Fear of childbirth
Encyclopedia
Tokophobia, or fear of childbirth
or pregnancy
, is a form of specific phobia
. Other terms for the condition include tocophobia and parturiphobia.
(2000, 176: 83-85) described the fear of childbirth or pregnancy as a psychological disorder, when it had previously received little to no attention as such, in addition to introducing the term tokophobia (from the Greek
tokos, meaning childbirth and phobos, meaning fear). Tokophobia is also widely ascribed to the fear of pregnancy, and may also be called "maieusiophobia"
Phobia
of childbirth
and pregnancy
, as with any phobia, can manifest through a number of symptoms including nightmares, difficulty in concentrating on work or on family activities, panic attacks and psychosomatic complaints. Often the fear of childbirth motivates a request for an elective caesarean section
. Fear of labor pain is strongly associated with the fear of pain
in general; a previous complicated childbirth, or inadequate pain relief, may cause the phobia to develop.
Debate currently rages within the obstetric and psychiatric communities regarding the woman's right to choose mode of delivery—be it the right of a woman to request a caesarean section, or emphasis on the methods available to help them attempt to overcome their fear of vagina
l childbirth. Preliminary Swedish
and Finnish
reports demonstrated the results of treatment during pregnancy, when more than half of the women withdrew their request after being able to discuss their anxiety and fear and vaginal deliveries after treatment were successful.
Tokophobia is a distressing psychological disorder which may be overlooked by medical professionals; as well as specific phobia
and anxiety disorders, tokophobia may be associated with depression
and post-traumatic stress disorder
. Recognition of tokophobia and close liaison with obstetricians
or other medical specialists can help to reduce the severity of tokophobia and ensure efficient treatment.
A few reactions to childbirth include the following:
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
or pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
, is a form of specific phobia
Specific phobia
A specific phobia is a generic term for any kind of anxiety disorder that amounts to an unreasonable or irrational fear related to exposure to specific objects or situations...
. Other terms for the condition include tocophobia and parturiphobia.
Psychological disorder
In 2000, an article published in the British Journal of PsychiatryPsychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
(2000, 176: 83-85) described the fear of childbirth or pregnancy as a psychological disorder, when it had previously received little to no attention as such, in addition to introducing the term tokophobia (from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
tokos, meaning childbirth and phobos, meaning fear). Tokophobia is also widely ascribed to the fear of pregnancy, and may also be called "maieusiophobia"
Phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
of childbirth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
and pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
, as with any phobia, can manifest through a number of symptoms including nightmares, difficulty in concentrating on work or on family activities, panic attacks and psychosomatic complaints. Often the fear of childbirth motivates a request for an elective caesarean section
Caesarean delivery on maternal request
Caesarean delivery on maternal request is a medically unnecessary caesarean section, where the conduct of a childbirth via a caesarean section is requested by the pregnant patient...
. Fear of labor pain is strongly associated with the fear of pain
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
in general; a previous complicated childbirth, or inadequate pain relief, may cause the phobia to develop.
Debate currently rages within the obstetric and psychiatric communities regarding the woman's right to choose mode of delivery—be it the right of a woman to request a caesarean section, or emphasis on the methods available to help them attempt to overcome their fear of vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
l childbirth. Preliminary Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
reports demonstrated the results of treatment during pregnancy, when more than half of the women withdrew their request after being able to discuss their anxiety and fear and vaginal deliveries after treatment were successful.
Tokophobia is a distressing psychological disorder which may be overlooked by medical professionals; as well as specific phobia
Specific phobia
A specific phobia is a generic term for any kind of anxiety disorder that amounts to an unreasonable or irrational fear related to exposure to specific objects or situations...
and anxiety disorders, tokophobia may be associated with depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
. Recognition of tokophobia and close liaison with obstetricians
Obstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
or other medical specialists can help to reduce the severity of tokophobia and ensure efficient treatment.
Primary and secondary tokophobia
- Primary tokophobia is the fear and deep-seated dread of childbirth which pre-dates pregnancyPregnancyPregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
and can start in adolescenceAdolescenceAdolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
. This often relates back to their own mother's experience or something they learned in school. - Secondary tokophobia is due to a previous horrendous experience regarding traumatic birth, poor obstetric practice or medical attention, postpartum depressionPostpartum depressionPostpartum depression , also called postnatal depression, is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, typically after childbirth. Studies report prevalence rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual...
or other such upsetting events, which renders them emotionally unable to have more children.
A few reactions to childbirth include the following:
"The truth is that the very thought of having something almost alien-like growing inside me is disgusting."
"It's not too strong to say that the very thought of childbirth disgusts me in a big way."
"It's much more than an anxiety - I am actually physically repulsed by pregnancy and childbirth."
"I even struggle to be around friends when they are pregnant and can't bear to watch or listen to anything about the process of having a baby."
See also
- Fear of childrenFear of childrenFear of children, fear of infants or fear of childhood is alternatively called pedophobia, paedophobia or pediaphobia. Other age-focused fears are ephebiphobia and gerontophobia...
- Fear of youth
- AdultcentrismAdultcentrismAdultcentrism is the exaggerated egocentrism of adults. It is used to describe the conditions facing children and youth in schools, homes, and community settings; however, adultcentrism is not always based on a notion of being good or bad, in contrast to adultism...
- AdultismAdultismAdultism has been defined as "the power adults have over children". More narrowly, 'adultism is prejudice and accompanying systematic discrimination against young people'...
- AntinatalismAntinatalismAntinatalism is a philosophical position that assigns a negative value to birth, standing in opposition to natalism. It has been advanced by figures such as Arthur Schopenhauer, Peter Wessel Zapffe, Heinrich Heine, Emil Cioran, Philipp Mainländer, Philip Larkin, Chris Korda, Matti Häyry, Thomas...
- List of phobias
- Psychiatric disorders of childbirthPsychiatric disorders of childbirthThis entry covers the complications of childbirth itself, not those of pregnancy or the postpartum period. Even with modern obstetrics and pain control, childbirth is still an ordeal for many...