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The article discusses the causes and mechanism of development of fears during pregnancy, their main varieties. Ways to overcome anxiety states.

The content of the article:

Fears in pregnant women are the expectation of life-threatening or conditionally dangerous phenomena, sensations in relation to the child (fetus) or the expectant mother, accompanied by a high level of anxiety and psycho-emotional instability, caused by hormonal changes in the woman’s body. Let's find out what fears pregnant women have and how to deal with them.

The mechanism of development of fears in a pregnant woman


Pregnant women have fears of different nature, some of them are completely harmless to the mental and physical health of the expectant mother and her baby, others pose a significant threat to the development and life of the fetus, leading to serious personality disorders, including phobias and depression.

Nature laid down special role women - motherhood, which is the basis for procreation. That's why future mom worries about and without during pregnancy.

A genetic feature of humans is caring for their offspring, like all mammals; a number of fears in a pregnant woman are associated with this feature:

  • Health of the child in the womb;
  • Resources of your body to fulfill the role of a mother (the ability to bear and give birth to a baby);
  • Heredity (genetic diseases, predispositions);
  • The ability of a family to raise and provide a child with everything necessary.
These fears are nothing more than a product of the subconscious, and in moments of mental instability caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy, they make themselves felt in the most unpredictable way. The general level of anxiety of the pregnant woman increases, sleep disturbances may occur, and appetite is lost, even to the point of refusing food. IN in this case the concept of fear is a set of vague alarming events that surround a woman, including changes in herself.

Anxiety during pregnancy is quite common, but you need to be careful to notice it in time. Negative influence fears for a pregnant woman's life. Often, hyper-anxiety is a factor in high blood pressure, unexpected bleeding, and even in the most severe cases, the cause of abortion or missed abortion.

The mechanism for the development of fears in a pregnant woman looks schematically like this:

  1. The appearance of an unusual and previously unknown state, sensation, or thought. For example, nagging pain in the lower abdomen during pregnancy indicates different factors in its occurrence. When a woman is unable to independently determine this reason, fear of the unknown appears.
  2. Reinforcement of the cognitive component with knowledge about similar phenomena. The pregnant woman recalls what her friends, relatives and other women who were involved in motherhood told her. A game of consciousness begins on the topic “What do I know about this?”
  3. Illogical conclusion. Typically, the expectant mother attaches her feelings about motherhood to her knowledge, which is often negatively colored emotionally.
  4. The development of anxiety and fear itself.
To constructively combat fears in a pregnant woman in the early stages and before childbirth, it is necessary to change the constituent elements at the second and third levels in the mechanism of fear formation, which will lead to the elimination of anxiety and a successful fight against obsessive anxiety in pregnant women.

Important! If you notice a loss of appetite or sleep, bad feeling against the background of increased anxiety and fear for the baby, immediately contact your doctor so that he can make appropriate prescriptions for you, perhaps even refer you to a consultation with a psychologist. It’s normal to be afraid for any reason during pregnancy, the main thing is to keep your anxiety level under control so as not to harm yourself and the baby! Calm, just calm!

The main causes of fears during pregnancy


Fears are a manifestation of the individual’s self-preservation instinct, which is present at an unconscious level in the subconscious. Most often, the causes of fears do not lie on the surface, but are hidden in the depths human soul. Therefore, determine true essence their occurrence can only be done by a specialist in the field of psychology using a number of methods: projective technique(drawing fear), verbal training (speaking fear), psychoanalysis (finding out the root cause of fear) or psychotherapy (art therapy, gestalt therapy).

