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.
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