Fear of Childbirth

Where does the fear of giving birth stem from?

For many women the idea of going through labour and the prospect of the perceived painful experience of childbirth, can be a big problem. This fear can result from a feeling of being out of control or the fact that the procedure could in some way be overwhelming not only to themselves but the health of their baby. For women who have never been through labour, hearing stories about traumatic births from other more experienced mothers can bring on unnecessary and often controllable panic attacks.

What can help with childbirth anxiety?

Women who fear childbirth usually experience butterflies or tightening of the chest and shortness of breath. Even just imagining the experience weeks in advance may cause negative physiological responses like sweating and shaking spontaneously. Of course this is not only undesirable for the mother but more importantly for the unborn child.

The root causes of the fear of chilbirth

Often these fears originate from some other experience where the mother to be has lived through some other uncomfortable situation where they felt out of control and helpless. The imagination is powerful at creating strong patterns of behaviour based around a single traumatic experience. Fortunately though your inner mind can be guided toward taking control back and eliminating the original pattern.

I never believed in this kind of thing until I realised that what I was being taught was the most natural way to be during pregnancy. I was terried initially about giving birth but the three finger release technique worked! Now I have a beautiful daughter who is strong and healthy

Karen Simpson (Barrow-in-Furness)