Fear = Longer Labor
Find out why fear actually affects you physically during labor and what you can do about it.
By Mavi Gupta, M.D., C. C.Ht. and Jeremy Dyen, CHt.
Creators - The Birth Relaxation Kit™
Did you know that birthing mothers who were more fearful endured 8 hours of labor on average, while those who were regarded as less fearful birthed closer to 6 hours on average?
This isn't just theory. Women with a fear of childbirth endure a longer labor, according to a study published in BJOG, An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
According to the article, up to 20% of women are frightened of giving birth (I actually believe that percentage is much higher).
Many of us can relate to the reasons fear has become so tightly weaved into the fabric of pregnancy and birth, some of which are:
This isn't just theory. Women with a fear of childbirth endure a longer labor, according to a study published in BJOG, An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
According to the article, up to 20% of women are frightened of giving birth (I actually believe that percentage is much higher).
Many of us can relate to the reasons fear has become so tightly weaved into the fabric of pregnancy and birth, some of which are:
- Lack of social support (not having a solid, positive support system when it comes to birth and parenting)
- Being a first-time expectant mother
- Lack of education about childbirth
- History of Abuse
- Trauma existing from a previous birth
- Pre-existing psychological condition
Many women believe there is nothing they can do about this fear. They just live with that stress and either think that the "experts" or doctors will take care of them on birthing day, or that they will just "brave it" the best they can with little to no preparation.
According to the study, there is "a link between fear of childbirth and longer duration of labour. Generally, longer labour duration increases the risk of instrumental vaginal delivery and emergency caesarean section." [Adams S, Eberhard-Gran M, Eskild A. Fear of childbirth and duration of labour: a study of 2206 women with intended vaginal delivery. BJOG 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03433.x]
What's even more interesting is that they also discovered that women who were fearful more often delivered their baby with the assistance of instruments (vacuum, forceps etc.) and/or had to have a cesarean delivery.
Physical Effects Of Fear
The "fight or flight" response is a natural response all humans are equipped with. It is our body's natural response to fear, stress or physical and psychological danger. Muscles tense, blood flow changes, the heart races.
During birth, stress hormones are released in your body as a result of fear. These hormones interfere with the release of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for starting uterine contractions and promoting the "flow" of labor.
Furthermore, during the fight or flight response in labor, blood flows less to the parts of your body that need that blood flow most, namely the uterus. The less blood flow, the tighter your muscles. The tighter your muscles, the more difficult it is to birth and the more pain you will feel.
What You Can Do About It
There are many things you can do to combat fear about childbirth, and often it depends on your own personality.
Educate. This may be the single-most important thing you can do. Take a childbirth class. When you turn the unknown into known--when you gain more understanding and perspective--you eradicate fear. Take a live or an online childbirth class.
Learn Relaxation Techniques. This could include simple breathing techniques. It could be a hypnobirthing class, or simply listening to birth hypnosis recordings. It could mean practicing prenatal yoga, or it could be as simple as taking daily walks during pregnancy.
Whatever method you choose, regular practice is the key. You won't feel the need to put on a brave face at birthing time. Those relaxation methods you practiced during pregnancy will come out naturally. They may even surprise you, though their effectiveness is nothing to be surprised about.
Carried further, these techniques will bring calm and peace to your parenting, and, truth be told, there are days when we really need those techniques as parents!
Choose a Supportive Care Giver. I need to stress that if you are not comfortable with your midwife or doctor, you need to move on and find one that gives you comfort. You need to be able to ask questions and address fears and concerns. And I should hope your caregiver will help you alleviate fears rather than fuel them.
Find Support. Even if you find just one person who shares your belief that birth can be wonderful, positive and even joyous, you will have found that social support that so many women are missing.
Remember, most women rely on the birth horror stories of friends and family to paint their picture of what birth will be like. But if you can find a support group online, or a friend that has had a positive birth experience, you will be able to paint the picture that you want and deserve.
The good thing is you can reach out to us for support. We are always happy to respond to questions and concerns via email. Or even if you want to contact us to know that there is someone else that has had the kind of birth experience you want, we encourage you to do so.
Also, if you want to know all about our relaxation technique of choice, I encourage you to sign up for our free hypnobirthing info-series in which we discuss:
According to the study, there is "a link between fear of childbirth and longer duration of labour. Generally, longer labour duration increases the risk of instrumental vaginal delivery and emergency caesarean section." [Adams S, Eberhard-Gran M, Eskild A. Fear of childbirth and duration of labour: a study of 2206 women with intended vaginal delivery. BJOG 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03433.x]
What's even more interesting is that they also discovered that women who were fearful more often delivered their baby with the assistance of instruments (vacuum, forceps etc.) and/or had to have a cesarean delivery.
Physical Effects Of Fear
The "fight or flight" response is a natural response all humans are equipped with. It is our body's natural response to fear, stress or physical and psychological danger. Muscles tense, blood flow changes, the heart races.
During birth, stress hormones are released in your body as a result of fear. These hormones interfere with the release of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for starting uterine contractions and promoting the "flow" of labor.
Furthermore, during the fight or flight response in labor, blood flows less to the parts of your body that need that blood flow most, namely the uterus. The less blood flow, the tighter your muscles. The tighter your muscles, the more difficult it is to birth and the more pain you will feel.
What You Can Do About It
There are many things you can do to combat fear about childbirth, and often it depends on your own personality.
Educate. This may be the single-most important thing you can do. Take a childbirth class. When you turn the unknown into known--when you gain more understanding and perspective--you eradicate fear. Take a live or an online childbirth class.
Learn Relaxation Techniques. This could include simple breathing techniques. It could be a hypnobirthing class, or simply listening to birth hypnosis recordings. It could mean practicing prenatal yoga, or it could be as simple as taking daily walks during pregnancy.
Whatever method you choose, regular practice is the key. You won't feel the need to put on a brave face at birthing time. Those relaxation methods you practiced during pregnancy will come out naturally. They may even surprise you, though their effectiveness is nothing to be surprised about.
Carried further, these techniques will bring calm and peace to your parenting, and, truth be told, there are days when we really need those techniques as parents!
Choose a Supportive Care Giver. I need to stress that if you are not comfortable with your midwife or doctor, you need to move on and find one that gives you comfort. You need to be able to ask questions and address fears and concerns. And I should hope your caregiver will help you alleviate fears rather than fuel them.
Find Support. Even if you find just one person who shares your belief that birth can be wonderful, positive and even joyous, you will have found that social support that so many women are missing.
Remember, most women rely on the birth horror stories of friends and family to paint their picture of what birth will be like. But if you can find a support group online, or a friend that has had a positive birth experience, you will be able to paint the picture that you want and deserve.
The good thing is you can reach out to us for support. We are always happy to respond to questions and concerns via email. Or even if you want to contact us to know that there is someone else that has had the kind of birth experience you want, we encourage you to do so.
Also, if you want to know all about our relaxation technique of choice, I encourage you to sign up for our free hypnobirthing info-series in which we discuss:
