Absolutely normal. The hormonal, physical and emotional changes that take place in the body during childbearing can, of course, cause some anxiety even in the most balanced woman.

However, scientists have shown that high level during pregnancy can increase the risk of preterm labor or low birth weight, so it is worth trying to get it under control.

Ways to deal with stress during pregnancy

1. Healthy food. Stress during pregnancy can often be the result of a poor diet. A healthy diet that includes plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, on the contrary, can lift your spirits. For example, the amino acid tryptophan, found in many foods, including nuts and grains, can increase melatonin and serotonin levels, which are responsible for sound sleep and feelings of well-being.
2. Talk about your feelings. The influx of hormones often makes women feel like they have no control over their bodies and mood changes. If you try to cope with these thoughts alone, then they may well become a cause of stress during pregnancy. It is worth talking about your feelings with a partner, loved ones or other pregnant women.
3. Find time to rest. A woman in a position, trying to maintain the usual rhythm of life, often experiences stress from this. Also, a stressor can be a feeling of guilt from the fact that a pregnant woman is resting more often than she is used to. It is worth remembering that rest is necessary for the health of the unborn child. At work, you can and should find a place where you can relax during breaks, at home you can reduce the list of daily duties. If a woman feels tired, she should go to bed, no matter what time it is on the clock.
4. Find time for fun. Laughter is one of the best ways to relax. Meet upbeat friends, watch comedies, go to funny shows, read funny books. Even simple funny pictures can help you deal with stress during pregnancy.
5. Pamper yourself. Pregnancy is a great time to be especially attentive to yourself and not only from a medical point of view. Women can deal with stress during pregnancy in the usual ways - visiting spas, getting manicures and pedicures, buying nice little things.
6. Change attitude. Having a baby is an amazing experience. Do not let negative thoughts spoil the joy, pleasure and anticipation of happiness from the birth of a baby. There are many techniques that tune a person to positive thinking. If the pregnant woman is unfamiliar with them, then it's time to learn more about them.
7. Meditation and deep breathing. Meditation and deep breathing will help beat stress during pregnancy. You need to find a quiet place, turn on calm music and visualize peaceful scenes about the wonderful future that awaits mother and child. In this case, you should inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth to lower your heart rate and force the brain to produce calming hormones.
8. Massage. Massage has proven itself as a means to improve blood circulation, relieve tension and achieve inner peace. However, during pregnancy, massage in the abdomen and around the ankles should be avoided so as not to provoke premature birth.
9. Planning. Pre-preparation helps to cope with stress during pregnancy. Attending special classes, reading books, communicating with accomplished mothers, making lists benefits so many women, but you should not tune in to the fact that everything will go strictly according to plan. During any successful pregnancy, there are unpredictable periods - this should be remembered.
10. Physical exercise. Many women stop any physical activity while carrying a child. Unless prescribed by a doctor, do not stop exercising. There are many sets of exercises for pregnant women, they are also recommended special yoga and classes in the pool.

Pregnancy is a special period, accompanied by a firework of emotions that are not always positive. Difficulties at work, problems in the family, bad tests ... This list of reasons for worrying every pregnant woman has her own. And only a few can boast of cold-blooded calmness and absolute "immunity" to stress. Strong nervous strain negatively affects not only the psycho-emotional state of a woman, but can also complicate the course of childbirth or affect the formation of the fetus. Let's figure out what are the causes of stress during pregnancy in order to take control of the situation in time, and why stress during pregnancy is dangerous for a woman and her crumbs.

When a woman says "I'm stressed!", most likely, she is upset, scared, outraged by something. But this is not an accurate description of the term "stress" and is more characteristic of its one variety - neuropsychic stress.

From a scientific point of view, stress is an emotional disturbance of a negative nature, which can be provoked by a variety of factors, such as hunger, cold, photophobia, or other phobias.

During pregnancy, short-term emotional stress is more common, which often resembles a storm of negative emotions. It rarely leads to systemic disorders during pregnancy and is manifested exclusively by a bad mood.

More dangerous is constant stress during pregnancy or distress. This condition occurs after prolonged nervous tension. Such "harmful" stress often disrupts the functioning of the whole organism, affecting the hormonal background, immune function and well-being of a pregnant woman.

