Find family and friends who are very supportive of childbirth.

Psychological factors such as low self-esteem, past trauma, or a pre-existing mental health conditionįortunately, there are research-backed ways to treat this debilitating phobia and equip women to have the family and birth experience they desire.

Socioeconomic status (not having access to needed resources).

Fear of inability to handle/manage pain during the pregnancy and birth process.

Fear of loss of control during the pregnancy and birth process.

Hearing traumatic birth stories from family or friends.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy that can make it more challenging to manage one’s anxiety.

There are several hypotheses for the origins of tokophobia, including: Secondary tokophobia refers to a woman who has developed this fear after a traumatic birthing experience. Tokophobia is often stronger and more prevalent in women who have not given birth before. Primary tokophobia refers to a woman who hasn’t experienced pregnancy or childbirth but has a strong fear of both. Tokophobia has two classifications: primary or secondary. In all of these cases, tokophobia contributes to women having an intense fear of pregnancy and childbirth that affects their ability to function on a daily basis. Other women with tokophobia have reported opting for a Caesarean section to help mitigate their fears of delivery. In some cases, tokophobia can lead to an obsessive focus on using hormonal birth control or avoiding sexual activity altogether, in an effort to avoid any possibility of becoming pregnant.

It is estimated that 9-11% of women who experience tokophobia have delayed pregnancy or considered terminating a pregnancy because of their fears. This phobia differs from the less intense pregnancy fears many women experience because it can lead to a strong desire to avoid pregnancy altogether. Tokophobia can cause strong physical and emotional distress, such as having a physical reaction to a pregnancy and to childbirth-related stimuli (e.g., seeing a pregnant woman or watching a video on childbirth). A clinical diagnosis of tokophobia is described as a “pathological fear of pregnancy and can lead to avoidance of childbirth,” Although relatively uncommon, tokophobia affects an estimated 5-15% of women. It is understandable that many women experience some apprehension over the intensity and unknown aspects of this intense, life-changing event.īut if pregnancy fear becomes all-encompassing or debilitating, it can become what is known as tokophobia. Having some level of anxiety about pregnancy and childbirth is perfectly normal. In fact, about 80% of women report feeling worried or fearful about their pregnancy or upcoming labor and delivery experience. In other words, the woman who feels completely at peace with the whole experience is rare, indeed! After all, your body goes through some significant (and amazing) changes during pregnancy, and childbirth can be a tough and painful, yet empowering experience.

What is tokophobia, and how does it differ from typical anxieties about pregnancy and childbirth? She was researching strategies and skills to help her through labor and delivery as her due date approached. Her anxieties about childbirth aren’t unusual, especially if it is a woman’s first pregnancy or she has had a traumatic birth experience. However, for some women, the fear of childbirth goes beyond this typical stress and anxiety, causing the debilitating, pathological fear of pregnancy and childbirth known as tokophobia. “There’s so much I didn’t know about childbirth and, the more I learn, the more anxious I get about all of the things that could go wrong,” a client recently told me.

Pathological fear of the swamp