A little nervousness raises your adrenaline levels and helps your body prepare for labour.
A little anxiety raises adrenaline levels and helps you prepare for labour. So you can think of the pre-birth nerves as something that can actually benefit you.
The term 'fear of childbirth' is used when the fear interferes with normal life and overshadows the joy of pregnancy. This fear is experienced by 5–6% of pregnant people.
Fear of childbirth is treated at the maternity clinic. Please, do not hesitate to tell your public health nurse if you fear childbirth. We will also ask ourselves about your thoughts on childbirth as the pregnancy progresses.
If the support we can offer to you at the maternity clinic is not enough, we can refer you to specialised health care. There are different types of support available to help you manage your fear of childbirth. The type of support you receive depends on whether you are giving birth for the first time or not and what your wishes are concerning the mode of delivery.
It is important to treat the fear of childbirth. Untreated fear of childbirth casts a shadow over your pregnancy. It can also affect how you interact with your baby.
Learn more about appointment due to fear of childbirth (HUS)(Link leads to external service)
