Reflective Account: Fear of Childbirth, Causes, Impact, and Treatment

This report is a student's reflective account on an academic article concerning the fear of childbirth, addressing the causes, impacts, and treatment strategies. The student selected the article due to the prevalence of childbirth fear and its impact on maternal mental health and child development, particularly in the UK. The report examines biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors contributing to the fear, highlighting the influence of anxiety, lack of education, and negative narratives. It discusses treatment approaches, including counselling, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the Swiss treatment system, emphasizing the importance of building trust and providing emotional support. The student reflects on the knowledge gained, including causes, symptoms, and treatment strategies, and its relevance to their nursing career, improving their skills in academic writing and critical thinking. The report concludes with a discussion of areas for improvement, such as grammar and data presentation, and the overall impact of the assignment on their professional development.

A Reflexion on Fear of
Childbirth Understanding
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
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INTRODUCTION
The growth and development of child depends on mother. In recent time, most women of
UK are facing fear of child birth (Salas, 2019). This is highly impacting on their mental health.
However, social, biological, etc. are some causes of fear. also, it has been identified that
counselling has benefited women but up to great extent. So, for that a research article has been
taken and critically analysed.
MAIN BODY
The article reflects on the fear of childbirth and pragmatically issues for midwifery practice.
Also, it provides various treatment practices that are to be undertaken for reducing impact and
solving issues (García-Peñalvo, Lima and Viegas, 2019). However, it shows different issues
such as biological, psychological, social, cultural, etc. and how it can effect on child birth fear.
Furthermore, there are some interventions suggested as well that can be useful in it.
I selected this article because it recent times it has been analysed that out of 10, 1 woman is
highly affected by fear of child birth during pregnancy. Thus, it is directly impacting on child
growth and development. However, there are many factors as well due to which women is facing
fear. Also, I find it interesting to read about child birth and women. Apart from it, with help of
this article I will be able to identify the issues and how it impacts on women and child birth.
Besides, this I will be gain secondary data and information about the current situation been faced
by women in world. in addition to it, on basis of issues I will show treatment practices and
methods that can be followed in solving issues and overcoming fear of child birth. So, these are
the reason why I have selected this article (Junges, Brüggemann and Costa, 2018).
For this research, the target audience are those women who are pregnant or facing similar
type of issue. so, it will be easy for them to know that what can be done to overcome fear.
Alongside, those women who are not pregnant can also get insight on these issues and take
effective measures during pregnancy stage.
In present article I found that causes are biological, psychological, culture, social, etc. they
all highly impact on child birth. Also, I found that many women have experienced fear during
child birth. It has caused anxiety among them. besides, I have observed that in Scandinavian
countries child birth fear is long. Among 80% women fear is anxiety but only 6 – 10 % report
fear. Moreover, maternity caregivers is treatment given in this. Apart from it, depression, high
rate of epidural analgesia, emergency caesarean, etc. are the effect of child birth fear.
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In UK there is high increase in child birth fear despite efforts of NHS. However, in England the
caesarean rate is 25% which is quite high. I find that the main factor of caesarean is fear of
vaginal delivery. So, it causes intense pain within women. This issue in UK is now considered as
public health issue (Levert, Lefebvre and Proulx, 2017).
I learned many things from it. I got to know that biological issues are fear of pain, loss of
control and helplessness. Also, most common issue is lack of trust in women nurse. So, women
share their experience with others and develop a feeling of fear. I gained knowledge about causes
of fear of child birth. Thus, the psychological cause is anxiety and low self esteem which impact
on women confidence. Most of women have complained about recurrent abdominal pain during
birth. So, it is also anxiety. I found that social issues are lack of education among women and
poor social network. also, dissatisfaction by their partners is likely to affect on child birth. There
are many vulnerable women who face social issues. In addition to it, in got to know about some
cultural causes as well that leads to fear. The horror stories of child birth for pregnant women is
frighten them. These stories are shared by health professionals that causes fear among them.
Moreover, I realised that the socio cultural climate is also a cause. In this women belief and their
knowledge is eroded.
Also, I gained knowledge about treatment strategies that can be followed or practiced to
reduce fear. I realised that by gaining women trust it can be easy to remove fear. In this
caregivers can provide psychological support to midwife. Through that, their well being can be
improved (Lima, Viegas and Garcia-Peñalvo, 2019). I got to know that in many countries such
as Finland,. Sweden, etc. a team of obstetrician, social workers, etc. support women in
overcoming fear of child. Here, cognitive behaviour therapy is used to reduce stress. As the
therapy focus on specific problem and solution it is easy to deal with such critical situation. A
swiss treatment system is developed known as trust building contact. It emphases on building
trust by providing effective care in wide area to reduce pain. Besides that, counselling is also a
practice that can be used in reducing fear. In various regions of UK counselling services are
offered to women in child birth. Similarly, British trauma association provide emotional support
to women as well.
I learned that in Swedish women most of women were highly satisfied through
counselling. but they had worst experience in child delivery as compared to those women who
suggested that counselling does not fully remove fear of child birth.