Like any mental phenomenon, fears should have their reasons:

  • The unknown and unknown are scary. Anxiety that accompanies a person different stages his life, helps to intensify protective forces the body thus avoiding danger. Constant fear helps a pregnant woman timely notice changes in her body that may signal a threat to the fetus. But sometimes it happens that it gets in the way normal life, so it’s worth consulting with others and a doctor so as not to get bogged down in these phobias.
  • Change of habitual and ordinary. Naturally, with the birth of a child, a woman’s life becomes different - work is replaced by home, any activities and hobbies are replaced by caring for the baby, which takes everything free time. Changing your usual lifestyle also frightens the expectant mother.
  • Fatigue, physical exhaustion. Pregnancy is hard work for the body, which uses all its resources.
  • New degree of responsibility. Against the backdrop of constant overwork and exhaustion, a feeling of anxiety arises due to the burden of responsibilities and affairs. Mom is afraid that she will not cope with her new role and responsibility for the life and health of the little person.
  • Negative experiences of others. Fear is also formed on the basis of stories that haunt a pregnant woman in Everyday life: stories from mothers, grandmothers, and friends about motherhood as something unbearable and terrible.

Signs of fear in a pregnant woman


Any mental condition has its own external and internal symptoms that characterize it as a process in the dynamics of development. TO external signs the presence of fears in a pregnant woman before childbirth and in the early stages include:
  1. Paleness of the skin;
  2. High blood pressure, rapid heartbeat;
  3. Excessive absent-mindedness and inability to concentrate on a specific activity;
  4. Constant conversations about a disturbing event (communication factor);
  5. Tremor of the limbs;
  6. Significant enlargement of the eye pupil;
  7. Muscle spasms that accompany thoughts of fear;
  8. Changing the sound of the voice (timbre);
  9. Dry mouth;
  10. Nausea, vomiting.
External manifestations can be noticeable to any person who observes a pregnant woman, but only their totality and a detailed history of data can indicate the presence of fear.

Internal signs are based on the analysis of neural connections and structural features of the central nervous system.

Types of fears during pregnancy


There are a huge variety of phobias, here are some of the most pressing fears for pregnant women:
  • Fear of death. The complexity and responsibility of bearing and giving birth to a child gives rise to thoughts that a woman is losing health and vitality, which may not be enough during childbirth. In this regard, the fear of death arises. It accompanies a person at all stages of his life and is the key to its preservation, that is, it is quite natural to be afraid of death. But, when mixed with a cocktail of hormones that activate the body’s resources and affect the brain and central nervous system, as well as the psyche of the individual, it turns out “ nuclear explosion”, which an emotionally unstable woman is unable to cope with.
  • Fear for the life and health of loved ones. A child brings adjustments to people’s usual way of life, so pregnant women are often afraid that the birth of a baby may have a negative impact on loved ones with whom they will not be able to communicate and see each other as before.
  • Fear of the future. The birth of a child is new stage in life, which entails changes, and what was planned may not come true or may not come true.
  • Fear for the health and development of the child (fetus). This is the fear of an ectopic or frozen pregnancy, fear of pathologies of fetal development, stillbirth or injury to the child during childbirth. The health of the baby and its preservation is one of the most important concerns during pregnancy, since it is not always possible to personally influence something. An ectopic or frozen pregnancy can only be determined by a doctor, and the pregnant woman will not be able to influence it - the process is irreversible. Developmental pathology is also impossible to feel, just as it is impossible to feel the birth of a stillborn child before it leaves the birth canal. It is impossible to predict the behavior of a doctor who may accidentally injure a newborn, or to completely control his behavior. A pregnant woman is dependent on surrounding factors: the doctor, the environment, unforeseen incidents, etc.
  • Fear of pain. The most powerful and all-encompassing fear that haunts a woman throughout pregnancy. She begins to fear suffering from the stories of friends who have already given birth or from her own knowledge. Pain is never the same, so the unknown of your future sensations is scary.
  • Fear of childbirth. Most often it manifests itself acutely closer to the time of delivery and affects the woman completely. To avoid or minimize it, pregnant women attend specialized courses where they learn how to behave during childbirth, pain management techniques and communication skills with newborns.
  • Fear of unplanned pregnancy. Can be present in women of any age and any financial situation. Most often it is formed under the influence of surrounding factors: the opinions of a partner (spouse), relatives or loved ones, lack of material resources (in the opinion of the girl herself or her environment), an imaginary inability to cope with a child. This fear can be minimized by having necessary knowledge on the prevention of unplanned pregnancy and methods of contraception, as well as information about motherhood as a wonderful destiny for the fairer sex.
  • Fear of one's own unattractiveness in connection with pregnancy and childbirth. It arises due to the negative experiences of others and intrusive stories on the Internet. The support of your spouse and relatives, as well as knowledge about ways to restore your body and figure after childbirth, will help in the fight against it. Correct accent during motherhood will help to avoid unnecessary fears.
The famous psychiatrist G.I. Kaplan divided fears into two types: constructive and pathological. Constructive ones are based on the instinct of self-preservation. These are fears that will help the expectant mother to always be on the alert, not to miss dangerous sensations or changes in herself or the baby, and to respond to the situation in a timely manner.

