19抖阴

Teams of researchers from 19抖阴 and the University of South Australia (UniSA) investigated the factors that help ease childbirth fears, rather than fuel them.

They surveyed 88 pregnant women in their third trimester before attending antenatal classes in the North East of Scotland. Researchers used the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale to measure the link between mental wellbeing, a woman鈥檚 belief in her ability to manage the challenges of labour, and fear of childbirth.

While 12% exhibited 鈥榮evere鈥� fear of childbirth (FOC), those who were more positive, confident and in meaningful relationships reported fewer concerns. The findings are published in the 

Dr Katrina Forbes-McKay from 19抖阴鈥檚 School of Law and Social Sciences, said the results provide valuable insights into how antenatal care could be improved to foster confidence, enhance positive emotions and ultimately support healthier births for mothers and babies.

She said: 鈥淲hile many studies have explored the negative effects of childbirth fear, including prolonged labour, emergency caesareans and postpartum mental health issues, there has been little research into what protects women from experiencing those fears.

鈥淥ur findings highlight the need for antenatal care that doesn鈥檛 just teach women what to do during labour but also empowers them to believe they can do it.鈥�

Professor Tracy Humphrey, from UniSA, said the study found that a woman鈥檚 sense of mental wellbeing was the strongest predictor of how fearful she felt about giving birth.

She added: 鈥淭his includes having a sense of purpose, emotional positivity, and meaningful social relationships 鈥� all things that are often overlooked in maternity care. The second key predictor was childbirth self-efficacy 鈥� particularly whether women believed they could apply coping strategies when the time came.鈥�

The study calls for antenatal programs to shift from a solely medical model to one that builds self-belief. Specifically, it recommends that childbirth education:

• Fosters confidence in the use of labour techniques such as breathing, visualisation and relaxation
• Enhances psychological wellbeing by supporting social connection, purpose and satisfaction
• Embraces an approach that focuses on wellness rather than the risks

Although this study was restricted to women in the third trimester, further research has been undertaken on the role of antenatal relaxation practices in improving maternal well-being and childbirth experiences.

Robert Gordon University midwifery lecturer  led the study as part of her PhD, under the supervision of Dr Forbes-McKay and Professor Humphrey.

鈥淲omen who incorporated these relaxation techniques reported 鈥渟ignificant improvements鈥� in their mental wellbeing and confidence in approaching childbirth; improvements which remained stable until 4-8 weeks after birth,鈥� Dr Tabib said.

鈥淭he findings align with global priorities from the  to promote the mental and physical health of women during pregnancy.

鈥淏y addressing fear of childbirth through psychological and educational interventions, we not only support women to have more positive birth experiences but potentially reduce medical interventions and improve outcomes for mothers and infants,鈥� she said.

The researchers are now calling for larger, multi-site studies to validate these findings across diverse populations.