Fear of childbirth has gained importance in the context of increasing medicalization of childbirth. Belgian and Dutch societies are very similar but differ with regard to the organization of maternity care. The Dutch have a high percentage of home births and low medical intervention rates. In contrast, home births in Belgium are rarer, and the medical model is more widely used. By comparing the...

BACKGROUND About six percent of pregnant women suffer from severe fear of childbirth. These women are at increased risk of obstetric labour and delivery interventions and pre- and postpartum complications, e.g., preterm delivery, emergency caesarean section, caesarean section at maternal request, severe postpartum fear of childbirth and trauma anxiety. During the last decade, there is increasin...

BACKGROUND This population-based cohort study aimed to investigate the demographic and psychosocial characteristics associated with fear of childbirth and the relative importance of such fear as a predictor of elective caesarean section. METHODS A sample of 1789 women from the Akershus Birth Cohort in Norway provided data collected by three self-administered questionnaires at 17 and 32 weeks ...

Objective: To examine effect of an educational program on pregnant women's fear of normal vaginal delivery. Fear of natural childbirth during pregnancy may increase the risk of caesarean section. Educational programs may be effective in reducing women fear of natural childbirth. Materials and methods: This randomized controlled trial conducted from September 2012 to January 2013 in Hamadan, Ira...

Traumatic stress has traditionally been studied in the aftermath of traumatic events. In contrast, this study aimed to explore if traumatic stress can occur before an event that is perceived as threatening or feared. Traumatic stress, as related to the forthcoming delivery, was studied in 1224 women. Background data and psychological characteristics were assessed in early pregnancy and traumati...

Background: Severe fear of childbirth (FOC) is the most important cause of elective and emergency cesarean section and results in an unpleasant experience among women. Implementing a psychoeducational program can promote mothers’ knowledge and reduce the FOC. Aim: the aim of this study was to determine the effect of childbirth psychoeducational program on the FOC intensity in primigravid women....

Larsson, B. 2017. Treatment for childbirth fear with a focus on midwife-led counselling. A national overview, women’s birth preferences and experiences of counselling. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 1341. 77 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-513-0003-0. Background: Many women experience childbirth fear to such an exte...

INTRODUCTION Anxiety disorders have severe complications for a mother and her developing baby. A few studies have focused on pregnancy related anxiety and its risk factors including fear of childbirth. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore components and dimensions of this kind of anxiety. METHODS This qualitative study (conventional content analysis) was conducted with mothers who re...