Pathological or destructive anxiety underlies obsessive states - phobias; they lead to mental disorders of the personality, as well as to such severe forms as depression. Having identified such fears, the intervention of a competent specialist - a psychologist, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst or psychiatrist - is most often required.

Pathological fears during pregnancy are especially dangerous, as they affect the mental health of not only the woman herself, but also the formation of the child’s psyche.

How to overcome fears during pregnancy

Being afraid during pregnancy - normal phenomenon, but only if the fears do not threaten the health of the baby and the mental health of the mother. Constructive fears can be overcome by expanding your knowledge about pregnancy and the peculiarities of its course, as well as after communicating with a doctor.

Algorithm for getting rid of fears in a pregnant woman


To combat destructive obsessive states, the following algorithm is used.

Mechanism for dealing with pathological fears:

  1. Determining the cause of fear (according to the pregnant woman);
  2. Identification of the destructive component at the cognitive level (thoughts that caused fear);
  3. Determining the nature of fear (negative previous experiences, stories from others, Internet information, etc.);
  4. Development of an action plan to combat fear - certain actions, drug treatment, psychological support pregnant;
  5. Control throughout the entire journey to overcome fear by a competent person (obstetrician-gynecologist, psychologist, psychotherapist and other specialists);
  6. Analysis of the results obtained.
This general scheme, which can be applied as part of any approach to combating fears.

Art therapy for dealing with fears in a pregnant woman


It is known that visualizing fear is 50% of success in the fight against it. By depicting her phobia, a woman relieves the psychophysiological tension of the whole body, transferring it to paper. Feature this direction is a specific psychological mechanism - creative activity, in which the pregnant woman manifests herself as a person in all the versatility of connections and structures.

There are a number of exercises that are performed as part of art therapy:

  • “This is my fear!” The subject is asked to depict the fear in free form and describe it in detail in all details. This is how anxiety states are realized and processed, and their verbalization occurs, which forces the pregnant woman to articulate a strategy for behavior in an alarming situation.
  • "Acting with Fear". The subjects depict fear, as in the previous task, but instead of describing it they must figure out what to do with this image: crumple it, throw it away, tear it, wet it, etc. By such actions there is a struggle on a subconscious level. The subconscious mind remembers the algorithm of behavior when this phobia occurs, the reaction to it will be different, softer than before.
  • "Fairy Tale". A ball of thread is taken, and the presenter begins the story, for example: “Once upon a time there was a girl, Lucy, and she was so afraid to give birth that...”, finishes the phrase and passes the ball to the next one in the circle, who continues this story. So the ball is passed around in a circle to all members of the group until the fear ceases to be terrifying.
Art therapy is used both individually and in a group approach. Taking into account the specifics of the pregnancy period and female psychology in general, group classes will be more constructive and emotionally positive for a pregnant woman, where a woman can feel not alone in her fears, understand what all pregnant women experience, thus making it easier for her to cope with her phobias.

Gestalt therapy for overcoming fears during pregnancy


The main concept in this psychological direction is gestalt. This is a certain image that haunts a person. The main task of the Gestalt therapeutic school of psychology is to close this obsessive negative image, that is, to overcome your fear.

