[Fear of childbirth - definition and description of the term on the basis of empirical data (author's transl)]

Fear of childbirth was described on the basis of an analysis of fear-inducing situations spontaneously written by 40 pregnant women, and on the basis of the analysis of questionaires concerning anxieties before parturition and answered by 80 additional gravidae, at 12 weeks before and some days before the expected date of delivery. The following factors of anxiety before parturition were found: fear of injury of the mother or of the newborn, fear of efforts in labour, and their concomitant traumas and symptoms, fear of complications during delivery, fear of feeling to be helpless, fear to lose control of coping with labour, and fear of the unknown. The focus of the anxieties varied during the course of pregnancy. 12 weeks before term the main contribution to fear was given by the anxiety of injury, whereas some days before delivery anxiety of efforts in labour and their concomitant symptoms dominated. An offer of different courses of preparations for childbirth in our department should help the pregnant women to cope with her anxieties before parturition or fear of childbirth.