The aims were to document conscious reasons for anxiety about childbirth. Pregnant women (n = 100), consecutively referred from antenatal centers to a psychosomatic outpatient clinic because of extreme fear of childbirth, were interviewed. Three subgroups are described: primiparae (n = 36), women with a normal previous delivery (n = 18) and women with a previous complicated delivery (n = 46). Anxiety over the delivery was related to lack of trust in the obstetrical staff (73%), fear of own incompetence (65%), fear of death of mother, infant or both (55%), intolerable pain (44%) or loss of control (43%). In the description of the anxiety, more than one focus could be described. A previous complicated delivery predisposed for fear of death (p < 0.001). In other aspects, the subgroups were similar. Fear of death in a previous labor was associated with this fear regarding the impending delivery (100%, 21%, p < 0.001) and with fear of loss of control (61%, 18% p<0.01). Many women (37%) had partners who admitted anxiety over the delivery. Anxiety over childbirth is related to fundamental human feelings: lack of trust, fear of female incompetence and fear of death. Fear of pain is important but not predominant The results are discussed with regard to stress, theoretical and psycho-dynamic points of view.