| | | | | tired. |
| Fear of having a baby is called Tokophobia, and one | | | | So how do we overcome this?- by profound |
| in six women suffer from it. | | | | relaxation. It sounds too easy to be true doesn't it, |
| Sufferers of Tokophobia are split into two groups, | | | | but it is really very simple. |
| and quite often starts with feelings of anxiety and | | | | When the labouring mother is in a comfortable state |
| terror due to early and ongoing programming | | | | of relaxation (not in hypnosis) the two sets of |
| concerning horrors of labour, negative anticipation | | | | muscles work in harmony as they were meant to, |
| created through media drama, stories of earlier births, | | | | and birthing occurs smoothly and easily in a normal |
| films showing labour to be comic or very dangerous, | | | | birth. |
| or having had a bad experience the first time round, | | | | The mother is taught that birth is natural and healthy, |
| the more you think about it the worse the feeling of | | | | it is not a medical event, its about mothers and |
| terror becomes. If you can learn to let go of the | | | | fathers and babies, and respect for their rights and |
| fear, use breathing and relaxation techniques, the | | | | wishes to bring their babies into the world in a gentle |
| uterus can do its work easily and comfortably, as it is | | | | and calm way. |
| meant to do, in a normal birth. | | | | It's as much as philosophy as it is a technique. It is a |
| When the mother approaches labour with unresolved | | | | rewarding, relaxing, stress-free method of birthing |
| fear and dread, her body is already on the defensive, | | | | that is based on the belief that when a mother is |
| and the stressor hormone, catecholamine is triggered. | | | | properly prepared for birthing physically, mentally and |
| Her body then goes into the fight or freeze | | | | spiritually, she can experience the joy of birthing her |
| response, the uterus tenses and everything slows | | | | baby in an easier, more comfortable, and often even |
| down. | | | | pain free, manner. It returns to women the art of |
| We use the uterus to birth, it's a muscle working | | | | birthing in a way that allows her to summon her |
| hard, that's what its there for. The muscle needs | | | | natural birthing instincts. Its based on the belief that |
| oxygen and blood supply to work smoothly. When | | | | severe discomfort does not need to be a natural |
| we become frightened, blood is directed away from | | | | accompaniment of labour. |
| the uterus, to the parts of the body involved in | | | | If the mother has a very bad phobia about fear of |
| defence. This causes the arteries going to the uterus | | | | falling pregnant, she will probably need to address the |
| to tense, restricting the flow of blood and oxygen, | | | | problem before taking the HypnoBirthing programme, |
| which are vital to the functioning of the uterus. When | | | | or any Childbirth course, if she seeks the help of a |
| the muscles in the uterus work against each other it | | | | good hypnotherapist who is also interested in |
| causes considerable pain for the labouring mother, | | | | HypnoBirthing or Natural birthing. She should |
| and her anxiety becomes worse. the uterus becomes | | | | overcome the fear of having a baby. It is very |
| tired, maybe we shake, and tense, and babies get | | | | gentle and relaxing. |