How to deal with stress during pregnancy and why is it dangerous?

Stress is the body’s natural reaction to a threat, any negative factors or events. This mechanism allows you to mobilize reserves at the right time to avoid danger. But, being in a state of stress for a long time, we subject the body to constant additional stress. This can negatively affect the physical and psychological state of a person in any situation, but during pregnancy it is especially dangerous, as it can also affect the development of the child.

Watch your breath

The easiest and fastest way to relieve stress during pregnancy is to monitor your breathing. Do you think this is impossible? Let's check.

So, get comfortable, you can even lie down, and close your eyes. Try to relax your body as much as possible. Draw air into your lungs as slowly as possible, hold your breath, slowly counting to four. Then exhale slowly. Before you take another breath, hold your breath again for four counts.

How it works: Firstly, such breathing exercises during pregnancy force you to breathe slowly, which means they prevent hyperventilation, which often occurs under stress. Secondly, as long as you are monitoring your breathing and counting to four, your overstimulated mind has no other problems. This way, you give him a break and a chance to deal with stress.

What to do when stressed?

According to experts, the worst thing you can do is keep negative emotions to yourself. Therefore, if you cannot avoid stress, you need to learn to cope with it correctly.

You can relieve nervous tension in the following ways:

1. Take several slow, deep breaths in and out. Focus on breathing and imagine how oxygen flows to the baby, stroke the belly with light massaging movements.
2. Listen to music for relaxation. To do this, you can create a special collection of pleasant, calm melodies.
3. If you are at home, take a warm bath with aromatic oils.

It will be easier to get through an unpleasant situation if you talk it out, discussing it with a loved one - husband, mother, friend. It is also useful to attend relaxing massage sessions if there are no medical contraindications to this. It is recommended to read light books, such as women's novels, and watch only positive films.

Sleep plays an important role in the fight against chronic stress - pregnant women need to sleep at least 9 hours a day. If it is difficult to sleep due to nervous tension, you may need to take light herbal sedatives, such as motherwort or valerian tincture. The dosage and duration of their use should be discussed with your doctor.

If all of the above does not help, do not be afraid to seek qualified help. In difficult situations, when it is not possible to find support among loved ones, working through the problem with a psychologist gives good results.

Visualize happiness

The visualization technique has long been familiar to you. Remember how you loved to dream as a child. How equally vividly you imagined both the carefree summer spent with your grandmother and the fairyland in which you were a real queen. So, nothing has changed - you can still do this.

Close your eyes and imagine a place and time when you were happy. Walk mentally through the hot sand or the dew cool from the morning grass; listen to the splashing of waves, the singing of birds; look at the rays of the sun breaking through the dense foliage, or at the soaring seagulls; Feel the smell of herbs heated by the sun, inhale the pine-mushroom aroma after the rain.

Visualization of pleasant moments helps to get rid of psychological and bodily pressures, and the pleasant emotions that you experience at this moment are transferred to the baby. By the way, this psychological technique will help you relax during childbirth and not lose control of yourself. In the meantime, it will help relieve stress during pregnancy, gain peace of mind and cope with anxiety.

Being nervous during pregnancy: consequences for the baby

• As soon as the egg is fertilized, the female body instantly reacts to this event and begins to urgently rebuild its work. This can be determined by the frequent unexpected tearfulness of a woman and the sudden feeling of anxiety and absolute, simply childish helplessness that rolls over her.
• It is the first trimester that is characterized by the greatest mood swings and increased nervousness of a woman , since changes in her body have just begun, and it has not yet had time to properly restructure itself.

Pregnant woman is nervous

• Mid-pregnancy is also a very important period for the expectant mother. She must understand that if a mother is nervous during pregnancy, then her child a priori will not be able to be born healthy.
• And then we wonder where hypoxia could come from in a newborn child? Know that he “picked it up” from his overly nervous mother, while still in her stomach, because the middle of pregnancy is the peak of the formation of the nervous system in the fetus.
• You shouldn’t think that if he hasn’t been born yet, that means he doesn’t feel or understand anything. Doctors say that the slightest excitement or nervousness of its mother is instantly transmitted to the fetus, and primarily because of this, nervous pregnant women are more likely than others to give birth to children with low weight or asthmatic disease.
• You have already realized how enormously important the behavior of a pregnant woman has on what her baby will be like. A calm mother throughout the entire pregnancy means a calm child.

Calm is important

• Can you imagine how restless the baby would be if the woman carrying him couldn’t control her emotions, and even trifles could throw her off balance. It is clear that he will be exactly the same as his mother.
• As a result, he will fall asleep poorly and not during regular hours - and this is a new reason for irritation and dissatisfaction for the young mother. This is how she has to live in constant stress - both before and after childbirth.
• Typically, children of nervous mothers are very susceptible to frequent mood swings and are very sensitive to any changes in their environment. From new smells, bright light, noise, sun, thunderstorms, etc. they will become very irritated, anxious, and cry frequently.

To relax, first tense up.

If you feel like stress has frozen your whole body, your head has become heavy, and your arms are drooping, the Jacobson method of progressive muscle relaxation will help restore mental balance. It is based on the idea that after intense tension, muscles automatically relax.

To relax according to Jacobson, you need to lie on the floor on your back, close your eyes and select a small muscle group, such as your hands, abdominals or calves. Tighten this group strongly for 5-10 seconds, and then sharply relax and completely feel this relaxation.

Gradually increase the number of muscles involved in relaxation.

The classic progressive relaxation scheme: sequential tension and relaxation from the neck muscles to the muscles of the tips of the legs.

Everyday and medical understanding of stress

People often describe their condition using medical terms. Moreover, in the modern world, oversaturated with available information, this is sometimes done with complete confidence that the chosen word corresponds to the current state of affairs.

But you can’t diagnose yourself on your own. In addition, when juggling concepts, we often give them inaccurate meaning or even interpret them in our own way. This creates differences in understanding between professionals with relevant knowledge in this area and ordinary people.

Thus, stress in the commonly used sense is a state of tension, usually negative.

From a medical point of view, stress is a nonspecific reaction of the body or an adaptation syndrome that develops under the influence of various intense or new influences (strong physical activity, psycho-emotional trauma).

There are several types of stress.

• Eustress caused by positive emotions.
• Distress. Occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to an unfavorable factor or severe shock. The most harmful type of stress, since the body is unable to cope with it on its own, which leads to severe physical and psychological consequences.
• Emotional stress. Psycho-emotional experiences of people in various life situations, when the satisfaction of social and biological needs is limited for a long time.
• Psychological stress. A state of extreme psychological stress and disorganization of behavior in society as a result of exposure to extreme factors.

From the classification it is clear that the differences between the ordinary and medical understanding of stress lie in the following:

• non-specialists often call stress the usual nervous excitement or mental agitation that is inherent in emotional people prone to mood swings and outbursts;
• on the other hand, the majority do not recognize stress from positive emotions, believing that only negative experiences have a detrimental effect on a person. But if you are so happy about an unexpected gift that you cannot hold back a cry of joy or tears, then from a medical point of view you are experiencing eustress;
• people believe that stress is always caused by objective life circumstances. But that's not true. After all, different people have different attitudes to the same case. For some, buying a home is very stressful, but for others it is a welcome event, comparable to pleasant chores. The body’s emotional reaction is born as a result of analyzing its own thoughts and assessments.

Inhale pleasant aromas

Another effective method of dealing with stress can be aromatherapy during pregnancy. You can easily combine this method with others. For example, before practicing relaxation or visualization techniques, ventilate the room well and fill it with the aroma of any essential oil that makes you feel good. You can add several oils to the aroma lamp at the same time.

Neroli, bergamot and rose oil are good at reducing psycho-emotional stress. The aromas of petitgrain (it helps not only with anxiety and worry, but also in case of panic attacks), eucalyptus, fir, and pine have anti-stress properties.

Essential oils of lemon, grapefruit, jasmine, cypress, cinnamon and geranium improve mood and raise emotional tone. Lavender oil will calm and help cope with insomnia during pregnancy.

Dangerous symptoms

Chronic nervous stress causes a variety of physical, emotional, mental and social symptoms:

1. Chest pain, difficulty breathing, vision problems, headaches, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fatigue, muscle pain, increased sweating. But most often a pregnant woman has a stomach ache.
2. Confusion, nightmares, memory loss, sleep changes and difficulty focusing.
3. Grief, guilt, worry, irritability, fear, denial, worry, loneliness or frustration
4. Isolation from family, friends, loss of appetite, smoking and alcohol abuse.

If these symptoms occur, it is recommended to consult a gynecologist and psychologist.

Hang out with happy people

Often it is our environment that makes us happy or unhappy. Therefore, when stressed during pregnancy, it is important to communicate more with people who are positively minded, and limit contact with those who make you despondent. If something is bothering you, meeting with an optimistic friend is the best cure for stress.

Don't be afraid to share your concerns, because speaking them out loud can reduce the intensity of stress. Even research confirms that sociable people overcome stress more easily. Besides, your friend will probably have the right words of support for you. However, you should not focus solely on your problems. After speaking, be sure to switch to other topics, take an interest in your friend’s affairs - this will also help to distract you from disturbing thoughts for a while.

Danger

It was found that in response to stress, the human body produces special hormones - glucocorticoids. The result of a frequent increase in their concentration in the blood of a pregnant woman can be pathologies of the placenta and impaired development of the child.

The likelihood of these and other negative consequences occurring is not one hundred percent. In many ways, the danger of stress experienced by a woman for the fetus depends on the gestational age.

In the early stages

In the first trimester of pregnancy, when the formation of the baby’s organs and nervous system occurs, strong experiences are especially undesirable. This can lead to miscarriage or the formation of maxillofacial anomalies of the fetus (cleft of the soft and hard palate).

Also, as a result of the stress experienced by the expectant mother, the child’s risk of developing schizophrenia in the future increases, and the immune system suffers. Possible disruption of the functioning of the placenta, retardation of intrauterine development of the fetus due to hypoxia. Read more about the causes and consequences of fetal hypoxia→

In the later stages

If a woman experiences stress in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the child has a tendency to autism, hyperactivity, and enuresis. In the later stages, sometimes the fetus is repeatedly entwined with the umbilical cord, due to its active movements during the psycho-emotional stress of the mother.

A pregnant woman has an increased risk of developing preeclampsia and diabetes mellitus. Against the backdrop of constant stress, complicated, protracted labor or premature birth of a child is possible.

Get creative

If you are now thinking that this method will definitely not help you, because you are not a creative person... We assure you, it does not matter. For example, do you know how to knead clay? You know how! Can you make a bun? Still would! So get busy. What is important here is not the result, but the process, because clay modeling is a massage of the fingers and palms, which relieves tension and leads to peace. You can sculpt some kind of figure that would be associated with your problem, and then get rid of it, and with it, unpleasant emotions.

Intuitive drawing is also a great way to relieve stress. You don't need to be an artist for this. You can even paint with your fingers instead of brushes - this has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system. Trust your intuition, it will definitely tell you what to draw.

Activities that require concentration, such as knitting, embroidery, and scrapbooking, will also dislodge negative thoughts from your head and balance the nervous system.

Causes of irritability and hysterics during pregnancy

The female body, while bearing a child, experiences such colossal changes and stress that it would be strange if throughout the entire pregnancy a woman was calm, balanced, reasonable, and consistent in her decisions and actions.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy

The main reason for unstable psycho-emotional behavior lies in hormones, or more precisely, in changes in the general hormonal background.

The process of formation and development of the embryo includes the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, and gonads. During the ovulation period of the menstrual cycle, a temporary gland (corpus luteum) is formed in the ovary, producing the hormone progesterone, which helps maintain the pregnancy. Then the placenta begins to function as an endocrine gland, producing estrogens, which are responsible for the growth of the uterus, pressure and fluid removal.

Each endocrine gland has its own role in the course of pregnancy, at the same time, each influences the condition and behavior of a woman during this difficult period of life:

1. Pituitary:

• Sharply reduces hormones that regulate the functioning of the sex glands (new eggs are not needed yet);
• Produces thyroid-stimulating hormone, which regulates the functioning of the thyroid gland;
• Adrenocorticotropic hormone that regulates the functioning of the adrenal glands;
• Produces and regulates the concentration of oxytocin , which stimulates labor.

1. Adrenal glands: produce hormones that regulate water-salt metabolism and suppress immunity so that the mother’s body does not reject the fetus;
2. Thyroid gland: with reduced hormone production, there is a risk of miscarriage; when elevated, disruptions occur in the formation of the central nervous system and brain;
3. The temporary gland formed after ovulation (corpus luteum) produces progesterone, a hormone that ensures the attachment of the egg to the endometrium of the uterus and causes drowsiness , swelling, and nausea. It is progesterone that is the main provocateur of irritability, tearfulness and endless mood swings;
4. The placenta produces a lot of hormones necessary for the normal course of pregnancy.

Thus, the woman’s body adapts to the upcoming hormonal changes, and this requires time and patience.

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Physiological changes during pregnancy

With the onset of pregnancy, the work of all organs and systems of a woman is restructured, and bearing a fetus becomes a priority for the body.

More intense work is performed by the cardiovascular system, which is forced to serve the additional placental circulation. In women, blood volume and heart muscle mass increase. Blood pressure may increase.

The chest and bronchi expand, and the capacity of the lungs increases. The kidneys work under great strain; they have to remove a double dose of metabolic products from the body. Intestinal tone decreases, which can result in constipation. The stomach, under pressure from the uterus, moves upward and is compressed, causing heartburn.