Stress develops gradually. The first phase consists in the activation of the female body in response to an overstrain of the nervous system. Then the second phase gradually sets in - active resistance to the situation that has arisen. If the stress drags on, the third phase begins - the global exhaustion of the female body with subsequent complications. As a result, a woman may develop an infectious disease, exacerbate a chronic pathology, and develop a nervous breakdown.

Stress during pregnancy - causes and features of development

In the gestational period, stress proceeds according to a certain scenario. It leads to stimulation of hormonal processes, which leads to pathological synthesis of glucocorticoids and catecholamines. This leads to the fact that in the body of a pregnant woman there is a destruction of glucose and a short-term jump in blood sugar. The body immediately reacts to this by synthesizing excess insulin, which utilizes sugar, which provokes unscheduled heat generation. Then, in order to "rest", the body reduces the production of insulin, which is often called transient functional type diabetes.

But the effect of nervous stress during pregnancy on a woman's health does not end there. In conditions of insulin deficiency, the synthesis of sugars from amino acids starts. But their reserve in a woman's body is limited, so the body begins to break down fats to get energy. The product of their decay is ketones, which cause general intoxication. As a result, the brain, muscle tissue, and heart suffer. Often this condition is accompanied by severe oxygen starvation.

Repeated repetition of such a stressful algorithm leads to a decrease in thyroid function, disruption of the nervous system and immunity. Such disorders can affect the development of the fetus, so ignoring the often recurring stress is unwise.

What can cause severe stress during pregnancy? First of all, stress is triggered as a result of acute excitement, the source of which can be:

• Fear for the baby. While he is quietly developing in the mother's tummy, the woman is unable to somehow influence his well-being, to find out if everything is in order. It is especially difficult for women who have experienced a miscarriage and the loss of a baby in the past.
• Fear of future motherhood. Mild anxiety at the thought of the upcoming meeting with the baby and his future upbringing in women often occurs. But sometimes this excitement develops into a real test for the female nervous system and it is not possible to avoid severe stress.
• Contact with the outside world. Endless tests and queues in medical facilities, nervous passengers on the subway, a rude saleswoman in a supermarket - this is just the tip of the iceberg of possible provocateurs of stress during pregnancy.
• Work misunderstandings. Teachings from a disgruntled boss and unfriendly colleagues are perfect conditions for chronic stress. And if we also take into account toxicosis, frequent delays due to the next examination by a gynecologist and the inability to concentrate on work, then it becomes obvious that stress during pregnancy occurs very often at work.
• shock situations. Pregnancy does not exclude tragic turns in life. Anything can happen: divorce, dismissal, the death of relatives in an accident, an unscheduled move.
• Family environment. If the climate in the family is bad, conflicts often occur and misunderstanding is constantly present, there are uncomfortable living conditions, then emotional discomfort is guaranteed.

On a note! Excessive impressionability, suspiciousness and lack of support from loved ones only exacerbate the effect of stress on pregnancy.

How to understand that you have stress during pregnancy - symptoms

You can understand that a woman has stress by her emotional outburst. However, some women experience stress in silence and do not know it themselves.

The first signs of stress in a pregnant woman are considered to be:

• sleep disturbance (insomnia or vice versa, a constant desire to take a nap);
• obvious changes in appetite (refusal to eat or overeating);
• inability to work fully (fatigue, memory loss, lethargy);
• groundless fears or anxieties;
• signs of a depressive mood (apathy, a sense of hopelessness, detachment);
• panic attacks (fear of leaving the house, lack of air);
• deterioration of health (tachycardia, hypertension, dizziness, dyspepsia);
• obvious decrease in immunity.

Important! Such a complex of symptoms in a pregnant woman is a good reason to refer her to a psychologist.

How stress affects pregnancy

Minor physiological stress often occurs during pregnancy due to hormonal changes and pregnancy companions such as vomiting, headache, weakness. This often makes a woman nervous and emotionally tense, but there is no negative effect on the fetus. In other cases, when stress is caused by external stimuli, and a woman experiences a deep emotional shock, the consequences for her and her baby can be deplorable.

