Effects Of Stress During Pregnancy
While some stress is normal and healthy, too much stress or unchecked stress can affect your health, your pregnancy and even your baby.
For instance, if you have high levels of stress, you may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, like drinking alcohol, smoking, drugs or unhealthy eating.
Too much stress can also lead to anxiety and/or depression mental health conditions that could impact your pregnancy and your general well-being.
High levels of stress can also exacerbate any chronic conditions you have, as well as make you more susceptible to illnesses. And if your stress levels remain high for a long time say throughout your pregnancy and beyond it could possibly lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Ask Your Network For Help
It may not come naturally to you, but its more than OK to ask for help. Chances are, your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers would love to help, but dont know where to start. And if theyre wise enough to ask, accept their offer!
Ask for help creating a baby registry, cooking a few meals for the freezer, or shopping for cribs with you.
How Does Stress Affect Pregnancy
Stress during pregnancy can arise for a number of different reasons. People who are pregnant may feel stressed about their pregnancy, especially if they have complications like high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia. Pregnant women may also feel stressed by other unrelated issues like finances, work or school responsibilities, caring for other children, and conflict in relationships. Pregnancy is a time when a woman undergoes significant hormonal shifts, which may also contribute to an increase in feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.2
High levels of stress during pregnancy can have a physical and emotional impact on the mother. Mothers who are stressed during pregnancy have a higher risk of miscarriage and are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition that involves high blood pressure.3 Stress during pregnancy is also linked to depression and anxiety for the mother.1
Experiencing depression and anxiety during pregnancy is concerning because it increases the risk of postpartum depression, a form of depression that develops shortly after giving birth.4 Women dealing with stress during pregnancy may have a more difficult pregnancy and a hard time enjoying the experience of being pregnant.
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Make Time For Each Other
Amidst the visit to the hospital, gynecologist, and Lamaze classes, it is essential that you and your partner take some time out of your busy day and spend that time with each other.
Keep in mind that even though you are carrying the baby, your partner is also going through changes, such as the feeling of having a baby and being a father.
It is important that you talk to each other and spend time with each other to let the other person know that they are not alone. Go out for a movie or a romantic dinner in a fancy restaurant and enjoy being with each other.
You Give The Best Hugs
One day when I was in my Montessori classroom, a little 3-year-old girl walked up to me and randomly gave me a hug. As she walked away I heard her to say to herself, “I give the best hugs,” and it brought the biggest smile to my face.
I am sure her parents tell her this all the time. There is a big difference between “Do you need a hug?” and “You give the best hugs!”
them
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Rationalizing Your Outlook Towards Pregnancy
Rationalizing your outlook to one that truly represents how you feel can reduce the stress of performing to expectations we impose on ourselves.
Social media tends to ingrain in us an idealized version of pregnancy, I have noticed that this leads to several of my pregnant patients saying that they feel guilty if they do not âenjoyâ the pregnancy more and if they âcomplainâ about how difficult it is. Pregnancy is amazing but it is also challenging, there is no shame in saying it is tough.
Have An Epsom Salt Bath
One well-known home remedy to relieve stress is the use of Epsom salt in baths. It can come to your rescue when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the challenges of pregnancy. Epsom salt contains one potent anti-stress ingredient: Magnesium.
This essential mineral plays a vital role in helping your nervous system adapt to stress and additionally helps relieve muscle tension that often comes with excessive anxiety.
Time your Epsom salt bath an hour or two before bedtime and the relaxing magnesium infused water will help you ease into sleep. Ideally, you should choose warm and not hot water and limit your time in the bath to no more than 20 minutes.
If your midwife or ob-gyn has advised you to avoid sitting baths and to take showers instead, then you can replace the magnesium from the Epsom salts with a pregnancy-safe magnesium spray for a similar effect.
You can learn more about the many benefits of magnesium during pregnancy here.
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I’ll Pick You Up After Playground Time
Give your child a frame of reference for when you will be returning.
If your child can tell time, you can tell them you’ll see them at 3:30pm. If they’re younger, tell them what will happen right before you pick them up. Perhaps you’ll come get them right after lunch, or maybe it’s after math class.
Giving this reference point can help reassure them you are indeed coming back and that there is a specific plan for when they will see you again. As the days pass, they’ll realize that you come consistently every day when you said you would and their anxieties will ease.
You Have A Million Things To Do Before Baby Comes
Meditation may help you to sort through the things that really must be done before baby, and what can wait, says Marci Howard-May, Spa Services Manager at Red Mountain Resort. By letting go of overwhelming thoughts you can focus on one item on your list at a time instead of thinking of all of them. Yes, the crib, car seat and stroller are important before junior arrives, but the entire nursery doesn’t need to be decorated to perfection right now.