The liver gets a double load - it is forced to neutralize the metabolic products of the woman and the fetus. Joint pain occurs. A constant increase in the size of the uterus leads to an uncomfortable condition: tension of the ligaments, abdominal pain, fatigue, inability to stay in one position, difficulty sitting, lying down, standing, difficulty finding a comfortable position for rest.

Changes in body shape, excess weight , and unpleasant physical sensations are also causes of irritability during pregnancy.

Mental changes during pregnancy

For a woman, the realization that a new life is being born in her body evokes various emotions: from intense joy to panic fear. This applies not only to first-time mothers. Each subsequent child contributes to the emotional and psychological state of the pregnant woman.

Anything can affect a woman’s mood, cause anger or uncontrollable joy, panic or recklessness, indignation or apathy:

• Fear of losing attractiveness to husband;
• Lack of self-confidence;
• Doubts about the reliability of the spouse;
• Difficult relationships with relatives;
• Lack of own housing;
• Financial instability;
• Fear of abnormalities in fetal development;
• Fear of not carrying the pregnancy to term;
• The supposed pain nightmare of childbirth;
• Loss of career;
• Incompetence in matters of education;
• Upcoming responsibilities for caring for the baby;
• Unpleasant odors;
• Loud sounds;
• Stormy or too sunny weather;
• Turning off the water.

The list goes on endlessly - every woman has her own thousand reasons for irritation, which can develop into depression. What to do?

Get out into nature

It’s true, when you found out about your pregnancy, you almost immediately wanted to go somewhere to the village, where there was fresh air, cucumbers from the garden, apples from the garden, milk from a real cow, and peace and grace all around. Yes, it helps calm your nerves. Like a holiday in the mountains or on the seashore. But if your nerves are getting to you right now, and you may be at work, then get out to the nearest park. Quarreled with your husband? To the park!

Closed within four walls, problems increase noticeably and seem insoluble. But as soon as you take them out into the open, they begin to shrink and return to the state of the little things in life. Meanwhile, you enjoy the singing of birds, the rustling of leaves, saturate your body with oxygen and take free vitamin D3.

Causes

The causes of stress can be different. Here the main role is played by the so-called psychological threshold, up to which a woman considers the course of any case to be normal. The psychological state at the moment is also important. After all, even the most bad news is perceived more easily in an upbeat mood.

However, the specificity of stress in pregnant women is such that in addition to psychological reasons (quarrels with the husband, jealousy of the older child, fears due to financial situation), there are also physiological ones. Here is a list of the most typical reasons for waiting for a baby:

• fear of upcoming birth. This is the most common of all fears. Due to the paucity of knowledge in this area, as well as imposed stereotypes that are far from reality, this process seems to be the quintessence of pain and danger;
• fear of pregnancy and fears in connection with its course. The vast majority of women face this. Even with a planned pregnancy, it takes time to get used to the new role of a mother and plan further actions. But nature foresaw everything well and allocated 9 whole months for preparation;
• physiological changes. The problem of figure and excess weight is always relevant for women. The fear of gaining extra pounds and losing attractiveness can unsettle even the most persistent. The rapid pace of change is also frightening. Remember that everything is reversible and temporary!
• family and household problems. No one is safe from them. It’s clear that the arrival of a new family member will force you to make some adjustments to your usual lifestyle. This is especially true if parents are expecting their first child. But it may also be that the cause of severe stress is a minor domestic conflict;
• problems at work. Unfortunately, until 30 weeks, a pregnant woman is forced to work and, as a member of the team, participate in a complex system of internal relationships;
• worry about the baby. In the first trimester, many are afraid of a miscarriage, in the second they worry that the baby is not moving much in the tummy, in the third - that it will be born early. These are normal manifestations of maternal instinct;
• any unforeseen circumstances.

Contemplate the beautiful

So, you got out into nature, and that in itself is good. But you can further enhance the effect and get rid of stress faster if you try the contemplation method. It sounds serious, but in reality everything is simple and pleasant. As you walk, just look around, trying to notice more details: from a black raven on the top of a poplar tree to a ladybug landing on your sleeve.

Sitting down on a bench or just on the grass, choose some interesting object and study it. It could be a tree with an interesting curve or a cloud that resembles someone's face. Peer at them, try to let nothing else occupy your attention for a while.

Why are you nervous during pregnancy?

• Unfortunately, many pregnant women, despite all their efforts, do not manage to constantly remain in a calm and unshakable state during all these long 9 months.
• So what is the reason why most women feel nervous during pregnancy? It turns out that pregnancy is a very complex process that causes hormonal changes in the entire female body. At this time, he is subordinated to practically one goal - to bear the baby.