Stress during pregnancy: consequences for the child

The first weeks of pregnancy are crucial, so the best thing that close and dear people can do is to protect the pregnant woman from stress. It can affect pregnancy and the baby in two ways:

• On the one hand, the first few weeks the baby is still microscopically small and is reliably protected from the effects of stress. Hormones of "stress" do not enter the fetal egg even after its implantation, since the placenta does not yet function until the 10th week, and there are no ways for them to enter the baby's blood.
• On the other hand, the first trimester is the time of formation of the inclinations of organs. And the presence of stress during pregnancy in the early stages worsens the functioning of the hormonal system and metabolic processes in a woman. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict how this will affect embryonic development.

Interesting! American scientists who studied the nature of the development of autism, made interesting discovery. It turned out that women who carried a baby in conditions of constant stress, the risk of having an autistic baby is twice as high as women who do not experience this condition.

Stress during pregnancy in the second trimester for a woman is no longer as dangerous as in the first. But in relation to the baby, everything changes exactly the opposite. For him, this period is very responsible, because the development of the organs and systems laid down in the first trimester is in full swing, and any negative factors can disrupt this process. Of course, there will be no serious anomalies in the development of the baby, but the following violations may occur:

1. Hypoxia and complications after it. Under the influence of stress, uteroplacental blood flow is disturbed. If measures are not taken in time, the baby continues to develop in conditions of oxygen deficiency and important substances. As a result, the newborn may experience neurological disorders, it may be too low weight, poor Apgar scores.
2. The birth of a premature baby. Stress is like a catalyst for uterine hypertonicity. If a woman has experienced a strong shock before the 22nd gestational week, she may have a miscarriage, and if after this period, premature birth. A premature baby may lag behind in development or have neurological disorders in the future.

On a note! Babies, whose intrauterine development took place in a stressful environment, are prone to conflict provocations after birth and are often mentally unstable.

After the 28th gestational week, the stress of the mother on the physical development of the baby is not displayed. But the fetus is already able to empathize with the mother and is also experiencing a kind of stress. This condition often provokes such reparable disorders in the newborn as poor sleep, refusal to eat, frequent regurgitation, increased muscle tone.

Stress during pregnancy: consequences for women

If stress is not dangerous for a baby in the early stages, then for a woman it can be a serious cause for grief:

1. worsening toxicity. Even moderate stress can turn mild nausea into uncontrollable vomiting. Also there is drowsiness, dehydration, worsening blood counts. Often this leads to hospitalization.
2. Hormonal imbalance. Hormones are the first to respond to stress. Depending on the state of the female body, this can provoke an unsuccessful implantation of the embryo or improper fixation of the fetal egg in the uterus. Often, the fertilized cell, not attached to the endometrium, leaves the uterus along with menstrual blood.
3. Hypertension of the uterus. The connection between an increase in uterine tone and experiences has long been established. Therefore, stress often causes the development of a threat of miscarriage.
4. Freezing fetus. Very often, a missed pregnancy happens due to stress.

Advice! If you notice bloody discharge or abdominal pain after a nervous shock, contact your doctor immediately.

The second trimester of pregnancy is the most comfortable period for a woman. Toxicosis is already over, and the delights of the third trimester in the form of sluggishness have not yet arrived. Therefore, there are no external reasons for stress. Since the emotional state in this period is sublime, minor stimuli are unlikely to provoke strong feelings. But if something really serious happens, the stress will flow very actively.

On a note! For women, stress in this period is not dangerous, which cannot be said about the baby. So if you can't handle your nerves, ask your doctor to prescribe you some mild sedatives.

Stress in the third trimester of pregnancy is not dangerous for a baby, but a woman may experience one of the following complications:

1. premature delivery. The female body is designed in such a way that if sharp fluctuations in hormones begin at this time and the tone of the uterus increases, it may decide that it is time to give birth.
2. Weakness of labor activity. The natural birth process is complex and involves many mechanisms of the hormonal system. If a woman was under stressful conditions during pregnancy, the likelihood of insufficient labor activity increases. Often you have to resort to stimulation and even caesarean section.
3. Incorrect position of the baby. The tone of the uterus caused by stress does not allow the fetus to take the correct position before childbirth. In such a situation, the birth process takes place with complications, which increases the risk of birth injuries in the child. Sometimes natural childbirth becomes impossible.

How to deal with stress during pregnancy

If you realize that you have a lot of stress - calm down. Concentrate on the thought that the most important thing at the moment is not the problem that has arisen, but the health of your baby. Think about someone close to you who can help you pull yourself together and ask for help. If there is no one to rely on, contact a psychologist.

If you are able to curb your feelings on your own, you can use the tips:

1. Conquer your fears. If the cause of stress is fear for the baby, tell the doctor about it and, if necessary, undergo an additional examination. If the reason is something else, try to solve it in a similar way.
2. Find a hobby. A hobby will distract from bad thoughts and give a lot of positive.
3. Learn to pamper yourself. If you're craving something sweet, indulge in one of the most delicious desserts. If you want to ride a swing - do not stop, because a baby lives in you.
4. Release the fear of labor pain. Although women hide, absolutely everyone is afraid of this pain. You need to come to terms with this, do not wind yourself up and undermine the health of the baby with your stress.
5. Don't hide your pregnancy. Often, women in the early stages do not advertise their position, and silently endure the frequent reprimands of the boss for being late or poor performance. Tell him that you are pregnant and he will enter into your position. So at least one stress in the first trimester of pregnancy will be less.
6. Voice all your desires. Pregnancy is a time of whims and strange desires, so take advantage of this moment.

Take care of your pregnancy and don't let stress harm your beloved baby. Tune in to positive and get maximum pleasure, because pregnancy ends very quickly. And remember that the process of childbirth, the health of your baby, and future lactation depend on your calmness.

Video "Stress and nerves during pregnancy"

Stress during pregnancy can be caused by both external and internal factors. From the first days of pregnancy, a complete restructuring begins in the body. At the beginning of pregnancy, nausea may begin, later frequent urge to urinate, constipation, heartburn, digestive system upset, bad or vice versa, increased appetite, dizziness, etc. others suffer from all the symptoms at once, others are tormented by only some of them. A psychological condition often joins a poor physical condition. Pregnant women, and at the same time those around them, are tormented by frequent mood swings, tearfulness, irritability, resentment, increased anxiety, vague fears, etc. In the second trimester, the gums may begin to bleed, headaches, runny nose, slight swelling may disturb.

The very state of pregnancy causes a woman a little stress, primarily from changes in hormonal levels. A woman during this period is preparing to become a mother, which completely changes her previous lifestyle - and this is also a kind of stress. To this are added problems at work or in family life, a woman begins to worry greatly about her future and the future of her baby. Closer to childbirth, a woman is haunted by fear of this process, especially if the child is the first and the pregnancy was not going very well. Stress in small doses is even useful, both for mom and baby. But if this condition haunts a pregnant woman for a very long time and manifests itself quite strongly, in this case it is worth seeking help from a specialist, because the negative effects of stress can seriously affect the mental health of the child.

By about the fifth month, the woman’s physical condition returns to normal, she is not bothered by morning sickness, frequent headaches disappear, she is less often irritated over trifles, and she is happy from the realization that a small life lives in her. But over time, a woman feels pulling pains in the lower abdomen, this is due to the fact that the ligaments that support the abdominal press are tightened. She is more and more distracted, more tired, closer to childbirth there is a feeling of fear of this process, especially in first-borns.

All these conditions cause some stress in the body of a pregnant woman, but not in the usual sense. Such shallow experiences do not affect the health of the future person, moreover, with small negative emotions, the hormone cortisol appears in the human body. This hormone, in reasonable doses, is necessary for the child to develop properly. And with severe stress, cortisol in the body of the mother, and, consequently, the child, receives too much, which, according to experts, can lead to congenital pathologies.

Severe stress during pregnancy

If a woman experiences severe stress during pregnancy, her chances of giving birth to an autistic child are doubled (autistic is a person with a mental disorder, which is characterized by immersion in the personal world, such people have a greatly weakened connection with the outside world, they lose interest to reality, there is no desire for communication, they have a very meager emotional manifestation).

Such conclusions were made by American scientists who conducted an experiment involving five hundred pregnant women. During the experiment, experts assessed stress by the strength of the impact. As it turned out, women in whose group of stressful situations were superior in strength to others were 2 times more likely to have children who were subsequently diagnosed with autism.

Severe stress, according to doctors, is moving to a new place of residence, bereavement of loved ones, job loss, conflicts with relatives, etc. It is especially dangerous if a woman has undergone severe stress from the 24th to the 28th week of pregnancy, since during this period the mother's nervous strain can be very strongly reflected in the baby's brain.

As a result of the research, it turned out that the appearance of autism is associated not only with genetic abnormalities, as previously assumed, but to a large extent this is due to the negative factors of the surrounding world, in particular, the psycho-emotional state of the mother during pregnancy.

Nervous stress during pregnancy

Nervous stress during pregnancy is accompanied by every woman. Even in those moments when she is absolutely happy, a woman endures heavy mental stress. Any external irritant, which is conditionally divided into physical and mental, can lead to a severe psychological shock. The physical source of stress is characterized by a constant effect on the body of a pregnant woman - heat or cold, thirst or hunger, heavy physical exertion. Physical stress is possible with malnutrition, insufficient sleep, reduced physical activity. With psychological sources of stress, emotional overstrain is observed, this state can be provoked by a lie of a loved one, resentment, as well as situations where there is a threat to personal relationships (for example, with a husband), social status, financial condition. Also, lack of time can lead to psychological stress, when responsibility is felt, but there is no time to think about a decision. Moreover, the source of stress here is precisely the attitude of a person to a situation.

Stress loads accompany a woman throughout pregnancy. The main sources of stress here are natural restructuring, pregnancy, which was not included in the plans, thoughts about how to live on, about the health of the child, fear of childbirth. Experiences are usually associated with the news of pregnancy, the need to attend a consultation, communicate with doctors, conflict situations in the family or at work.

Stress during pregnancy has a very strong effect on the nervous system of the unborn child. As a result of frequent nervous shocks of the mother during pregnancy, children grow up more nervous, restless, it is harder for them to adapt to the world around them. Children whose mothers were pregnant who suffered from the cruelty of their husbands showed lower intellectual development than their peers who developed in calm conditions. Scientists have found that the cause of this is the hormone cortisol - the higher its level in the mother's blood, and, accordingly, in the amniotic fluid, the higher the risk of developmental delays. Approximately 15% of children who have anxiety, attention deficit, delays in the development of psychomotor functions, became victims of a strong nervous shock of the mother, transferred during fetal development. The most dangerous for the expectant mother is the stress in which she is subjected to cruel treatment, in this case, the risk of hyperactivity syndrome is doubled. If the mother's stress during pregnancy could be reduced in a timely manner, the development of hundreds of thousands of severe psychological and neurological disorders in children could be avoided.

Experts say that stress and negativity cannot be kept in oneself, one must get rid of it. Sometimes you need to talk to make it easier. Nervous strain can be relieved by having fun and relaxing time. If there is no positive dynamics, you should definitely consult a doctor, you may need the help of a qualified specialist. It is necessary to understand the source of the stressful situation and eliminate it from your life as completely as possible.

Sleep is the best way to treat stress, nervous overstrain and anxiety can occur from lack of sleep. Therefore, you need to rest more. If it’s hard to fall asleep, you need to do interesting active work (as far as possible), then the body tired during the day will relax and rest faster. You can take a warm bath before bed. Activity to some extent helps to get rid of nervous tension, so you can consult your doctor about special exercises or gymnastics for pregnant women. There are many hobbies that will help you forget unpleasant moments, get distracted - cooking, walking, taking photos, reading, etc. During pregnancy, the main thing is to see only the positive aspects in everything, avoid stressful situations if possible and set yourself up for the best.

Constant stress during pregnancy

Prolonged stress during pregnancy negatively affects both the health of the expectant mother and the health of her child. Strong and prolonged nervous shocks exhaust the body of a pregnant woman, she becomes lethargic, lethargic, suffers from insomnia, anxiety causes trembling in the body, heart palpitations. Severe stress can cause skin rashes, headaches, and soreness in the body. With such stress, various complications of pregnancy are possible. A woman may suffer from increased toxicosis, chronic diseases are exacerbated, a newborn may have congenital malformations.

In addition, constant nervous tension negatively affects the immune system, which is already greatly weakened during pregnancy. The body's weak defenses cannot cope with the viruses that enter the body, so the woman is in a constant painful state. A difficult physical condition is aggravated by an even more severe mental one - complete discontent, apathy, irritability. But no matter how hard it is for a woman, at this moment it is even harder for a man who has not yet been born into the world, and if a woman does not change her mind in time and does not bring her mental state back to normal, this little man may never know what life is.

Constant stress during pregnancy has very serious consequences, which is why you need to get rid of it as quickly as possible. The best option during pregnancy is to learn how to prevent such nervous shocks. A woman in position should think more about pleasant things, she should be able (or learn) to relax, it may not be superfluous to attend special yoga courses for pregnant women. All existing problems should not be kept in oneself, they should be immediately expressed, discussed in a calm atmosphere with loved ones. If you want to cry - cry, if you laugh - laugh, you should never be ashamed of your own feelings, especially for pregnant women, for whom a good emotional state is extremely important. Your motto during this period should be "movement is life." Try to walk as often as possible, swimming is very useful for pregnant women. As you know, sleep cures all diseases, stress among them. If you do not get enough sleep, then stress in this case is guaranteed.

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Effects of stress during pregnancy

Stress reduces the body's defenses. If a person is subject to frequent stressful conditions, he is more susceptible to infectious diseases, and this is extremely harmful for a pregnant woman. But, stress during pregnancy is a fairly common condition, unfortunately. If the state of stress is not deep and passes relatively quickly, then there is nothing dangerous in this. Such light and short conditions, as it were, train the body of a woman before childbirth, strengthen the nervous system of the baby in the tummy.

The situation is different with a prolonged, severe state of stress during pregnancy. This condition is harmful both to the woman herself and to her unborn child. Prolonged depression drains vitality. The woman becomes lethargic, sleepy, suffers from insomnia at night. The baby will have the same state when he is born, if the mother does not find the strength to overcome this difficult condition.

Stress during pregnancy has serious consequences: severe anxiety, which can occur even without serious reasons, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), trembling in the hands, in the chest, dizziness, headache attacks, rash (manifested in especially sensitive women). Toxicosis manifests itself much more severely, as a result of a weakened immune system in a woman, which threatens with pathologies in the development of a child.

The central nervous system of the child is especially affected. If a pregnant woman is constantly under stress, the nervous system of her child will be extremely vulnerable. Even at a conscious age, it will be very difficult for a child to adapt to the world around him, he will be very restless, nervous, anxious. Such children are more prone to various fears than their peers. Allergies and asthma are one of the consequences of a mother's stress during pregnancy, and this can be a consequence of both prolonged stress and a short, but strong and frequent stress state. If it were possible to find a way to reduce stress levels, many children would not suffer from severe psychological and neurological disorders. If the mother experienced severe nervous tension in the first three months of pregnancy, then her child may develop schizophrenia over time, since it is during this period that the baby's nervous system is formed. The chances of developing schizophrenia in this case are approximately 70%. Experts are unequivocal in their conclusions: external psychological factors have a direct impact on the formation of the nervous system in the early stages of human development.

Every pregnant woman noticed that in case of anxiety, the baby began to actively move. There is a simple explanation for this - if the mother is in an anxious state, the child does not have enough oxygen and, with his movements, he seems to begin to massage the placenta in order to get blood with the necessary elements.

A child whose mother was often nervous during pregnancy will suffer from enuresis and diabetes in the future. Also, autism is one of the consequences of a strong nervous tension of the mother during pregnancy.

With a strong nervous shock of the mother, her body can independently get rid of the weak male fetus, i.e. this can lead to miscarriage. By the way, but for unknown reasons, the body does not get rid of the female fetus. It is also interesting that boys who were born when the mother was in a very stressful state live much longer than those who appeared in this world under favorable conditions.

