Stress and Pregnancy

Big changes in life cause the most stress and pregnancy is no exception. Being pregnant can be an exciting and yet stressful time. You may be worried about all the possible things that could go wrong before and during the pregnancy. Your hormones are a bit unbalanced, which could easily add to your stressed feelings. However, what you need to do is avoid stress as much as possible – all your worries about your new baby are not helping your new baby.

Too much Stress and pregnancy can be detrimental; studies have looked at birth defects and miscarriages, and while many of these studies still need a great deal more research, it is still widely known that too much stress is overall unhealthy for you and the excessive amounts of a stress hormone called cortisol can possibly impair the development of your baby. Some women are able to have perfectly normal pregnancies and healthy children even during times of great stress (such as the death of a family member), so it is important to remember that even if you are stressing, you may not have any problems. You should still avoid stressing as it is due to the health affects stress does actually have on the human body and mind.

Knowing that stress is unhealthy may lead you to, well, stress about it. Do what you can not to. Instead of worrying constantly about your baby’s health, focus on things that make you relaxed and happy; that is the best way to make sure your baby is relaxed and happy. Take small walks, do a little crafting, give yourself time for meditation, take a day off to bake some cookies. Being pregnant is a special time; you should treat it as such instead of focusing on all the little things that could go wrong. Forget the what ifs and concentrate on the right now.