The reason is hormonal changes

• Such changes entail excessive sensitivity and nervousness of the expectant mother, and even some minor troubles that she simply did not notice before can irritate her. Moreover, she may even become very nervous and cry during pregnancy because of some sheer nonsense, despite the persuasion of the people around her.
• But all these persuasions and constant reminders of the harm to the child from her excessive nervousness can make a woman in her position even more angry. After all, she is already constantly under the influence of a whole hormonal hurricane, and here they are constantly telling her in her ear: “Don’t be nervous, don’t cry, forget about your worries, think about the child!”
• All this will make the expectant mother’s nerves even worse, because even ordinary people cannot constantly experience equanimity, and a pregnant woman with her truly crazy hormonal changes is simply unable to control her nerves. However, there must be moderation in everything. The pregnant woman wanted to cry - let her shed a few tears, it’s time for her to get angry - hello! But awareness must be present in all these actions, and unnecessary extremes must be left aside. It should be remembered that real hysterics will not lead to any good.

Play some sports

They say you can't run away from problems. Don't believe it! The most effective way to combat stress is physical activity. Because during physical activity, endorphins are released - hormones of happiness. So running during pregnancy is the best cure for stress.

Don't want to run? Dance! Music plus physical activity is a double whammy for stress. For something a little calmer, find out how yoga can help with stress. The main thing is not to sit idle.

How to deal with stress as a pregnant woman

There are ways to reduce negative symptoms during pregnancy:

1. You need to do light physical activity. For example, walking, as it not only reduces stress levels, but also prevents general discomfort during pregnancy.
2. Prenatal yoga or meditation classes.
3. Breathing exercises should be done.
4. The best thing to do is read a book or watch your favorite show.
5. It is necessary to find out what worries the pregnant woman most and try to talk about it with her husband, friend or even a therapist.
6. Seek help from family and friends.
7. Take childbirth education classes to understand about pregnancy, childbirth, relaxation techniques, exercises.
8. If a pregnant woman thinks she is depressed, treatment should be started early to avoid the need for antidepressants.
9. Eat healthy, nutritious foods.
10. Consider joining a support group on social media. This way you can meet like-minded people among pregnant women.

Stress is extremely undesirable for pregnant women. If you can’t contain your emotions, it’s better to consult a psychologist.

Did you experience negative emotions during pregnancy? Describe the situation in the comments and what helped you. Share the article with your friends on social networks.

Treatment

How to deal with stress during pregnancy: different types of remedies will help. Sedatives are suitable for calming, which must be prescribed by your doctor so as not to cause side effects.

Vitamin supplements

There are special groups of vitamins that are responsible for calming the body’s nervous system. You can get them from food, but if there is a serious lack of such vitamins and problems with the nervous system arise, a pregnant woman needs to take a special multivitamin complex:

B vitamins

Strengthen nerves and participate in energy exchange. Recommended both for increased emotional stress and for preventive purposes. To maximize the effect of taking it, you should take vitamin B complex.

• Antidepressant B1 is found in oatmeal, buckwheat, legumes, and milk.
• Riboflavin B2, which relieves apathy and fatigue, can be found in meat and nuts; a Nutrilight course will also help.
• Chicken meat, liver, and barley are rich in blood supplying niacin B3. This element is included in tranquilizers.
• B6 is involved in the production of the happiness hormone, gives activity, and improves sleep. You will find it in sea fish, nuts, and pomegranates. Doctors often prescribe Magnesium B6 complex to pregnant women. It is better absorbed by the body in combination with vitamin C.

Vitamin Magne B6 is useful for pregnant women

• Vitamin B9 and folic acid are designed to block memory problems and feelings of fear. It contains liver, mushrooms, yeast, and carrots.
• B11 improves the functioning of the heart and brain and is found in large quantities in cereals, fish, meat: it is also recommended to drink the Pentavit complex if there is a lack of levocarnitine.
• By-products and additives “Duovit” and “Polivit” contain B12, which protects nerve tissue from destruction.

Betacarotene and vitamin A

Retinol and carotene, vitamin A are responsible for slowing down the aging of the body and maintaining its tone. Carrots, pumpkin, fish liver, butter, and chicken egg yolk are rich in this substance.

Vitamin C

It will help not only strengthen the immune system, but also increase the body's resistance to stress, nervous exhaustion, and restore it after exercise. The main source is citrus fruits. The vitamin is part of the multi-complex “Alphabet”, “Multitabs”.

Vitamins from fruits and vegetables are the most useful

Vitamins D and E

Thanks to the influence of free radicals, they protect brain cells and help the body recover from stress. Look for them in hard and soft cheeses, cottage cheese, seafood, sunflower oil, and seeds.