Malformation of the fetus, popularly referred to as "cleft lip" or "cleft palate" was observed among women who were in a long stressful state during pregnancy. The risk of developing a malformation in women in constant nervous tension is 2 times higher than in those who were more calm during pregnancy. Strongly restless women risk giving birth prematurely, the weight of the child in this case will be much lower than normal and the chances of survival for such children are very small. If such children survive, then they have a deformation of all body functions, so such children are prone to frequent illnesses.

Conflict situations in the family can lead to mental and emotional inhibition in a child. Also, frequent quarrels in the family can provoke premature birth or miscarriage. Constant stress leads to a long delivery, during which the child may die. Poor sleep, dissatisfaction with oneself, severe fatigue leads to premature and rapid childbirth.

Stress during pregnancy is a condition that needs to be dealt with urgently. A woman, first of all, should think about the health of her baby, whose life is now completely dependent on her, and not only from a strong physical condition, but also a balanced emotional and mental one. A woman must remember that any of her anxiety cuts off the oxygen to her child, he literally begins to suffocate. It is for this reason that when mom is nervous, he begins to actively move to show her how bad he is now.

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Stress during pregnancy about further childbirth and other related issues in pregnant women is not considered uncommon. A little anxiety, frustration and depression during this period is the norm, due to the influence of hormones. If stress during pregnancy causes more negative emotions and nervous breakdowns, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Causes of negativity

The causes of stress are different for every woman. For some moms-to-be, pregnancy itself is stressful. It is difficult for them to maintain control, to manage physical changes. Other reasons that cause emotional damage to the expectant mother include:

1. Heavy load on the body. This is due to periodic nausea, constipation, muscle pain.
2. The hormonal fluctuations that lead to mood swings affect self-control during pregnancy. This makes it difficult to manage yourself in such a situation.
3. Simultaneous employment, pregnancy and household chores becomes a difficult test for some pregnant women. It affects personal and work life.
4. Domestic violence, personal problems.

If a pregnant woman recognizes herself in several of the listed life situations, the level of stress hormones in the body increases.

The effect of stress on the fetus and the health of the pregnant woman

Bad mood, depression with nervousness is unlikely to lead to pregnancy complications if the circumstances are properly controlled. In some cases, this affects the health of the expectant mother, child. Severe, prolonged stress leads to complications if left untreated:

• high blood pressure;
• diabetes mellitus during pregnancy;
• weakened immune system;
• severe depression.

Some women try to cope with stress by smoking, drinking alcohol. This again leads to health problems for the mother with the child.

Stress during pregnancy in the first trimester has the following effects on the baby:

1. Emotional shock stimulates the release of the hormone cortisol, which increases with the severity of the stress. As a result, depression, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis develop in a child at a later age.
2. The child is born prematurely, which leads to diseases associated with digestion, respiratory tract, reduced immunity and death of the child in some cases.
3. Full-term babies are born with excess weight and weak immune systems. Stress causes hypoxia (insufficient oxygen supply during childbirth).
4. Increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Watch a video about the effects of stress during pregnancy:

Sometimes in the early stages, an ultrasound scan reveals a frozen pregnancy after stress. It is better for others to treat pregnant women with understanding. The consequences of stress for a child develop at an older age if the mother was very nervous during pregnancy.

Dangerous symptoms

Constant nervous stress causes many physical, emotional, mental and social symptoms:

1. Chest pain, difficulty breathing, vision problems, headaches, heart palpitations, 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, restlessness, loneliness, or frustration
4. Isolation from family, friends, loss of appetite, smoking and alcohol abuse.

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

How to deal with stress during pregnancy

There are ways to reduce the manifestations of negativity during pregnancy:

1. You need to do some light physical activity. For example, walking, because it not only reduces stress levels, but also prevents general discomfort during pregnancy.
2. Prenatal or meditation classes.
3. Breathing exercises should be done.
4. It is best to read a book, watch your favorite show.
5. It is necessary to find out what the pregnant woman is more worried about and try to talk about it with her husband, friend, or even a therapist.
6. Seek help from family and friends.
7. Go to 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 food.
10. Consider joining a social media support group. So you can meet like-minded women among pregnant women.

