Reasons for anxiety about childbirth in 100 pregnant women

Abstract

The aims were to document conscious reasons for anxiety about childbirth. Pregnant women (n = 100), consecutively referred from antenatal centers to a psychosomatic outpatient clinic because of extreme fear of childbirth, were interviewed. Three subgroups are described: primiparae (n = 36), women with a normal previous delivery (n = 18) and women with a previous complicated delivery (n = 46). Anxiety over the deliver was related to lack of trust in the obstetrical staff (73%), fear of own incompetence (65%), fear of death of mother, infant or both (55%), intolerable pain (44%) or loss of control (43%). In the description of the anxiety, more than one focus could be described. A previous complicated delivery predisposed for fear of death (p < 0.001). In other aspects, the subgroups were similar. Fear of death in a previous labor was associated with this fear regarding the impending delivery (100%, 21%, p < 0.001) and with fear of loss of control (61%, 18% p < 0.01). Many women (37%) had partners who admitted anxiety over the delivery. Anxiety over childbirth is related to fundamental human feelings: lack of trust, fear of female incompetence and fear of death. Fear of pain is important but not predominant. The results are discussed with regard to stress, theoretical and psychodynamic points of view.

A longitudinal observational study of preference for elective caesarean section among nulliparous Hong Kong Chinese women

“…It has been well demonstrated that fathers of the pregnancy, just like their female counterparts, have anxiety over delivery. 26 Both the mother and the father have appraisals, coping strategies and support resources with adjustment to parenthood, although the mechanism might differ substantially. 27 A study on the psychosocial influence on women's experience of planned ELCS showed that partner's fear mediated between maternal fear and postoperative pain.…”

“…19 Fear of loss of self-control in labour has been implicated as one of the reasons for women choosing ELCS. 20 The Chinese version of MHLC is available. 21 The scale assesses three dimensions of control namely; internal control by oneself (IHLC), control from powerful other (PHLC) and control by chance (CHLC).…”

Development and psychometric properties of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R)

“…Anxious women have a predisposition towards having negative birth expectations (Heaman et al, 1992;Sjogren, 1997), which renders midwives accountable for instilling confidence through delivering effective preparatory education. Preparation for childbirth palpably influences birth satisfaction (Dannenbring et al, 1997), with engagers more confident and able to cope (Sinclair, 1999).…”

Turkish Validity and Reliability of the Oxford Worries About Labour Scale

“…On alt boyuta sahip olan ölçeğin ters soruları yoktur. Öl-çeğin alt boyutlarından OWLS ile ilişkili olan "doğum eylemine ilişkin endişeler" (11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 Ölçek; doğum öncesi, sırası ve sonrası bütün dönem-lerde kadınlara uygulanabilmektedir; "1: Çok endişeliydim", "2: Oldukça endişeliydim", "3: Çok endişeli değildim", "4: Hiç endişeli değildim" şeklinde puanlanmıştır. Ölçek toplam puan üzerinden değerlendi-rilmektedir (min=10, maks=40).…”

“…10 Sjögren, 100 gebe üzerinde yaptığı bir çalışmada, güvenilir sağlık personeli eksikliği (%73), kendisinin yetersizliği korkusu (%65), annenin, bebeğin ya da her ikisinin ölme korkusu (%55), tolere edilemeyen ağrı hissi (%44) ve kontrolünü kaybetme (%43) gibi duyguların gebelerde anksiyete sebebi olduğunu bulmuş-tur. 12 Huizink ve ark.nın çalışmasında ise gebelerin çocuk doğurmaktan, fiziksel veya zihinsel özürlü çocuk doğurmaktan ve kişisel görünümlerinin bozulmasından endişe duydukları belirlenmiştir. 13 Doğum korkusu travay süresinin uzamasına, epidural analjezi ve yardımcı tekniklerin kullanı-mının artmasına neden olmaktadır.…”