Exercises for pregnant women as part of Gestalt therapy:

  1. Perception of phobias as a holistic process independent of a person’s will. The subjects replace the phrase “I’m afraid...” with “There is a certain fear in me...” As a result, the relationship between the concepts “figure-ground” turns the original chain of fear into “There is a fear in me, the causes of which are incomprehensible to me and do not depend on me...” In the internal In terms of personality, a person goes through a series of transformations that lead to insight (illumination). The reunification of internal and external feelings, the realization that fear does not depend on a person and is a holistic process, forces you to change life priorities and place the accents correctly.
  2. "Self-flagellation". This is a reunion of personality opposites. The subjects compare their fear and courage in the “here and now” situation. A dialogue is built during which fear as an emotional and sensory experience is integrated into the space surrounding the individual. The main goal of the exercise is unity with yourself, complete awareness of fear.

Note! Completing psychological tasks will bring results only if they are carried out under the guidance of a psychologist or psychotherapist! Only a competent specialist will be able to correctly structure the lesson and consolidate the results obtained.


What are fears during pregnancy and how to deal with them - watch the video:


The main thing in overcoming fear is to remember that all this is for the sake of the baby’s mental and physical health, and then success will not be long in coming!

Fear and anxiety before childbirth is a normal natural process in a woman’s life. It happens that pregnancy phobia (tokophobia) does not make the family happy. The expectant mother is afraid of the birth of the child. In most cases, a person is not able to deal with the problem on his own; here, the help of a specialist is needed.

What is tokophobia and how is it characterized?

Pregnancy phobia means that an individual is pathologically afraid of the process of pregnancy and childbirth itself. Every tenth woman has tokophobia. A female representative refuses the idea of ​​having children, while at the same time, at the subconscious level, she retains maternal feelings.

Fear of pregnancy affects demographic indicators in a number of ways European countries. Often the causes begin in childhood.

Young girls can be impressionable, especially if they are told that giving birth is painful and painful. It happens that after watching a film where the birth of a child is shown in detail, unpleasant impressions remain for the rest of your life. The girl may not want to have a child after what she saw.

There are two types of tokophobia: primary and secondary. The primary type refers to women who have not yet gone through the process of childbirth. Pregnancy phobia can be caused by sexual harassment.

The secondary type most likely refers to female representatives who have already had children in their lives. It happens that a woman goes through a difficult birth, after which depression arises and any desire to give birth disappears.

There is a possibility that pregnancy will occur in a tokophobe. Then the woman begins to get rid of the child as soon as possible, in best case scenario she has an abortion. Some girls simply do not have the moral and physical strength to accept a child.

In such a situation, the problem must be solved comprehensively. For many expectant mothers, a child is desired, but the fear is so great that they still lose the fetus through abortion.

If a woman nevertheless agrees to give birth, then she begins to persistently persuade the medical staff to do C-section(in this case, there may be no medical indications at all). In case of pregnancy phobia, doctors agree to perform an operation in order to preserve the health of the mother and unborn child (in stressful situations miscarriage cannot be ruled out). Reaction from the outside female body during natural childbirth can be unpredictable.

Phobia provokes serious problems. Women in labor who have a fear of pregnancy believe that this is how they control the situation.

What is the fear of pregnancy?

Tokophobia has specific symptoms. These can be used to determine that a woman has a phobia of pregnancy:

  • cardiopalmus;
  • panic attacks;
  • sleep disturbance;
  • insurmountable fear and anxiety;
  • constant nervousness.

Such factors become a threat to pregnancy; if the phobia is not resisted, a miscarriage may occur.

The feeling of fear and panic is destructive. A woman makes decisions solely based on emotions. Each new stress negatively affects the pregnancy process, and the child may be born defective.

Causes of fear of pregnancy

Pregnancy phobia is based on a woman’s worries and experiences. Such fear paralyzes will and action. A female representative is very worried, her hands usually tremble, her head is spinning negative thoughts. Fear can drive anyone crazy.