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

Stress, even in the normal state of a person, is a very serious test for any organism. What can we say about how hard it is tolerated during pregnancy. At this time, both external factors (cold and heat, hunger and thirst, physical activity, etc.), as well as emotional, psychological (resentment, fatigue, fear of childbirth, death) can disable the nervous system. loved one, nervous tension, etc.). Any nervous stress during pregnancy is dangerous both for the health of the woman herself and for the condition of the child she is carrying.

It often happens that a pregnant woman does not even notice that she is under constant stress. She gets used to it so much that she takes all her fears and worries for granted. In the meantime, constant stress during pregnancy is doing its destructive work from the inside. Therefore, every expectant mother should be able to analyze her condition and pay attention to the main symptoms of stress:

• apathy, indifference to everything, lethargy;
• decrease in working capacity;
• lack and loss of appetite;
• periods of inexplicable anxiety, nervousness;
• frequent heartbeat;
• dizziness;
• tremor of the limbs (their trembling);
• lowered immunity - frequent colds.

If all this is the case, most likely, your condition is serious enough and requires prompt correction. Scientists have found that in the female body in a state of stress during pregnancy, the amount of special hormones, glucocorticoids, increases significantly. And they affect not only genes, but also have a close relationship with the work of the placenta. Accordingly, their consequences can be the most serious.

Why is stress dangerous during pregnancy?

There are women who talk about the strongest stresses they endured during pregnancy, which had absolutely no effect on the condition of their baby and childbirth. These are very controversial situations, since the consequences can manifest themselves much later - problems can begin in a child at school or transitional age, when serious changes in the psyche occur. Doctors have long explained how stress affects pregnancy and the future health of the baby. It can lead to the following consequences:

• small ;
• premature birth;
• stress in late pregnancy provokes anomalies in the formation of the child's nervous system;
• problems of adaptation in the team;
• autism or hyperactivity;
• fears and phobias;
• stress in early pregnancy can lead to severe fetal hypoxia.
• enuresis;
• terrible birth anomalies - such as "cleft lip" or "cleft palate";
• allergic and asthmatic reactions in the newborn;
• the development of diabetes;
• cardiovascular diseases;

As you can see, being strong is a very serious test for both the baby and the expectant mother. That is why it is so important to try to avoid it by all means. And this should be understood not only by the woman herself, but first of all by those who surround her during this period of life.

How to avoid stress during pregnancy?

To help a pregnant woman avoid the terrible consequences of a stressful state should be the doctor observing her, and her relatives and friends. After all, it is on the latter that her psycho-emotional state depends. Pregnancy is not a time for quarrels, tantrums, and even more so divorces. To avoid nervous tension, the expectant mother needs to know methods that quickly and effectively restore peace of mind.

1. Learn to control your thoughts: stop thinking about the bad, wait only for the negative. Tune in to the positive and think about a safe birth and your baby, whom you will soon be hugging. If you feel that you are not able to do this yourself, be sure to sign up for special trainings or go to a psychologist.
2. Don't be alone with your fears. Find someone you can tell everything to. Do not leave negativity in yourself, get rid of it by any means.
3. Walk more in the fresh air, do not forget to ventilate your room.
4. Eat well, especially fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
5. Sleep as much as you want.
6. Do physical education for pregnant women: special, swimming, even yoga.
7. Communicate only with those people who are pleasant to you. Eliminate from your social circle those who often offend you or just annoy you.
8. Get plenty of rest, especially in the first few months. While you are working, your lunch break is a must. Do not work in the evenings: before going to bed, you need to learn how to relax and get pleasant emotions from some favorite thing that gives you pleasure.
9. There are many ways to relax: discover the world of aromatherapy, book a massage or acupuncture, meditate.

Every woman who is preparing to become a mother should be very clear about the dangers of stress during pregnancy and why it is so important to avoid it by any means. To protect your baby from negative consequences, you need to be able to concentrate on the main thing - on your position, and try to ignore annoying little things and failures.