Social Media is Fueling women’s fear of Childbirth, according to an article in the INDEPENDENT in 2018, by Emily Roberts.
Emily tells us that, according to Catriona Jones, a lecturer in midwifery at the University of Hull, Social Media and the Internet as a whole is increasing womens fear of Childbirth.
This has certainly been my experience over the years.
Countless women everyday find themselves facing Childbirth filled with fear and trepidation. Fear of not knowing what to expect, concern about whether everything is normal, or whether something will go wrong. They google, their symptoms or ask questions of Dr Google regarding their pregnancy or upcoming birth only to find they’re fears are being justified by the answers they receive.
How sad that the single most natural event in any woman’s life should leave them filled with such anxiety.
This fear of Childbirth is known as TOCOPHOBIA.
According to Roberts, finding positive answers to her questions about her own pregnancy and birth was difficult, with most internet sites mostly predicting the worst, and increasing her fears. Roberts believed the sites actually confirmed her fears that her pregnancy and birth would likely end horrifically.
Even without the internet, we see this in everyday conversation. Women can’t wait to share their horror stories, like they are some sort of trophy for what they have been through. Women are even quick to defend their bad outcomes , as if they and their babies were lucky to have made it out alive.
Yet it is my belief and my experience, that Birth does not need to be feared and in fact for the majority of women, Childbirth can be an amazing experience that leads to empowerment and growth.
The over medicalisation of Childbirth and the need by over zealous medical professionals to intervene in a normal process is largely responsible for the poor outcomes we see today. I have attended and educated women for over 25 years. It is my experience that over 90 percent of women can give birth without problems, provided they have the right education and support.
Yet we are not seeing these figures in our hospitals. In fact one in three women have their babies cut out or pulled out of their bodies. In some hospitals these figures are as high as 60-80 percent. This is outrageous to say the least.
This needs to stop! Having a baby is an exciting and amazing process. The body is a masterful tool that knows exactly how to carry nurture and birth a baby. Women simply need the right tools. They need good positive education and to be supported by other women who trust the process of birth. A process that has been in effect for thousands of years.
I encourage you, if your reading this and your pregnant, do your research, seek good support because a good birth is not just a healthy outcome of mother and baby, it is a life changing experience. Please visit us at