Do a brief calming meditation, then pick up a pencil and write a list of what you feel are the most important tasks you need to accomplish, suggests Trapani. Remain relaxed, and create a clear strategy on how to complete the task that will give you the biggest sense of relief when completed.
“By taking those few minutes to breathe, focus and relax, you can reduce that sensation of being overwhelmed and make yourself be more productive,” says Howard-May.
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The 8 Best Ways To Relieve Stress During Pregnancy
If worrying about your pregnancy seems to be taking up all of your time, dont worry, youre not alone. All moms-to-be experience stress during pregnancyits normal. But if your stress becomes constant and overwhelming, thats when its time to get some helpnot just for your own health, but for the health of your baby.When youre stressed, your body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that prepare your body for the physical exertion of fight or flight. Eventually, these hormones dissipate and your body returns to its normal, balanced state. Sometimes though, like when youre stressed about giving birth, your stress levels dont go down. This can lead to a decline in your health and developmental problems for the fetus such as ADHD and even impaired cognitive development. Thats why its so important that you keep chronic stressthe kind thats with you day and nightto a minimum. To help you stay happy, healthy, and stress-free during your pregnancy, weve assembled the eight best ways to relieve stress during pregnancy.
How Can Stress Affect Your Pregnancy
Feeling stressed is common during pregnancy because pregnancy is a time of many changes. Your family life, your body and your emotions are changing. You may welcome these changes, but they can add new stresses to your life.
High levels of stress that continue for a long time may cause health problems, like high blood pressure and heart disease. During pregnancy, stress can increase the chances of having a premature baby or a low-birthweight baby . Babies born too soon or too small are at increased risk for health problems.
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Maternal Anxiety Symptoms: Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire Body Sensations Questionnaire And The Mobility Inventory
Core symptoms of anxiety disorders at the 1st assessment and the 5-year follow-up were assessed with the German version of the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire , the Body Sensations Questionnaire and the Mobility Inventory . The three questionnaires combine cognitions, physical symptoms and avoidance behavior, all core symptoms of anxiety disorders. The ACQ consists of 14 questions about the frequency of typical anxiety cognitions with scales ranging from 1 to 5 . The BSQ consists of 17 items and measures the extent of fear of anxiety related physical symptoms from 1 to 5 . The MI consists of 27 items describing predominant agoraphobic situations and the avoidance of these situations. Moreover, it also indicates the severity of the anxious symptomatology. The MI is subdivided into the Mobility Inventory Alone and the Mobility Inventory Backened . In our sample, internal consistency ranged from Cronbachs = 0.88 to 0.95 MIA = 0.95 at 1st assessment and 0.94 at 5-year follow-up BSQ = 0.92 at both assessments. Thus, the internal consistency was comparable to the ones reported by the authors and can be evaluated as good to excellent.
How To Treat Stress When Naturally Doesnt Work
If you have followed the above steps and you still feel constantly anxious, you may need to talk to your health care provider about possibly starting anxiolytics. There are a number ofThere are a number of medications that are safe to take while you are pregnant. Stress is common during pregnancy, and there is nothing wrong with seeking treatment, in whatever way works best for you.
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Ways To Deal With Emotional Stress During Pregnancy
Walk slowly do not bend down eat lots of ghee why dont you try yoga you should have coconut water every day see pictures of beautiful babies eat for two persons etc. etc.and the list goes on and on. Life does not remain the same, for a woman from the moment she discloses the good news to the time, she reaches the hospital for delivery . These enjoinders, though, given in a true and honest spirit, can sometimes create pressure on the expecting mother.
As it is a pregnant woman is battling with a lot of emotional and identity issues at the time! Picture this: a lady typically, as soon as she conceives, is now looked upon as a to-be mother. All the pampering, the extra care, the attention is given to her, as an expectant mother, though welcome, leaves her wondering, “Is that what it is all about, now?”“Am I now just an expectant mother and not an individual?” Add to that the sudden change in behavior and expectations of the people around her, dealing with her own changing body, the nervousness about being a good parent, and last but not the least, thinking what life would be like after the arrival of a new member can leave the pregnant mother, stressed and a bundle of nerves.
Why Its Important To Manage Stress In Pregnancy
Managing stress is good for your health and your babys health during pregnancy and beyond. If you can manage stress, you can reduce your chance of premature birth and your babys chance of childhood health problems like asthma and allergies.
Also, when you manage stress, your pregnancy is likely to be a more positive experience overall.
