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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Tokophobia and elective c section

84 replies

LaraCameron · 19/05/2011 03:57

Hello everyone!
I have severe primary tokophobia and I was wondering if there are any ladies out there who were allowed an elective cesarean on the NHS on these grounds for the first child. If so, how did you go about it? How easy is it? How did you convince the consultant?
Any tips are welcome.
Thank you !

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Michal5763 · 27/01/2013 10:51

Hi,

Are there any other blood-injection-injury phobics out there? I am 12 wks pregnant and this would be my reason for wanting an elective c-section (lesser of 2 evils). However I'd be interested in hearing whether other women with the same phobia also came to the same decision regarding a c-section.

Thanks

rainrainandmorerain · 27/01/2013 11:06

Sorry Michal, can you clarify your fears? I am thinking you mean needle-phobic and not being able to stand blood, and possibly fear of injury? May have got that wrong, sorry!

If that is roughly right, is it damage to perineum etc that you fear more in terms of injury? (I ask only because c section involves an abdominal incision, obvs).

rainrainandmorerain · 27/01/2013 11:18

actually, I just googled blood-injection-injury phobia - goodness, that is a lot to have on your plate.

As someone who has had a planned cs, I'd say there is a fair bit of needle work involved (an iv line for the op, needle for spinal/epidural, although you don't need to see that - post op fragmin injections for 5 days afterwards).

In terms of blood, I saw very little. Mostly what ds was covered in when they held him up!

In terms of injury - there is an abdominal incision, but there are dressings and they tend to be small and neat, and are surgical (not sure if this makes any difference to you at all).

In theory it is possible to have a vb with little intervention, and you might be lucky enough, with your first, to have no problems and no tearing. tbh this would put you in a minority (most women tear with their first) but it can happen.

Generally speaking, planned cs offers you a known set of risks and interventions, that you can try and manage and mitigate beforehand, versus a much less known outcome with a vb. In terms of your phobias, it depends a lot on how bad they are and how you have managed them in the past, I think. For example, an intervention free vb would involve a lot less needle work than a cs - but a vb with a lot of intervention and problems would give you a lot more to deal with than a planned cs.

Michal5763 · 27/01/2013 11:22

Hi,
To clarify what blood-injection-injury phobia is (at least how it presents itself to me):

  1. Fear of all medical procedures, especially invasive but even non invasive things. Even reading things can trigger it, especially when combined with an active imagination. The first time I had my blood pressure measured I nearly fainted. (I have progressed somewhat since then). I had my first ever blood test a few months ago and they had to stop in the middle as the blood wasn't coming out fast enough as I was shaking so much. That was after enough xanax to make me unsteady on my feet and months of therapy.
  2. Fear of anything invasive - I have not actually done any "proper" gynaecological examinations (the most I had was a swab taken and that involved shaking and crying. Probably didn't help that I had an argument with the gyn in the middle who got annoyed with me for crying as "it couldn't possibly hurt"). And as everyone always asks, sex is totally fine. That's because the context is totally different.
Both natural birth and c-sections sound horrific. But c-sections marginally less so as it sounds slightly less of a chaotic mess of blood, pain, being poked and God knows what tearing. Yes I'm aware of other risks but I'm looking for a way to get through the experience of child birth with my mental health in one piece. That's my primary concern.

Anyway, if you don't have this phobia, I don't really expect you to understand, but if you do have this phobia I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on c-section vs. natural birth.

RooneyMara · 27/01/2013 11:30

I just wanted to wish you luck. I can't offer any advice, but deep sympathy and I hope you manage to have your baby the way you want to.

RooneyMara · 27/01/2013 11:30

Oh bugger it's an old thread.

Michal5763 · 27/01/2013 11:35

Thanks, I might start a new thread somewhere else.....

rainrainandmorerain · 27/01/2013 13:02

Thanks for the clarification - I hope I wasn't insensitive, I hadn't heard of it before. I'm a tokophobic so I do understand what it is like when people don't get it, or try and make comparisons with their own non-phobic fears!

Hope you get some helpful responses on the other thread.

beck1234 · 04/04/2016 20:27

Hi my name is rebecca and i have lost my 2 children and it hurt me 2 lose them an now i want my tubes tied but i have been refused

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