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Did you know that the word Tokophobia
means fear of giving birth. Women who have Tokophobia may delay labour for longer & the duration of labour maybe longer Adams et al (2012).
Now as a midwife I recognize that fear has implications on labour & birth.
There are some physical reasons for this
and more importantly lots of emotional reasons why these fears occur. It could be argued that some fear is a natural survival mechanism. When you are pregnant with your first baby, you are on a journey into the unknown, you feel your body changing, your emotions can vary, and you will be influenced by the experiences of those around you. If for example your mother had a traumatic childbirth experience, she may have inadvertently projected her fears onto you. The other main consideration of the 21st century is that women have access to lots of literature via the internet & via the media.
There are two examples that I will use from the media here that portray childbirth in totally different ways & from different eras, you have Call The Midwife which set in the 1950's where babies were born at home & the Midwife attended women were not dragged our of their homes to give birth they were allowed to give birth in their own environment with which they were familiar & felt safe. As the NHS evolved women were encouraged to give birth in a hospital in the 1970's nearly 90% of women delivered in a hospital unit. They were governed by the hospital rules, and policies & the many of the Doctors were male. The midwives role was not the same as it had been prior to this era, the midwife historically was the main care giver, she was 'with woman' and she knew here stuff!
Now swiftly moving forward to the 21st century & the new age of Midwifery and the Media's portrayal of the midwife. One Born Every Minute has been aired for the last few years. Many of my clients site this particular program. Women come into the hospital environment. Incidentally not all hospitals are like the one in the program we do not get lots of time to drink tea and order take aways! When women walk through the door in labour they can become dis-empowered they have surrendered themselves to the NHS, they have come out of their own environment their sanctuary into a technocratic busy environment. This fact in itself can enormously increase fear which has an effect on the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin production and release is fundamental to childbirth & Labour.
We have also seen a very large increase in the use of pharmaceutical drugs to assist us through labour. They can be great at relieving pain but they come with some consequences Especially the epidural because it can increase the likely hood of other interventions. Now ladies and gentlemen if you are reading there are many other natural options for you to explore. Firstly understanding how you body works with good antenatal education & access to some great resources. A good antenatal educator will explain the physiology of labour and the 'Fear Tension Pain' Cycle to you.
Now your job is to try to understand that you are an individual try not to listen to too many negative birth experiences. I have witnessed birth partners instilling fears into women during labour this is not the way forward. Midwives are there to help you through this experience. Explore the option of homebirth, or source out your local birth centre where natural alternatives are common practice. Know that antenatal care helps identify any deviations from normal so ensure you attend your midwife appointments. Keep healthy during pregnancy and undertake some regular low impact exercise.
Know that you can do this, I have seen many babies born I have had natural childbirth myself. it is possible. Speak to your midwife, and make sure you seek out good antenatal education with either a registered midwife or check out classes run by the NCT. Try hypnotherapy or Yoga and make your birthing experience the best possible.
Good Luck I will be keeping you posted, and would love to know what other subjects you would like me to discuss.
Best wishes
