For some, the thought of pregnancy and birth fills them with a visceral panic they can’t explain. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker's talking tokophobia—the fear of pregnancy and birth—with Alexia Leachman, founder of Fearless Birthing and host of the Fear Free Childbirth Podcast. Alexia shares her personal journey of discovering and healing her own tokophobia, how she developed her unique “Head Trash Clearance” method, and why tokophobia is often misunderstood as simple anxiety. She explains the root causes of this condition, including reproductive trauma and lack of control, and offers insight on how both expectant parents and healthcare providers can better recognize and respond to it.   Content Note: This episode includes discussion of miscarriage, pregnancy termination, and birth trauma. Please take care of yourself while listening.   (01:39) Alexia's experience with tokophobia (04:05) Developing her own method to overcome fears and preparing for birth (07:51) Discovering the root cause: birth trauma and early experiences (10:28) How media, social media, and negative birth stories fuel fear in younger people (13:40) Why the term tokophobia may be misleading (19:05) The paradox of control in pregnancy and birth (24:55) Common signs and symptoms of tokophobia (29:31) Can partners experience tokophobia? (30:50) The role of healthcare providers: language, attitudes, and trauma-informed care (34:16) Steps for healing: support groups, timing, and making the decision to face fears (41:07) Alexia’s five-step process for clearing fears   Resources Learn more about Fearless Birthing: <a class= "LinkThemeablePresentation LinkPrimaryPresentation LinkPrimaryPresentation--sentimentSelected PrimaryLink HighlightSol HighlightSol--core HighlightSol--buildingBlock" href="https://fearless-birthing.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener">fearless-birthing.com</a> Listen to Alexia's podcast, Fear Free Childbirth: <a class= "LinkThemeablePresentation LinkPrimaryPresentation LinkPrimaryPresentation--sentimentSelected PrimaryLink HighlightSol HighlightSol--core HighlightSol--buildingBlock" href="https://www.fearfreechildbirth.com/podcast-2/" target= "_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener">fearfreechildbirth.com/podcast</a>   For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit <a class= "ProsemirrorEditor-link" href= "http://www.ebbirth.com/">www.ebbirth.com</a>. Follow us on <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href= "https://instagram.com/ebbirth">Instagram</a> and <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://youtube.com/evidencebasedbirth">YouTube</a>! Ready to learn more? Grab an <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href= "https://evidence-based-birth.myshopify.com/collections">EBB Podcast Listening Guide</a> or read Dr. Dekker's book, <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href= "https://evidencebasedbirth.com/book/">"Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!"</a> If you want to get involved at EBB, join our <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href= "https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-pro-member/">Professional membership</a> (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href= "https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-an-evidence-based-birth-instructor/">Instructor program</a>. Find an <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href= "https://evidencebasedbirth.com/find-an-instructor-parents">EBB Instructor</a> here, and click <a class= "ProsemirrorEditor-link" href= "https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-class/">here</a> to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

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EBB 373 - How to Confront Tokophobia and Clear Fears about Childbirth with Alexia Leachman, Author and Podcast Host of "Fear Free Childbirth"

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