Pregnancy is a great time when a mother is preparing to meet her future baby. However, it is at this moment that a woman is often in a state of heightened emotionality, when even a trifle can cause tears and hysteria. Scientists have proven that frequent and prolonged stress during pregnancy can harm the expectant mother and her baby. Why are pregnant women often nervous and why is it dangerous? How to deal with stress? Every woman preparing for motherhood should know about this.
Causes of increased nervousness in pregnant women
Physiological:
- a change in the hormonal background, which provokes excessive emotionality, irritability, tearfulness;
- manifestations of toxicosis: nausea, change in taste preferences (we read about toxicosis);
- unpleasant physical sensations, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy.
Psychological:
- uncertainty about the future, financial problems, relationships with the child's father;
- excitement associated with the course of pregnancy and impending childbirth.
Obviously, expectant mothers have plenty of reasons for concern. But doctors warn that pregnant women should try to be as little nervous as possible. Why are stress during pregnancy dangerous?
10 reasons to avoid stress during pregnancy
- Strong nervous experiences can lead to miscarriage. Negative emotions affect the hormonal background of a woman, which is fraught with uterine hypertonicity. In the first trimester, this can provoke a miscarriage, in the last - premature birth.
- Stress and nerves during pregnancy weaken the immune system, which increases the frequency of colds, contributes to the exacerbation of chronic diseases.
- In women who are constantly nervous during pregnancy, children with developmental defects are born 2 times more often.
- Excessive irritability and anxiety of the expectant mother can cause problems with sleeping in the newborn.
- The adrenaline released into the bloodstream during stress constricts blood vessels, which leads to fetal hypoxia (lack of oxygen). Chronic hypoxia can cause organ pathologies, neurological problems, and intrauterine growth retardation.
- The nervousness of a pregnant woman causes an increase in the level of "stress hormone" (cortisol) in the fetus. This increases the risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system of the unborn baby.
- Constant stress during pregnancy causes asymmetry in the location of the ears, fingers, and limbs of the fetus.
- The irritability and nervousness of the expectant mother often leads to disturbances in the formation of the nervous system of the embryo, which in the future affects such brain functions as thinking, memory, perception, attention.
- Negative experiences are transmitted to the baby in the womb, which is why he may be born overly excitable and impulsive, or, conversely, fearful, timid, inert.
- An unbalanced emotional state can cause changes in the presentation of the fetus, which causes difficulties in the process of childbirth, up to the need for a cesarean section.
Stress experienced by a mother can have different consequences for babies depending on gender. For girls, this can result in a rapid course of labor and the absence of a reflex cry, and for boys - premature rupture of amniotic fluid and the onset of labor.
Prevention and management of stress
What to do to calm down and stop being nervous about trifles, thereby harming the health of the unborn baby? Let's name a few simple and effective tools:
- Breathing exercises. To calm down, you need to use deep, measured breathing. Thanks to it, oxygenation of muscles and organs of the whole body occurs. This leads to the normalization of blood pressure, removal of muscle and emotional tension.
- Phytotherapy. Melissa, mint, valerian, motherwort have a relaxing effect. You can make tea from these herbs, add a decoction to the bath.
- Aromatherapy. Essential oils of pine needles, citrus fruits, sandalwood will help a pregnant woman calm down.
- Feasible physical activity... This can be a set of exercises for pregnant women, or just walking in the fresh air.
- Meditation and auto-training - Ways to manage your physical and psychological state, based on the technique of self-hypnosis. To learn how to relax and tune yourself in a positive way, 10-15 minutes a day is enough.
- Massage. The expectant mother can massage her own neck, head, ears, hands and even the spine. It has a calming effect and helps relieve tension.
- Proper nutrition... Often, increased nervousness during pregnancy is caused by a lack of vitamin B. It is necessary to regularly consume foods rich in this vitamin: milk, cheese, cottage cheese, sprouted grains, legumes, liver, herbs, vegetables.
- Positive environment... To avoid unnecessary stress, try to communicate more with positive, friendly people.
- Has a beneficial effect doing what you love, hobby... If there is none, you can learn how to do needlework, sew, knit. Repetitive movements allow you to concentrate, distract from unpleasant experiences.
Expecting a baby is one of the most beautiful moments in a woman's life. Try to cast aside negative experiences and fully enjoy the new life growing. A happy and calm mother is the key to the birth of a healthy baby.
