Fear of childbirth

If you are afraid of childbirth, we have the right support and guidance for you.

Fear of childbirth can result in various symptoms, such as anxiety or becoming paralysed with fear. In some cases, the fear of childbirth may be activated simply when someone mentions pregnancy or as soon as the mother learns they are pregnant.

Almost every pregnant woman is nervous about childbirth. If the thoughts related to childbirth begin to be a strain in everyday life or affect the mother’s sleep, the condition is known as fear of childbirth. Fear of childbirth can lead to postponing having a child and thus cause infertility. About 5–10% of pregnant women suffer from fear of childbirth.

You can book an appointment to talk about your fear of childbirth by calling the Felicitas Mehiläinen customer service: +358 (0)10 414 6650 (EUR 0.0835 per call + EUR 0.1669 per minute).

Call us and book an appointment to talk about your fear of childbirth

It is important to talk about the fear of childbirth

Fear of childbirth can be treated. You should not be left alone with your fears; we recommend finding the courage to talk about it as early as possible. This gives you time to deal with the fears.

Fear of childbirth can be caused by a variety of individual causes, perhaps related to your situation in life. A psychologically stressful situation or a lack of resources can cause or increase fear of childbirth. Sometimes, fear can be caused by previous difficult or traumatic childbirth experiences or questions about the pain during childbirth. The fear can also be fuelled by negative childbirth stories told by others.

Treating the fear of childbirth helps to ensure a safe childbirth experience, frees up the mother’s psychological resources and helps prepare for parenthood.

Book an appointment to talk about your fear of childbirth by calling the Felicitas Mehiläinen customer service: +358 (0)10 414 6650 (EUR 0.0835 per call + EUR 0.1669 per minute).

Treating fear of childbirth

The goal of treating the fear of childbirth is to help reduce fear, increase the confidence of the mother-to-be in her own abilities and prepare for childbirth. Based on the discussions at the appointment, a birth plan is drawn up to record the mother’s wishes related to pain relief and other things. After this, it will also be easier for the mother to tell the nursing staff about their wishes and needs during childbirth.

The discussion at the appointment also covers the experiences, fears and thoughts of the mother or both of the parents as well as any questions they may have about childbirth. In addition, the discussions will offer up-to-date information on childbirth, delivery methods and care during childbirth.

At the appointment, the mother is also told about various methods of pain relief and the advantages and disadvantages of the two childbirth methods: vaginal delivery and C-section. During these discussions, the customer is not pressured to choose a particular method of delivery. Discussions about fear of childbirth are always individual and personal, taking into consideration the needs of the mother and the family.

Support for fear of childbirth

Felicitas Mehiläinen midwives travel alongside the expectant mother on their path while providing support, information and their skills for the best of the customer.

In the discussions, our midwife listens to the customer and, if necessary, helps them by talking about their memories of a previous childbirth or correcting any misconceptions and, in some cases, also by helping to make a decision about the choice of the delivery method.

Support from a partner or loved one in dealing with the fear of childbirth is essential, which is why the involvement of a support person is extremely important.

Sometimes, the fear of childbirth can be caused by very difficult and painful things, in which the mother may benefit from a longer stint of individual psychotherapy with our experienced psychotherapists. If necessary, you can get more information from our midwife specialised in fear of childbirth.

Book an appointment to talk about your fear of childbirth by calling the Felicitas Mehiläinen customer service: +358 (0)10 414 6650 (EUR 0.0835 per call + EUR 0.1669 per minute).

Call us and book an appointment to talk about your fear of childbirth

Specialist consulted for the article: Felicitas Mehiläinen midwife and IVF Nurse Nina Harjunen.