Managing Stress during Pregnancy

Stress during pregnancy is like a little bug that gets into your head without warning. You don’t know where it came from, why it picked you, or when it will leave. You just feel it, hear it, and know it’s there, tormenting you.

The stress you feel can affect the baby. Common nowadays, it’s responsible for all sorts of unhealthy habits.

Sleeping too little or not at all, feeling depressed while you’re awake, and eating poorly are just some of the consequences of this condition. Obviously, it also has consequences for your child.

This stress affects both the pregnancy itself and the postpartum period. It may be related to low birth weights, miscarriages, premature births, and other disorders during pregnancy, delivery, and even the first month of the child’s life.

What causes stress during pregnancy?

The causes of stress during pregnancy are varied, just like they when you’re not pregnant. Nevertheless, the most common causes are directly related to the pregnancy itself. These include:

• Excessive worry over every detail of the pregnancy. Examples include: medical checkups, complications, the baby’s development, the delivery, changes in the mother’s body, etc.
• Being rejected by one’s partner or low sexual activity. Many women maintain the same sex drive they had before the pregnancy. Difficulties in having sex may cause stress.
• Little social or family support. Loneliness and feeling the absence of supportive loved ones can also cause stress during pregnancy. While this situation doesn’t require serious medical care (unless a complication occurs), it does require emotional balance, affection, and human warmth.

In addition, there are other causes that are important for you to know:

• Pressure at work. Many women continue to work until the end of their pregnancy. In certain cases, feeling the ability to do their job diminished can cause stress. So can the demands of the job itself.
• Any traumatic experience during the pregnancy. The death of a loved one, an accident, and the threat of a natural disaster can all be causes for concern and anxiety during pregnancy.

How to free yourself from stress during pregnancy

In order to free yourself from stress during pregnancy, we suggest heeding the following recommendations:

Don’t worry more than you should

If you’re pregnant and have yet to suffer any ailments, don’t worry needlessly.

Avoid thinking about genetic deformities, premature births, ectopic pregnancies, postpartum depression, gestational diabetes, or pre-eclampsia. These fears will do you no good.

Don’t dismiss the many ways to ease your discomfort

Heartburn, lumbosacral pain, edema in your legs. Just as there are a variety of ailments, modern medicine and therapeutic treatments have come up with methods and drugs to alleviate them.

Seek specialized care and improve your quality of life. Enduring pain during pregnancy is often unnecessary.

Occupy your time and your mind

To feel your best physically and emotionally, try to stay as active as your health permits.

Walk, practice sports, try to learn a new skill, read, do research, etc. Immerse yourself in activities that offer new experiences. Don’t give in to idleness.

Get support from your family and friends

Your family and friends can offer solutions to ease your stress, and bring calm and harmony back into your life. If you feel pressure due to your pregnancy, seek out your loved ones and talk to them. Open up and listen to their opinions.

Often, the most comforting words come from the recommendations of those closest to us. In addition, you can always talk to another woman who has been through what you’re experiencing. This can be quite helpful.

Try not to be overwhelmed or stressed during pregnancy. There are many challenges on the way. When your child is born, the concerns and responsibilities will be different.

But don’t be scared, many women have already walked the path of motherhood without any real problem.