{"id":8148,"date":"2023-01-16T12:52:46","date_gmt":"2023-01-16T11:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poradnia-harmonia.pl\/tokofobia-jakie-sa%cc%a8-jej-przyczyny-i-objawy\/"},"modified":"2023-01-16T13:53:51","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T12:53:51","slug":"tokophobia-what-are-its-causes-and-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poradnia-harmonia.pl\/en\/tokophobia-what-are-its-causes-and-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokophobia \u2013 what are its causes and symptoms?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The thought of pregnancy and impending birth often causes fear. It is natural and completely normal for women to feel fear of the unknown, whether pain or possible complications that may arise during childbirth. For the vast majority of women, the fear of childbirth is moderate and not a problem, but for some it is very strong or extremely strong, then it is called tokophobia. This is a condition that cannot be taken lightly, but action must be taken. What exactly is tokophobia and how to deal with it?[\/vc_column_text]

What is tokophobia?<\/span><\/h2>[vc_column_text]Tokophobia (Greek toko – childbirth, phobia – fear, anxiety) is a state of pathological fear of pregnancy and childbirth. It has been classified as an anxiety disorder not clearly defined clinically due to poorly defined diagnostic criteria. Tokophobia affects a woman’s well-being, affects her health, sometimes hinders normal functioning, so it should not be underestimated, and if it appears, it is worth seeking help from a specialist.[\/vc_column_text]

Types of tokophobia<\/span><\/h2>[vc_column_text]There is a division of tokophobia into primary, secondary and being a symptom of depression.[\/vc_column_text]

Primary tokophobia<\/span><\/h3>[vc_column_text]It may appear long before the first pregnancy. It often causes postponing or even giving up pregnancy altogether. Tokophobia in many cases contributes to obtaining a guarantee from the doctor regarding the termination of pregnancy by caesarean section.[\/vc_column_text]

Secondary tokophobia<\/span><\/h3>[vc_column_text]It is a consequence of the traumatic course of childbirth (traumatic childbirth), miscarriage, stillbirth, but it can also occur after a normal, physiological childbirth. It is associated with the occurrence of depression, and more specifically, postpartum psychogenic post-traumatic syndrome, decreased libido and emotional ties disorders.[\/vc_column_text]

Tokophobia as a symptom of depression<\/span><\/h2>[vc_column_text]It can occur in the first or subsequent pregnancies, and it is caused by a depressive syndrome. This type of tokophobia is characterized by the occurrence of obsessive thoughts that bring to mind black scenarios about childbirth.[\/vc_column_text]

Tokophobia - how common is it?<\/span><\/h2>[vc_column_text]It is estimated that up to 80% of pregnant women may experience mild fear of childbirth, while strong anxiety and fear, i.e. tokophobia, occur in 6 to 10% of pregnant women. An extremely high level of fear of childbirth is observed in about 2% of expectant mothers.<\/p>\n

So you can see that the scale of the problem is really big. Interestingly, the incidence of tokophobia is not related to the order of pregnancy.[\/vc_column_text]

Possible causes of tokophobia<\/span><\/h2>[vc_column_text]Numerous studies show that the highest level of fear of childbirth concerns women in the third trimester of pregnancy and occurs both in primiparous and multiparous women. Factors that may influence its occurrence include:<\/p>\n