To help you keep yourself happy, healthy, and free of stress throughout your pregnancy, we have put together the top eight ways to reduce stress in pregnancy. If you keep lifes stresses under control during pregnancy, and put your stress-management strategies into practice, you may even find it easier to deal with the new stresses that come after delivery. Instead, try these tips for reducing stress to keep yourself and your baby healthy.
Remember, eating a healthy diet and doing some light to moderate exercise are what is best for you and baby. Regular exercise helps pregnant women better manage stress, promotes quality sleep, and enhances psychological wellbeing.
Pregnant women are encouraged to get in a 20-30 minute workout every day, but even just 10 minutes of aerobic exercise, like walking, can make a big difference in stress reduction and improved nighttime sleep quality. I know it sounds even more grueling, but exercise is truly an amazing stress reliever. Exercise is one of the best stress busters there is, as working out increases your feel-good endorphins and reduces your stress levels.
When you are feeling well, satisfied, and happy, you are better able to handle stress. Managing stress is beneficial to your health as well as the health of your baby throughout pregnancy and afterwards.
Talking with your partner, family members, or other pregnant women can help you manage stress levels. Talking things over can help both of you feel better. Meet up with other pregnant women who are in a similar pregnancy stage as you, maybe in a birthing class or an exercise class.
You will likely find people are more than happy to help, and this alone should make you feel a lot less stressed out about your pregnancy. Surrounding yourself with people who are supportive may also help to lower your stress levels during pregnancy. Sharing your feelings and finding a belly-mate who shares your feelings can help you manage your pregnancy stress.
Talking with someone else about what is troubling you is a great way to get those worries off your chest, and in the process, take some of the pressure off. If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress and worries, despite your efforts, you should speak with a health care provider about how you are feeling. Here are 11 ways to keep your mental well-being during every stage of your pregnancy. If you are feeling stress just from time to time, this is not likely to be an issue for your baby. But if you are finding that you are stressed and anxious on a daily basis, or more often than you usually would, and finding it hard to cope, talk to your midwife or doctor about getting help.
It can be stressful waiting for your pregnancy tests to come back, as well as dealing with pregnancy changes or complicated pregnancies. The physical discomfort associated with pregnancy may keep you from doing some things that used to bring you joy and ease your stress.
Stress can raise your chances of having a premature or low-birth-weight baby while pregnant, which increases your risk for other health problems. Research has shown unequivocally that stress not only impacts the pregnancy outcome, it also impacts our babys long-term health outcomes. Serious types of stress in pregnancy may increase the likelihood of some problems, such as preterm labor.
Some studies have shown that high levels of stress in pregnancy can lead to some problems in children, such as having problems paying attention or being scared. Most women who experience significant stress in pregnancy are able to have healthy babies. Emotional stress, like sadness from death in the family, previous anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition, may lead to greater stress during pregnancy, as may problems with drugs and alcohol. Certain stress-related hormones can play a role in the development of some pregnancy complications.
Some studies suggest that high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in mothers can cause shorter pregnancies, possibly impacting babys development. In fact, some studies suggest stress-reduction techniques can lower a babys risk of premature labor or low birth weight. Obstetricians and Gynecologists have studied the effects of stress during pregnancy, and they find there are a number of documented health benefits to mothers and babies when this everyday level of stress is reduced. Finding ways to reduce stress has many health benefits – including increasing the odds of a full-term pregnancy and reducing the risk of health complications for mom and baby.
While some stress is normal and healthy, too much or stress that goes unchecked may impact your health, pregnancy, and even your baby. Too much chronic, extreme stress can have a long-term, excessive impact on you, your pregnancy and baby. If your stress becomes consistent and overwhelming, it is time to seek some help – not only for your own health, but also your babys health.
Plus, stress is not all bad, and some stress can actually be a good thing, as it helps you push through difficult times, and keeps you motivated to do your best for both you and the child-to-be. You know stress is not healthy for your mental and physical health – it can also affect your baby. Too much stress also leads to anxiety and/or depression, mental health conditions that could affect your pregnancy and overall wellbeing.
Extreme, long-term stress may put you at high risk for a premature delivery and having a baby born with low birth weight. Try these stress-management techniques to help you relax and focus your attention positively during your pregnancy. Mindfulness helps you to be present to the world around you, moment-to-moment, so that you are not lost in negative thoughts. During times of stress, mindfulness helps you to keep your mind at ease, appreciate the passing moments of pregnancy. Mindfulness is a wonderful way to deal with stress naturally in pregnancy.
Practicing good sleeping habits may encourage better rest throughout pregnancy, which may also help to minimize your stress levels throughout the day. Strategies to manage stress in pregnancy can be integrated into everyday life, including mindfulness-based practices, getting adequate sleep and exercise, and making the most of social support.
Your obstetrician should have a good understanding of the effects of stress during pregnancy, and may refer you to therapies or medications that may be helpful. Use this expert-tested advice to help you avoid pregnancy stress, and stay calm under all circumstances when you are expecting. You may even want to give yourself a rub if you are starting to feel the pressure setting in.