If you have life stresses under control and stress management strategies in place during pregnancy, you might also be able to cope better with new stresses after birth. These new stresses include lack of sleep and the challenges of looking after a newborn. And for some new mums, they include the after-effects of a difficult birth and other complications.
Unlike some other lifestyle factors that youll be told to avoid during pregnancy for example, smoking and alcohol you cant get rid of all the stress in your life. But you can learn how to recognise and deal with stress. This can help you have a healthier pregnancy and manage life more easily once your baby is born.
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However On The Days Weeks Or Even Months Where You Can’t Find Hour
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- Light a candle: What is it about the simple act of lighting a candle that sets the mood? I recently received a South Candle from my MIL, and the dreamy summer scent has me reaching for it again and again.
- Use a dry brush: I jumped on the dry brushing trend a few years ago and never looked back. Right before I shower, I use a dry brush on my body to exfoliate and improve lymphatic drainage.
- Hang eucalyptus: Visit your local florist, and buy a bundle of fresh eucalyptus. In addition to its spa-esque scent, eucalyptus boasts multiple healing effects, like promoting stress-relief and improving mental health.
- Cleanse: Indie Lee’s Brightening Cleanser smells delicious and is a great addition to anyone’s summer skincare routine. This vegan and plant-based formula leaves my skin looking bright and firm.
- Splurge: It’s not cheap, but Tata Harper’s smoothing body scrub buffs and polishes your skin, leaving it smooth, glowing, and in my case ready to hit the sheets!
- Moisturize: Post-shower, use your favorite moisturizer. I love Alba Botanica’s very emollient unscented original body lotion it’s super hydrating and gentle on sensitive skin without an overwhelming fragrance.
- Enhance your skin while you catch some z’s: Glow Recipe’s Watermelon + AHA Glow Sleeping Mask completes my nightly skincare routine. It smells like candy, and I wake up with soft, dewy skin.
The Pain Of Stress During Pregnancy
Stress during pregnancy is unavoidable, but there are ways to manage it. Knowing some ways to manage your stress during pregnancy can be helpful.
With so many hormonal changes occurring within your body during pregnancy, many upheavals follow these changes. Such problems include the stress that comes along with pregnancy especially those hormones that can cause anxiety and nervousness. No wonder many expectant mothers often feel a bit under the weather.
Pregnancy is a terrific time, but it is not something to be taken lightly. Knowing that stress during pregnancy is part of the package, but not something to be concerned about, there are some simple ways to help you manage it so that you can give yourself the support needed to care for your newborn and the new baby arrives.
Some women experience stress symptoms straight through their pregnancy. Other women will experience it only when they go into labour. Whatever your symptoms or their frequency and severity, knowing how to handle them can help you sleep better and enjoy your experience of being pregnant.
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Can Stress Cause Miscarriage During Early Pregnancy
You and your baby are well equipped to handle everyday stresses like work pressures, getting stuck in traffic, a small argument etc. However, situations that warrant high-stress levels can hamper the growth and development of the unborn baby. In 2008, a Danish study of more than 19,000 pregnant women suffering from high levels of psychological stress revealed that they had an 80 percent greater risk of stillbirth than women who had an intermediate level of stress during pregnancy. Some researchers also support the claim that babies born to mother who was highly stressed during pregnancy have higher chances of developing allergies and asthmas. Premature births and stillbirths have also been connected to pregnancy stress, though there is no concrete study on the subject.
Stress In Pregnancy And Miscarriage
The reality of pregnancy is that intense hormones and the physical challenges of pregnancy will make you feel stressed at some point. The last thing you need when this happens is to be worrying that your stress might cause you to miscarry. This is why it is essential to make a distinction between self-blaming thoughts and what scientific evidence says about stress and miscarriage .
The most frequent cause of miscarriage is the chromosomal abnormalities in early pregnancy. The compounded effects of stress, high cortisol levels, and adverse life situations that lie behind the stress can increase the likelihood of miscarriage. However, the stress levels that lead to miscarriage are not your average everyday stress levels.
Events like the death of a partner, child, or a loved one, tragic disasters, prolonged domestic abuse, rape, or similar life-threatening events and the stress levels they cause are the ones that can increase the likelihood of miscarriage.
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How To Reduce Stress During Pregnancy Through Exercise
3. Stretch when you get up or have been sitting awhile. It will relax your muscles and make you feel less tense.
4. Even if you go slow when exercising, keep going. Remember that even something as low-impact as walking or swimming helps clear your mind and strengthen your body.
5. Sign up for a prenatal yoga class. A recent study showed that taking yoga class can help lower a mom-to-bes anxiety level.
