The objective of this study is to examine the mediating role of perceived social support in the relationship between tokophobia and parental stress in women who prefer vaginal delivery and C-section delivery, as well as to conduct a comparative analysis between these two groups. The study encompasses 200 pregnant women from various institutions in Wah Cantt and Taxila in Pakistan. Data was collected using the purposive sampling technique. The levels of research variables were evaluated in this cross-sectional study using validated psychometric instruments. A substantial positive correlation was observed between parenting stress and tokophobia, while both variables exhibit a substantial negative correlation with perceived social support. Women who favored vaginal deliveries were less likely to experience parental stress and tokophobia than those who preferred cesarean sections and had unplanned pregnancies. In women who prefer vaginal delivery, perceived social support mediates the relationship between tokophobia and parenting stress. Research indicates that there is no significant difference between tokophobia and parenting stress in terms of the number of deliveries, type of social support, and type of dread. The research emphasizes that parenting stress is correlated with an increased fear of childbirth. Social support has a buffering effect. It can mitigate the detrimental effects of tokophobia on parenting stress. In comparison to their counterparts who favor vaginal delivery, women who elect C-section delivery reported more severe levels of tokophobia and parenting stress. These results support the implementation of targeted interventions that are designed to improve the perception of social support to mitigate the psychological stressors associated with childbirth, particularly for women who are experiencing tokophobia.

Keywords: Tokophobia, Parenting Stress, Perceived Social Support