before I had my son!!!!! Not nearly!!!!!

I suffer really bad from anxiety and I'm thinking about having another one maybe sometime soon. I might start trying in a few months. Now that mine and my husband's son is almost 4.

If you do keep the baby, you will be fine. I know your worries, but you will be fine.

Nikki

I have two children - I was able to medicate during my pregnancy- I use to tell my obgyn that my anxiety seemed to do better during pregnancy-I also have medical anxiety and phobias but for my pregnancy I didnt seem to what if like I usually do- sure labor hurts but there are medicines that make it very comfortable- focus on if you want to be a mother - if you do then you can do anything it takes to get your baby -motherhood isnt easy for anyone - my babies bring me alot of peace and escape from my anxiety - hope this helps

I can understand why you would love to have a baby, it is only natural to want one.
but you are overloading yourself with thinking about the pain so much, you are so focused on it and making it way bigger and scarier than it is. worrying about it to the extent you are is not healthy for you or to the growing baby if and when you get pregnant.
I would encourage you to know that women have been having babies for thousands of years and they get through it, and the joy of having the child in your arms overshadows the pain that some may have. and i say some because some women give birth and it is a breeze for them. I wasn't one of them but still had two kids.
Think about how many women have kids. They don't stop at one, so obviously it is doable.
Women are made to have babies, we can handle it. a man? No. LOL
you will be fine.

I would also say continue working on the agoraphobia and other anxiety issues you may have. if you are in therapy then bring this issue up. If you are not receiving any kind of medical help or therapy then I would probably go and get that first before going ahead and having a baby. You want to be able to give your baby the best start it can have and you need to be happy about things.

A child needs to socialize and be out and interract with others and there will be plenty of doctor's visits and pre-natal and post-natal care.

i have had anxiety for years and I have to tell you having a child does make you have to get out there. I did not want my child to suffer because of my problem, so i attended their school events, took them places. I had to do it for them.

I hope you can reach a place where your fears of having a baby leaves you and you are happy and relaxed about the prospect of having one. All the best to you.

I too remember my anxiety got a lot better during pregnancy. Like the 2nd and mostly the 3rd trimester I felt so much more relaxed! By labor time, I was just ready to go. Hormones can work for us!

Hey you are going to have a baby! Its wonderful! I'm kinda jealous! I want another one soon! And I have panic attacks alot! Bad ones! But I know I've done it before and I'll be fine again. So will you. You can always talk to us.

I want to add, that labor wasnt terrible, I went through 12 hours of it with an Epi ( and I have a fear of needles)... Its really not that terrible, its more the anticipation leading up to it thats a killer..

Thank you everyone for your replies.As someone said I am building it up too big in my head,but then I think the whole reason all of us have such problems with anxiety and panic attacks is because we build things up bigger then what they are in our heads.

I do have other issues that is adding to the fear as well.I have problems with my bowels that would make giving birth naturally not an option.I also am 36 years old and the older you are the more problems you will have.I have heard such horror stories.