Pregnancy and childbirth are very important facts in a woman’s life, if many women live it as a moment of joy and celebration, is it a source of anguish for many others?It can even be a mixture of feelings. Hide a true “irrational”. fear, “not only to give birth, but also to get pregnant. This is known as tocophobia.
This pathological fear conditions many women who avoid becoming pregnant because of the terror caused by the idea of facing pregnancy and, especially, childbirth, it has nothing to do with not wanting to be a mother.
- Most women with this phobia want to be mothers.
- Even if they want a C-section from the beginning to avoid vaginal delivery.
In fact, tocophobia is an anxiety disorder and negatively affects the patient, symptoms such as sleep disturbances, panic attacks, avoidance behaviors, anxiety and depression are the most common in this phobia.
Fear of childbirth (tocophobia) can have negative effects beyond childbirth itself, so requesting an elective C-section also increases the likelihood that childbirth will become a traumatic experience, as well as the onset of problems with the bond between mother and child. .
In this anxiety disorder we encounter two distinct types, the first primary tocophobia occurs in women who face their first birth, in these cases fear may appear before or after pregnancy.
It is a particular fear of recidivism among women, adolescents or girls who have been sexually assaulted, in this sense they can trigger symptoms during pregnancy medical exams by generating flashbacks of the original trauma.
Secondary tocophobia occurs in women who have been mothers or who have already had a pregnancy without developing symptoms, it can occur after prior traumatic delivery, uncarriage fertility treatments, miscarriages, stillbirth, etc.
Several explanations for tocophobia have been suggested, one of which is the testimony transmitted: the narrative of very painful birth experiences, the previous existence of disorders such as anxiety or depression has also been linked to probable causes.
In general, in all cases, there is an irrational fear of inadequate pain management, loss of control, lack of confidence in medical equipment, or fear aggravated by a baby’s own life or fear.
In short, it is a disorder associated with uncertainty that is usually aggravated by the lack of social support, it occurs in many women who face pregnancy and childbirth on their own, it is believed that there is a percentage between 2 and 15% of women suffering from tocophobia.
The funny thing is that this phobia is not reserved for women, many men also suffer from tocophobia. They feel serious discomfort at the uncertainty of their partner’s pregnancy and delivery process.
These men fear the time of delivery and what might happen to the couple and the future child.
Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (TCC) seem to work well for such anxiety disorders, the effectiveness of TCC presents itself as a good choice for its short-term results, one of its great advantages is that it focuses on specific symptoms.
In all cases, studies on the effectiveness of these treatments are rare, although they allow a considerable reduction in fear in patients before and after delivery.
Today, medicine offers an intervention with a multidisciplinary approach that includes psychological and obstetric support.
The data show the high number of general concerns that all mothers experience during pregnancy and childbirth.
Specifically, 80% of women experience some degree of anxiety and anxiety about this fact, which is perfectly normal and is not an attitude that should be treated as a disorder.
Tocophobia occurs in a small number of people and goes beyond the usual concerns that can lead to a process as important as a child’s arrival in the world.
However, in the case of irrational fears associated with tocophobia, it is advisable to put yourself in the hands of professionals to help manage symptoms and facilitate a healthy and positive experience of pregnancy and childbirth.