The fear of getting pregnant is usually associated with an experienced event. There can be both physical and psychological reasons. Most often these include the following:

  • sexual harassment of a woman, violence against her (as a consequence, severe depression develops, which gradually develops into a phobia);
  • pregnancy before adulthood (it happens that the guy or girl was not yet ready for morally become parents);
  • abortion as a teenager;
  • painful childbirth;
  • depression after childbirth;
  • stillbirth of a child or with complex diseases;
  • fear of loss of body beauty and health;
  • fear of not being a good parent.

A woman may also be afraid of changes in her life with the birth of a child, pain during and after childbirth, and the possibility of dying.

How to overcome pregnancy phobia

If you have a phobia such as fear of getting pregnant, it is important to promptly contact a specialist who will provide appropriate assistance. Such fear, like any other fear, can be treated. It is important to recognize the problem and take the first step towards getting rid of it.

The expectant mother needs to understand what will happen to her body during pregnancy, what stages childbirth consists of, and how great the risks are. There is no need to torment yourself with expectations, or be afraid of what may not turn out to be in reality. The psychologist works with women both in groups and individually.

Close people should first of all provide support to a female representative who has a phobia of pregnancy. It is necessary to constantly demonstrate that everyone goes through childbirth, children are a normal program for the human body, laid down by nature.

Meditation, yoga, and different kinds relaxation. Breathing exercises relaxes a person, reduces the number of panic attacks, and improves smooth breathing. Sometimes hypnosis can be used to treat a phobia.

Pregnancy phobia has an understandable origin. Since fears are easily explained, it will not be difficult to understand your own experiences and then get rid of them.


Women may experience the following fears:

Fear that a girl will not be able to get pregnant

Some female representatives are afraid that pregnancy may not occur. This happens when doctors diagnose infertility; there are problems with childbirth at the genetic level. Such fears are not always justified. Psychologists advise starting with an examination. If there are no health problems, then you just need to let go of all fears. The fact that someone in the family had problems with childbirth and pregnancy does not mean at all that the situation will be repeated from generation to generation. Here it is advisable to use maximum amount methods for conceiving a child. It happens that the problems are psychological, then the help of a psychotherapist is necessary.

There are girls who, on the contrary, are afraid of pregnancy

Panic attacks often begin. In most cases, this is associated with a reluctance to have children at all. Sometimes representatives of the fair sex are simply not ready for pregnancy (for example, they have not reached the age of majority). In this case, it is important to consult a doctor and use contraceptives.

Some are afraid that pregnancy has already occurred

In panic, women turn to a psychologist for help. Pregnancy phobia is that girls are simply not ready to become mothers at this moment; they don’t know where to start or how to behave. In order to overcome fear, you need to take a pregnancy test. At positive result no need to panic right away. It is important to understand how desirable such a child will be in the family. There is no need to think that the time has not yet come, or that there will ever be ideal conditions. Children are not born by chance. Everyone becomes parents for the first time. This will require support from loved ones to overcome the fear of pregnancy. If relatives are unable to help, then it is better to immediately contact a psychologist.

Fear of miscarriage means that a woman has a fear of stillbirth or miscarriage.

Often such fears do not exist real reasons, although they can be understood. For peace of mind, doctors recommend taking all tests to ensure your health and the health of your baby.


It happens that pregnancy phobia is associated with the appearance of the first child in the family.

This is not surprising; it is human nature to experience fear of the new, the unknown. To get rid of fear, psychologists recommend attending special courses where they talk about how pregnancy and childbirth itself goes. The expectant mother must understand that this is a normal process that is inherent in nature. Most women go through this, everyone is scared of the unknown. If the fear becomes too strong, then you will need to visit a psychologist or psychotherapist. There are also consultations in groups, where future parents share advice and impressions. When a woman realizes that she is not alone, the phobia recedes.

In a family where there is already one child, fear may arise at the thought of a second baby.

There may be various reasons for this. For example, things are not going well in the family, there are constant conflicts, and there are situations on the verge of divorce. Then the second child will grow up in a dysfunctional family. Another circumstance is a limited amount of finance or help from relatives, a heavy workload. With this approach, it is worth assessing your strengths sensibly, weighing all the pros and cons. In addition, pregnancy phobia occurs due to painful and difficult childbirth. Here you need to consult a doctor and take all the necessary tests to understand what your chances are of bearing a healthy child. A caesarean section is often considered a solution to the problem.

