A terrifying nightmare is not usually the kind of phrase new mothers use to describe the experience of childbirth, yet this is how some women six to 10 per cent according to studies refer to having a child. These women are among those who suffer from severe fear of childbirth. The signs and symptoms of severe fear of childbirth include nightmares, difficulty sleeping and physical ailments such as headaches and pains associated with stress.

In fact fear of childbirth, although sometimes a normative response, may become so severe that it interferes with a persons normal functioning. The clinical term for fear of childbirth of this nature is tokophobia. Tokophobia is classified as a specific phobia and is characterised by an intense irrational fear that interferes with aspects of a persons life. Avoidance behaviour among women with tokophobia is common. Therefore women with the disorder may avoid becoming pregnant in the first instance, although caesarean birth is often chosen by pregnant women diagnosed with tokophobia.

The fear

Women fear childbirth for a variety of reasons, all of which are associated with the interaction between personality and environmental factors. Among these factors are fear of pain, previous negative experiences during labour and delivery and issues related to social support from sources such as the childs father and other family members.

Support crucial

Social support is a crucial aspect of any of lifes milestones, and pregnancy is certainly no exception. Women who are provided with supportive family members throughout pregnancy and during labour and delivery are less likely to feel fearful about the impending birth than women without such support are. Women who have experienced previous traumatic births such as instrumental deliveries or episiotomies may similarly be fearful of childbirth and become more likely to develop excessive levels of pain. It is not surprising therefore that fear of pain is a major determinant of fear during childbirth.

Individuals who report having a low tolerance for pain are likely to fear childbirth as well. More surprisingly, however is that research in the Journal of Psychosomatic, Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 1983 found that women who had previously experienced childbirth feared labour and delivery more intensely than those who had never given birth.

Treatment

General fear of childbirth is treated through education about the experience of childbirth during pregnancy. Attending childbirth classes and reading as much about the experience as possible are both valid means of combating non-pathological childbirth related fear, or a fear of childbirth that does not interfere with a persons everyday functioning. Relaxation exercises are also beneficial in alleviating the physical symptoms of anxiety associated with fear of childbirth. It should also be acknowledged that fear is acceptable, and fear of childbirth should not be an emotion that produces guilt. If you feel that you fear childbirth, the following strategies may be able to help you:

Visualise yourself holding the baby everyday while you are pregnant

Avoid watching television shows about labour and delivery, as these can cause panic. Many television shows show births with complications and these might be a source of anxiety. Instead read books and receive information from your health care provider or a childbirth class. Be sure to read about successful birth stories with positive outcomes.

If you are a first-time mother, familiarise yourself with the layout of a delivery room, especially the delivery room at the hospital where you will be giving birth. You can do this by speaking with other mothers who have had uncomplicated births at the hospital where you plan to have your baby.

If you are afraid of childbirth-related pain, try to remember how you coped with pain at other times in your life. Did you try to distract yourself? Did you try to concentrate on the pain? If you are aware of the coping strategies that helped you prior to childbirth you will be able to gain personal control of the situation when your contractions begin. If distraction helped you with pain before, strategies such as music will be useful to you during labour. If you preferred to concentrate or preferred silence on previous occasions while you were experiencing pain, you might prefer silence to focus during your contractions.

Although many important occasions throughout life produce anxiety, childbirth need not produce crippling fear. Armed with accurate information, support from loved ones and effective coping strategies, the childbirth experience can be the miraculous event hoped for by all expecting parents.

Source:http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/allwoman/Fear-of-childbirth