{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Why We\u2019re Doing This: Inside Our First Episode of Tik-Tokophobia","description":"Welcome to the very first episode of Tik-Tokophobia. In this honest, unfiltered conversation, hosts Alexia Leachman and JJ Stenhouse break the silence around tokophobia \u2013 the intense, often hidden fear of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing from their own deeply personal stories, Alexia and JJ reveal how tokophobia can quietly shape a person\u2019s entire life\u2014not just their decisions about having children, but their mental health, relationships, and even creativity. They challenge everything you thought you knew about reproductive anxiety and make a powerful case for why it\u2019s time to drag this \u201cinvisible epidemic\u201d into the open. If you\u2019ve ever felt paralysed by the idea of pregnancy, or if you\u2019re wondering why anxiety, avoidance, or shame seem to follow you around this topic, this episode will leave you feeling seen, informed, and maybe even a bit hopeful. Key Points Covered The true definition of tokophobia \u2014 and why it\u2019s much more than \u201cjust a fear of childbirth\u201d Alexia and JJ\u2019s personal journeys: discovering their own tokophobia, often decades after it first shaped their lives What it feels like to be hit by overwhelming reproductive anxiety \u2014 and why it\u2019s often mistaken for something else (anxiety, \u201cnot being maternal\u201d, or just \u201cnot wanting kids\u201d) The fundamental link between trauma (especially birth and early life experiences) and the root of tokophobia How tokophobia can sabotage relationships, creativity, and self-worth\u2014often without you ever knowing its name Why tokophobia persists in silence: medical dismissal, professional blind spots, and the lack of awareness even among mental health experts The role of birth trauma\u2014how your own birth experience can silently shape your lifelong relationship with fear, creativity, and belonging Breaking the \u201cnot for me\u201d myth: tokophobia isn\u2019t just for women actively planning children \u2014 its ripple effects reach anyone who\u2019s ever been born The hope and transformation available when tokophobia is finally named, understood and healed Who This Episode is For Anyone who feels dread, shame, or anxiety about pregnancy, birth, or even just encounters with babies\u2014no matter their gender or parental status Listeners who suspect there\u2019s something deeper behind their avoidance of pregnancy or long-term creative \u201cblockages\u201d Women who have been told they\u2019re simply \u201cnot maternal\u201d, \u201cjust anxious\u201d, or \u201coverthinking it\u201d\u2014and know there\u2019s more to their story Individuals feeling misunderstood, dismissed, or alone in their fears, and wanting real insight (not just platitudes or shallow advice) Mental health professionals, partners, family members, and anyone wanting a deeper understanding of reproductive anxiety and its impact If you\u2019re looking for validation, clarity, and a way forward \u2014 this is your episode. Tik-Tokophobia is here to say: you\u2019re not broken, you\u2019re not alone, and real change is possible. Subscribe and share \u2014 this conversation could change (or even save) someone\u2019s life. ","author_name":"Tik-Tokophobia","author_url":"https:\/\/www.tik-tokophobia.com","html":"