One of the most understandable and justified reasons- fear of giving birth to a sick child. A woman may have a genetic predisposition, serious mental and physical health problems. Only passing all the tests and procedures can give an accurate answer as to whether pregnancy is worth it. There is no need to delve into yourself; everything can be figured out even before the process of bearing a fetus.

Drug treatment

In some situations, pregnancy phobia cannot be treated with conversations and visits to a psychologist alone. Sometimes the problem lies in deeper processes. In such circumstances, only drug treatment is possible. It is important to remember that the disease is surmountable, the question is correct selection medicines.

Most often prescribed for pregnant women sedatives. It is important to establish healthy sleep and calm your psyche. It will be useful to watch educational videos, read literature, and observe other parents and their children.

In an advanced form of pregnancy phobia, a depressed state may occur and the woman becomes depressed. In this case, the doctor prescribes antidepressants, it is recommended to spend more time on fresh air, in a circle of close people.

Fear of pregnancy and childbirth is a natural process. It is inherent in every person. The only question is how much an individual can control it and give himself rational arguments. Don't wait for fear to develop into tokophobia. As soon as panic attacks or negative thoughts associated with bearing a baby arise, you should immediately seek help from a specialist. A course of medication, hypnosis sessions, and psychotherapy are prescribed. You shouldn’t isolate yourself; it’s important to learn to voice your fears and work with them.

I have always been athletic and had good control over my body. Perhaps that is why the thought that during pregnancy and childbirth I would not be able to control my body seemed unbearable to me. I'm a diabetic and Andrew convinced me to see my doctor before deciding to have an abortion - I'd been seeing her for years and she knew how badly I wanted to get pregnant. The doctor begged me to see a psychologist. If it weren't for the psychologist, my daughter would not be with me now. The first time I came to her was in the fifth week of pregnancy. She told me that the thought of losing control over my body was driving me crazy, and the doctor diagnosed me with “tokophobia” - a pathological fear of pregnancy and childbirth. I have never heard of this, but the psychologist said that fear can be very strong and very often women have an abortion without deciding to give birth. The doctor explained that pregnancy meant one thing for me - being trapped inside my worst fear. It’s the same as locking a person who is deathly afraid of spiders in a box with them, and for a long time - for as much as 9 months. The therapist prescribed me antidepressants, and regular meetings and supportive conversations helped me give up the idea of ​​an abortion, although I still went through the pregnancy itself like the circles of hell.

The only thing that brought relief was to pretend that nothing was happening. I couldn't talk about the future child even with my husband and family, not to mention my friends and strangers who expected me to be in joyful excitement. When we went out, Andrew took on the role of a buffer - he immediately changed the conversation if he saw that I was becoming uneasy. I know how difficult it was for him to understand my condition, but, despite everything, my husband supported me throughout the pregnancy. I was afraid that if others knew how I felt, they would judge me. I myself could not understand my feelings, explain them to myself. I lost close friend– I plucked up courage and trusted her, but she could not understand my feelings. She desperately wanted a child at that moment. We don't communicate anymore and I'm very sad about it.

My panic fear grew so much that thoughts of suicide began to enter my head. To hide my belly, I wore baggy clothes. The older I got, the worse I felt. I wanted only one thing - let me out of here! The release happened earlier than expected: my daughter Olivia was born two months ahead of schedule. I had a Caesarean section and as soon as she was removed from my body, I immediately felt all the confusion, pain and fear go away. I became myself again.

book on the topic

How does a baby develop? How to properly prepare for the birth of a child? How will a woman feel during childbirth and how will her relationship with her husband change (psychologically and physically) with the birth of her baby?

When I saw the girl in a special box for newborns, I was flooded with a feeling of guilt that still does not let me go. There is no way in hell I want her to find out the truth, to think that she was an unwanted child. She was so desperately wanted! But if I myself cannot understand my feelings, how can I explain them to her?