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There are some key points that I learned. Maternity caregivers are both aspect that is
cause of fear and support in overcoming it. the main reasons identified are fear stories and feel of
pain that leads to fear, low confidence, etc. Women are likely to show fear as social cause. I also
get insight that many midwives women are already aware about affect of fear. Hence, there are
no such guidelines formed within UK (Prates, Timm and Ressel, 2018). thus, it becomes
difficult for midwives to provide care and support to pregnant women. This is the major reason
of imbalance that occurs.
By reading this article, I think that practitioners and policy makers will learn a lot of
things from it. the practitioners will be able to find out that how care and support can be given to
midwife. Furthermore, they will know that what type of social and emotional support can be
provided to them, what techniques and practices are to be followed. along with it, the
practitioners can apply Swiss treatment system and accordingly provide support to pregnant
women. Other than this, awareness programs and seminars can be organised for making women
aware about it. the practitioners will be able to educate and provide training to co workers and
help them in treatment.
Now, the policy maker will also learn from it as they will get to know that what issues are
prevailing in society and how it can be resolved. Furthermore, they will develop and form
policies and guidelines which will provide a framework to midwives in evaluating the effect on
fear on and accordingly providing care services (Silverman and Hutchison, 2019). likewise,
policy maker can establish a similar framework Swiss treatment system to build trust among
women. Besides, local authorities will take some effective measures to help health professionals
to carry out activities and support in minimising fear of child birth among women. They will
compare it with other country policy and accordingly make changes as per needs or
requirements.
This article is important in my field of nursing as I will be able to apply that knowledge
in my professional growth. As I got to know and gained knowledge on it, I will be able to
improve my skills and abilities. The writing will help me in doing research in future on different
topic. I will identify a specific problem and then try to find out its answer by doing research.
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In my professional area of nursing the academic writing plays vital role. it allows me to
gain knowledge about many things such as causes, symptoms, etc. due to which women face fear
in child birth. It will provide me how to analyse data and present in academic way. In addition to
it, in future I will be able to take more writing like this which will improve my writing as well
reading skills.
At last I can conclude that I have learned a lot from this writing. I have improved my
writing skills as it helped me to classify section and then write it (Palmer, 2019). now, I know
how to do academic research and how to analyse data and information and then write it.
moreover, I enhanced my critical thinking skills as well. In this I was able to evaluate and
interpret data in effective way. It allowed me to research article and different sections into it. I
am able to find out process or way of how to critique research article and what criteria are
followed in it.
At initial stage I was confused that how to do critique article and in what way it has to be
done. thus, for it I searched on internet and find an example of academic writing. Then, I
followed those steps in completing my work. this boosted my confidence level and provided me
guidance to proceed further. Also, I took help of my friend as well in this. He guided me and
suggested some ways. The thing that I found easy was to identify issues and describe in brief
way.
I faced difficulty in making sentences and linking with them to article. this is because as I
was doing it for first time. so, it consumed a lot of time for me to link and connect sentences
with. Also, it was difficult for me to present findings in simple and clear way. Thus, I realised
that in this area I need improvement (Salas, 2019). So, in future I need to focus on my grammar
as well as punctuation. It will help me to write article in effective way. furthermore, I will be
able to communicate and present my findings in efficient way. for this I need to find out various
practices and methods that how data can be presented in efficient way. therefore, if I am able to
enhance this skill I will know how to present data. besides that, it will help me to improve my
writing skills. I will know that how to interpret outcomes and present it in my own way. so, in
my practice it will benefit me both in my personal and professional growth.
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CONCLUSION
It can be summarised that pregnant women are facing fear of child birth. The cause of fear
are social, biological, etc. which affect on child. Moreover, the effects of child birth fear are
sleeplessness, depression, personal failure, etc. this impact on women mental and physical health
in negative way. also, there are several treatments available such as building trust, counselling,
cognitive behaviour therapy, etc. that is to be provided to women.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
García-Peñalvo, F.J., Lima, N. and Viegas, C., 2019. Didactical use of a remote lab: a qualitative
reflection of a teacher.
Junges, C.F., Brüggemann, O.M. and Costa, R., 2018. Support actions undertaken for the woman
by companions in public maternity hospitals. Revista latino-americana de
enfermagem, 26.
Levert, M.J., Lefebvre, H. and Proulx, M., 2017. Towards a better understanding of the impact
of the sequelae of TBI on the social participation of seniors. Archives of Nursing Practice
and Care, 3(3), pp.68-76.
Lima, N., Viegas, C. and Garcia-Peñalvo, F., 2019, October. Didactical use of a remote lab: a
qualitative reflection of a teacher. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference
on Technological Ecosystems for Enhancing Multiculturality (pp. 99-108). ACM.
Palmer, W., 2019. Toward a New Moral Understanding of the Tudor Conquest of
Ireland. Historical Reflections/Réflexions Historiques, 1(aop), pp.1-21.
Prates, L.A., Timm, M.S. and Ressel, L.B., 2018. Being born at home is natural: care rituals for
home birth. Revista brasileira de enfermagem, 71, pp.1247-1256.
Salas, M.J.S., 2019. Causal theoretical model that favors the use of comprehensive sexuality
education.
Silverman, M.E. and Hutchison, M.S., 2019. Reflective capacity: An antidote to structural racism
cultivated through mental health consultation. Infant mental health journal, 40(5), pp.742-
756.
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