To mark Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (4 to 10 May), clinicians from Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) are shining a light on the impact of severe fear of childbirth and their innovative new resource, Birthing Alongside Fear.
Dr. Lynda Bearman and Emma Connolly
Developed by Dr Lynda Bearman, Counselling Psychologist, and Emma Connolly, Psychological Therapist and Midwife, the booklet is designed to support women experiencing tokophobia – a severe and often misunderstood fear of childbirth.
While it is common for women to feel some anxiety about giving birth, tokophobia can have a profound effect on mental health and wellbeing. It may lead to avoidance of pregnancy, intense anxiety or depression, and difficulties bonding with a baby. The condition can be linked to previous traumatic experiences, pregnancy loss, neurodiversity, or longstanding fears.
The Birthing Alongside Fear booklet has been co-produced with people with lived experience alongside maternity and mental health professionals. It provides practical tools and compassionate guidance to help women understand their fears, explore birth options, communicate their needs, and access appropriate support.
The booklet forms part of a wider programme of work led by Lynda and Emma to improve early identification and support for women with fears of childbirth. This includes the development of a new care pathway across perinatal mental health and maternity services in Essex, alongside staff training and the introduction of early screening tools.
Dr Lynda Bearman said: “Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is an important opportunity to highlight experiences that often go unseen. Severe fear of childbirth can be incredibly isolating, and many women struggle to access the right support at the right time. Through this booklet and our wider work, we want to ensure people are identified earlier and feel supported, informed and empowered throughout their pregnancy.”
Emma Connolly added: “Women often don’t feel able to talk about their fears until very late in pregnancy, if at all. This resource creates a safe and accessible way for those fears to be recognised and explored. It’s about making sure women feel heard, and that care is compassionate, inclusive and trauma-informed.”
The booklet also reflects the diverse experiences that can shape fear of childbirth, including the perspectives of minoritised communities, and has been developed in collaboration with community groups to ensure it is inclusive and representative.
Currently in use within Essex Perinatal Mental Health Services, Birthing Alongside Fear has also been rolled out more widely to support women and families and it can be accessed on the EPUT website.
Lynda and Emma’s work is a powerful example of how EPUT is delivering on one of its core priorities; to provide personalised, inclusive mental health support for all. By recognising the wider social, psychological and lived factors that shape a person’s health, not just their diagnosis, their approach ensures care is truly holistic and responsive to individual needs.
Central to this is EPUT’s commitment to co-designing services alongside the people who use them. Birthing Alongside Fear has been shaped by lived experience as well as clinical expertise.
Together, this work highlights how compassionate, collaborative and person-centred approaches can lead to more meaningful support and better outcomes for women and families.