Both Andrew and I feel betrayed. Pregnancy should be a time of anticipation and excited joy, but for us it was a terrible experience. I know my husband feels left out. I couldn't stand touching mine pregnant belly, and he couldn't even feel our baby kicking. The idea of ​​pregnancy still terrifies me, but I think about it again because our daughter brings us so much joy and we would like to give her a brother or sister. Tokophobia affects 10% of women worldwide. globe, but we know very little about it. Often the phobia begins after a difficult birth. It worries me that somewhere there are women who are suffering without understanding the cause of their suffering. I am so grateful that I received support in time. Liv is my life and it gives me chills to think how close I came to losing her forever."

For more information, see “Experience: I am afraid of pregnancy”, www.theguardian.com

Most women greet the news of pregnancy with joy and trepidation. Many of them say that the period of waiting for a child was the happiest in their lives. However, many women, being pregnant, simultaneously joyfully experience a lot of fears that are characteristic only of pregnant women. For them, pregnancy is a period of anxiety and various fears.

A state of anxiety and mental stress is undesirable for a woman expecting a child. Such emotional background negatively affects physical health: immunity decreases, various diseases can “catch on” or chronic ones can worsen; worries take a lot of energy, so there will be less of it left for childbirth; a baby who perfectly senses the mother’s anxious state may be born nervous and noisy. Moreover, high level anxiety can lead to increased uterine tone and termination of pregnancy.

What are pregnant women afraid of?

The main fear that torments expectant mothers is fear of losing a child. This is especially true for those women whose previous pregnancy ended in miscarriage or death of the child during childbirth. For some of them, fear can reach such a point that they lose sleep, constantly listening to what is happening to them. You can calm yourself down only by abstracting from the flow of negativity that hits us from everywhere. If someone had something bad, then the same fate will not necessarily befall you, even if you belong to a risk group. If the previous pregnancy ended sadly, this does not mean at all that this one will end the same way.

Fear of deviations in child development. To this fear we must be grateful to the means mass media and ubiquitous girlfriends. Someone once joked that pregnant women should be given a free set of earplugs. In fact, there is always an informed friend/neighbor/relative in their circle, stuffed with all sorts of horror stories about pregnant women and ready to spread them to the expectant mother from morning to night. These are endless stories with the force of “But one drank/smoked/danced and gave birth to a sick child,” which greatly gets on the nerves of the expectant mother. The only way to get rid of annoying storytellers is to explain to them that it is unpleasant for you to listen to these stories, turn around and leave.

Fear of childbirth. Even women giving birth to their second or third child are susceptible to fear of childbirth. This fear is natural, because childbirth is a difficult ordeal for a woman and for a newborn baby. Because childbirth, by and large, is a lottery; it is unknown how it will end. The fear of labor pain is also natural; a person with a normal psyche strives to avoid pain; only masochists are not afraid of it. You should approach childbirth from the perspective of “no birth lasts forever.” At modern development In medicine, doctors have many opportunities to alleviate a woman’s labor pain; this help should not be rejected. You also need to think about the fact that you share the hardships of childbirth with your child, who experiences a lot of stress during contractions and pushing, who literally has to go through a difficult path to the light of God, and your task is to make it easier for him to pass this path.

Fear of becoming unattractive to your spouse. Some women are very worried about the changes happening to their body: the belly is growing, overweight, the face becomes blurred, the gait changes, and age spots may appear on the face. And now it’s not an elegant girl with a flying gait who moves around the apartment, but a clumsy “barrel”. However, as life shows, the vast majority of men perceive these changes quite adequately, and many men, on the contrary, find pregnant women attractive. Husbands understand perfectly well that their spouse has changed because she is carrying a child, this usually makes them more careful towards her.

As it turns out, many expectant mothers suffer from fear of being unprepared for motherhood, that is, simply put, to turn out to be a bad mother “I don’t know how to do anything!” I don’t even know how to approach the child!” - If they don’t complain, then such women think about themselves. To get rid of such thoughts, you should devote your free time on vacation before giving birth to reading literature on child care, perhaps enrolling in courses for young mothers, where they will teach you how to swaddle, change diapers, and talk about the basics of child care. And, of course, do not neglect the help of grandmothers and experienced friends.

