Pregnancy can be a reason for joy and celebration or, on the contrary, it can generate a feeling of fear and worry triggered by what will happen nine months later with childbirth and the arrival of new life into the world. As reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a third of women suffer health problems after childbirth. And they go further, tokophobia or fear of childbirth affects between 6% and 15% of women.
Tokophobia is a psychological disorder that affects a growing number of women of reproductive age around the world. According to a study collected in the National Library of Medicine (NIH), tokophobia is defined as an intense and disproportionate fear of pregnancy and childbirth that can be characterized by “avoidance behaviors” of both pregnancy and the time of childbirth. Although it is true that experts confirm that fears about the new situation are frequent, the problem lies when the fear becomes pathological and irrational. “Tokophobia can trigger a nervous breakdown just by mentioning pregnancy, relationship problems, and contraception can become a true obsession,” they say from Estudio Médico Navarro.
Tokophobia treatment must be personalized according to the individual needs of each woman. The most common thing is that it includes therapies with professionals and, in some cases, medication.
In short, through different techniques and always supported by professionals, it is possible to help women who suffer from tokophobia to have a positive experience during pregnancy and childbirth and leave their fears behind.
