
19.2 Fear of Childbirth or Fear of Systems? with Dr Maeve O'Connoll
From The Maternity & Midwifery Hour by Narrowcast Media Group
May 1, 2026 · 46 min · Season 19 · Episode 2
About this episode
Dr Maeve O'Connell discusses the impact of maternity service organization on women's fear of childbirth.
Series 19 - Episode 2: Fear of Childbirth or Fear of Systems? The rising caesarean section rate and the pressures on the maternity services might contribute to women feeling afraid of childbirth. Fear of childbirth or birth trauma may be shaped by the way care is organised and delivered, by midwives and the multidisciplinary team, and experienced by women, their babies and families. In this session, Dr Maeve O’Connell, Lecturer in Midwifery at University College Cork, draws on the Quality Maternal and Newborn Care Framework and links this to practice and education.
People in this episode
Guest: Dr Maeve O'Connell
Topics covered
- fear of childbirth
- caesarean section
- maternity services
- birth trauma
- midwifery education
Keywords
- childbirth
- caesarean section rate
- maternity services
- fear of childbirth
- birth trauma
- midwives
- multidisciplinary team
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University College Cork
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