Of course, it is not easy to get rid of fears. Great importance The woman’s character, the family situation, the attitude of those close to her pregnancy, and the level of anxiety with which the woman began her pregnancy play a role in the development of fears. It should be taken into account that pregnant women, due to their position, change their hormonal levels, and this also contributes to the development of nervousness, irritability, and fears. But this does not mean that everything should be left to chance. For a believing woman, pregnancy is a period special treatment to God, the Mother of God, the patron saints. Surrendering oneself to the hands of God helps to get rid of many worries. For those who do not feel strong enough to cope with their fears on their own, a psychologist will help.

ABC of education

All our fears can be called defensive reaction the body to changes in life circumstances or impending danger.

They help you get together and encourage you to take action. During pregnancy, strong changes also occur, only inside our body.

And the psychological response to these changes is anxiety, worry, and fear.

Perhaps, in the past, women had to make more efforts to bear a healthy child, not harm him, and ensure a safe birth and comfortable conditions for him.

But now we are surrounded by the benefits of civilization everywhere, medical care is available at any time of the day.

So let's figure out which fears torment pregnant women and have a real basis, and which ones only interfere with their lives.

Despite all modern conditions created for the birth of a child, the expectant mother may still be afraid of the burden of responsibility that will soon fall on her. She thinks a lot about whether she can provide for her child. good upbringing, education and a decent future.

Anxiety can add to the relationship between the child's father and mother, or other children to the future new family member. The material side of the issue is also relevant in our time for many families who want to have a child.

But, as a rule, these fears torment a woman less than those that are directly related to the state of pregnancy and the child in the womb, and have less basis.

It is they who have worried women at all times and continue to worry even now, since they are the most natural and caused by pregnancy hormones. Let's list the brightest of them.

Fear of miscarriage

The fear of losing a child can be called the most ancient fear and the most natural.

Most of all, it torments those women who have planned for a long time and studied too much information about possible problems.

Or they themselves have encountered these problems before and are now afraid that the unsuccessful pregnancy will happen again.

But fear for the well-being of pregnancy can arise even in the youngest and least experienced mother thanks to modern methods instant receipt of any information, even not the most reliable.

Girls read about how pregnancy should proceed or about failures that lie in wait, and project this information onto themselves.

They wait for certain signs of pregnancy to appear, and worry if they are absent. Or they begin to look for unpleasant symptoms, fearing a miscarriage or.

The first trimester of pregnancy is truly the most responsible and, perhaps, this is what causes so much fear and anxiety.

And to be confident in yourself, you can take childbirth preparation courses. There you will be taught how to breathe, push, and move correctly during labor.

You will see how many women are in the same position as you. Oddly enough, this makes it easier to think about the upcoming test.

Everyone gives birth, no one stays pregnant.

And the medical staff will do everything to make this happen as easily and naturally as possible.

Fear of losing attractiveness

Over time, when the belly becomes larger and the figure takes on completely new shapes, many begin to experience the fear of not returning to their previous shape.

This fear is connected with so many others: losing attractiveness in general, losing interest from a partner.

Touching on this topic, I would like to mention that many women boast of men’s increased interest in them in the second half of pregnancy.

Apparently, the roundness of the shape and the large elastic tummy act at the genetic level and evoke admiring feelings and emotions. And the expression on the face of a happy pregnant woman cannot help but attract glances.

The same thing happens to the future father of the child. If he himself is not tormented by fears of harming the child, which are absolutely groundless, he probably experiences increased sexual attraction to you.

The ability to return the figure to its pregnant form in to a greater extent depends on heredity. But exercise and diet can work wonders if you approach them responsibly.

So solve problems as they arise, rather than filling your head with useless concerns. Still, nothing can be done during pregnancy.

Fear for your career

The fear of losing a job, being forced to give way to a new employee, or losing professional skills haunts many who are used to keeping everything under control.