What's actually causing your pregnancy stress
The primary triggers of pregnancy stress – and how to take their power away.
Start here · Pregnancy anxiety
Pregnant and anxious all the time? There's a reason.
Pregnancy anxiety is more than hormones and more common than anyone lets on. Whether it's a constant background hum or full-blown dread, it has causes that can be understood – and addressed. Start here.
Commonanxiety in pregnancy affects a large share of expectant mothers – most never tell anyone
Not just hormonespregnancy anxiety has identifiable triggers and causes
Addressableunderstanding what's driving the anxiety is the first step to clearing it
First, understand it
Start with this
What if the anxiety you've been living with isn't just "anxiety"?
Anxious, disconnected, always slightly off – and never able to explain why. When the feeling you've carried for years turns out to have a name, everything starts making sense.
Read the article
The basics
Anxiety and pregnancy: what you need to know
What pregnancy anxiety looks like, why it happens, and why "just relax" is the least useful advice there is.
Guilt-free
How your behaviour during pregnancy affects your baby
What the research actually says – without the blame and scaremongering that usually comes with it.
What's your anxiety about?
Pregnancy anxiety is rarely one thing. Naming the specific fear underneath is often the moment it starts to loosen.
Going deeper
When the anxiety won't shift, it usually has roots. These pieces look at where it really comes from.
In-utero trauma & birth imprints
The hidden factor shaping pregnancy anxiety – laid down before conscious memory begins.
Does your anxiety come from your in-utero experience?
Why some anxiety has no story attached – and where it may actually have started.
When anxiety is actually tokophobia
If your anxiety centres on pregnancy and birth itself, it may have a more specific name. The definitive guide.
The due-date pressure cooker
Few things feed late-pregnancy anxiety like the calendar. The good news: your due date isn't what you've been told it is.
3 reasons why your due date is wrong
The maths behind due dates is shakier than anyone admits – and that's good news for your stress levels.
What's my due date, really?
How to think about your timeline realistically, so the last weeks don't become a countdown.
Due any day? How to stay calm while you wait
Practical ways to keep your head when everyone keeps asking "any news?"
Fear Free
Childbirth
Podcast
Childbirth
Podcast
Rather listen than read?
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When you're ready
Want to find out what's really driving it?
Our sister site Fearless Birthing – founded by the same team – offers an assessment that helps you understand what sits beneath your anxiety, and what kind of support fits. There's no obligation attached to taking it.
Take the assessment
Or explore the support options at your own pace.
One email. Every fortnight. No fear-mongering.
The best of Fear Free Childbirth – new stories, research in plain English, first listen on new episodes.