WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ‘TOCOPHOBIA’ ~ INN Nigeria

The Profound fear of childbirth is known as “TOCOPHOBIA”.

There are two types of Tocophobia.

•Primary Tocophobia (PT)

It occurs mainly during adolescence and can make a woman to avoid childbirth totally Some of the causes of PT include Rape, sexual abuse, watching certain explicit videos, harrowing experiences.

•Secondary Tocophobia (ST)

Usually results after a traumatic childbirth. The woman might not want to give birth again.

CAUSES

Hormonal changes that make anxiety harder to manage. Hearing stories from other women close to them who have been through traumatic births. Fears related to medical care like ineffective pain control, fear of loss of control or death, or lack of confidence in the team providing care.

TREATMENTS

Tocophobia, like other phobias, can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy using exposure and fear reduction techniques or anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication.

TALK it out: Don’t be afraid to ask questions and talk about what’s bothering you. 

Fill your tool box: If pain is your big fear, then make sure you know what options are available in terms of pain management.

Break it down: While it’s a good idea to be prepared, try not to focus all of your energy on thoughts about the delivery. 

Go team: Robertson was fortunately taken under the wing of her pastor’s mother, who guided her through the delivery.