Stress is a natural reaction of the body 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 expose the body to a constant additional load. 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 affect, among other things, the development of the child.

Causes of stress during pregnancy

Despite the fact that every pregnant woman is told from the first days that it is impossible to be nervous in her position, it is not always possible to just take it and stop experiencing stress. There can be many reasons for its occurrence, all of them are individual. Therefore, we dwell on those of them that occur most often:

1. Hormonal changes. The restructuring of a woman's body during pregnancy is associated with the production of a whole range of new hormones, which, in addition to their direct functions, can also cause unpredictable reactions: mood swings, increased irritability, depression, etc. The instability of the hormonal background in itself is a stress for the body, various psychological reactions only exacerbate the situation.
2. Fear and insecurity. It does not matter whether this is the first child for a woman or not, during pregnancy, few manage to remain absolutely calm and not be afraid of anything. Fears can be different, for example, fear of childbirth, fear for the health of the child, insecurity in a partner (especially if his reaction to the upcoming replenishment is not unambiguous). You can also add the fear of spoiling the figure and getting stretch marks, an unstable financial situation associated with going on maternity leave, and any other negative thoughts, the constant presence of which leads to unrelenting psychological stress.
3. Physical changes in the body. Pregnancy is a difficult period in a woman's life. An increased load on the body can lead to an exacerbation of various diseases, even if they were not previously diagnosed. It can be anemia, hypertension, diabetes, problems with the cardiovascular system or the gastrointestinal tract. But, even if the pregnancy proceeds without complications, in the early stages, almost half of the women suffer from toxicosis, and in the later stages - from heartburn, back pain and shortness of breath. In addition, a rapidly growing belly makes it difficult to move and significantly limits physical activity. All this can also lead to long-term stress, both on a physical and psychological level.
4. External factors. A pregnant woman, as a rule, does not live in isolation, she continues to go to work and communicate with other people. In such conditions, there is always a chance of conflicts and stressful situations, moreover, not all people have a positive outlook on life. Even if, before pregnancy, a woman effortlessly coped with such situations, in the new position, everything can change significantly.

In addition to the main causes, stress can be caused by any negative life situations: separation from a partner, death of a loved one, poor test results, etc.

How do you know if you're stressed during pregnancy?

Our lives are rarely stress-free, and one single episode can go unnoticed. But, when tension accumulates, sooner or later it will affect the physical and psycho-emotional state of a pregnant woman. Here are the main signs:

• insomnia at night and drowsiness during the day;
• decreased concentration, memory and performance;
• apathy and chronic fatigue;
• mood swings, irritability;
• depressive states, despair, feeling of hopelessness;
• tachycardia (rapid heartbeat);
• drops in blood pressure;
• obsessive thoughts, causeless anxiety;
• headaches and dizziness;
• itching and skin rashes.

In addition, prolonged exposure to stress can cause causeless pain, exacerbation of chronic diseases and allergic reactions.

Why is stress dangerous during pregnancy?

Stress leads not only to a deterioration in mood and a decrease in performance. If left unchecked, it can lead to much more serious consequences, cause serious damage to the mother's body and negatively affect the development of the child.

- danger to the child

Babies whose mothers suffered serious stress in the early stages of pregnancy can be born with serious malformations, since at this stage the basic systems of the body are laid down and any negative impacts can lead to irreparable changes. At a later date, stress is no less dangerous. Prolonged stress can lead to developmental delays, problems with the nervous and cardiovascular systems, diabetes and autism. Babies can be born prematurely, with a weakened immune system.

In addition, severe stress can cause premature birth, miscarriage or missed pregnancy, even if the mother’s body is otherwise in perfect order.

- danger to the mother

Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to the formation of full-fledged depression (including postpartum), which will be much more difficult to cure. In addition, stress affects the functioning of the nervous system, disrupting sleep, memory and brain function. Often there is a complication of chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, blood pressure rises, immunity decreases.

All of the above is aggravated by a depressed or unstable psycho-emotional state.

How to deal with stress during pregnancy?

The advice “not to be nervous” can be dismissed immediately as absolutely useless, especially if you have already begun to be nervous. But this does not mean that there is no way out of a stressful situation. Here are a few tips, you don't have to use them all, a combination of just a few can help:

In most cases, realizing the presence of stress in time, you can avoid really serious consequences and deal with it yourself, without resorting to professional help or serious medications. The main thing is not to withdraw into yourself, not to be afraid to ask relatives and friends for help, and do everything possible to normalize your life and, if possible, exclude all negative factors from it.

A storm of emotions lies in a woman during pregnancy, it is very, very difficult to figure out what she finally wants. She may get angry, cry after a few minutes, and then smile. How can a pregnant woman learn to remain calm again?

The reason for the storm of emotions in pregnant women.

The mood of pregnant women is changeable, while various little things can irritate them. It should be noted that the woman did not even pay attention to these trifles before. The reason for this behavior is the production of a large amount of female hormones necessary for the normal bearing of a child. Gonadotropin should be attributed to the main hormones of pregnancy: in the early stages of pregnancy, a high level of the hormone, the maximum concentration at 7-10 weeks of pregnancy, an increased concentration causes nausea, and this causes increased irritability; progesterone: a hormone that affects the process of bearing a child, the level of the hormone is high, it is the cause of a woman's rapid fatigue; Estriol: A natural antioxidant produced throughout pregnancy.

The most changed hormonal background affects the emotional state of a pregnant woman in the first trimester. Pay special attention to yourself when:

· you were predisposed to mood swings before pregnancy;

· you lost a baby during a previous pregnancy. During a new pregnancy, a woman will listen to her body and look for signs of danger, and this increases irritability and serves as a reason to lose her temper. Keep in mind that negative emotions can provoke a threat of termination of pregnancy, we get a vicious circle.

· pregnancy came under the persuasion of her husband or relatives, then you may not understand why you are pregnant, as a result, the pregnant woman begins to take out her anger at her loved ones, who made her decide to have a baby.

· you are used to commanding to be obeyed, you are used to keeping everything and everyone in submission, but closer to childbirth, your performance decreases, often those around you start to help you out of good intentions, but such care seems to be a signal to a strong woman - I have become weak, and this is the basis of nervous stress .

How nervous breakdowns affect pregnancy.

Hormones change throughout pregnancy, so there will be mood swings throughout pregnancy. However, it is worth remembering that severe stress can provoke the risk of a threatened abortion (uterine hypertonicity), cause problems with sleep, appetite, exacerbation of chronic diseases, skin problems, ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract.

You can determine that you are having a nervous breakdown if:

· rapid fatigue sets in, frequent errors in work appear;

· cannot concentrate;

· suffering from insomnia, nightmares;

· tormented by irresistible anxiety;

· increased heart rate, neck pain, headache, pain in the neck, in the back.

You have a nervous breakdown - what to do?

It is difficult to cope with emotions on your own, you should seek help from a specialist. First, inform the gynecologist about your nerves and he will prescribe you: valerian, motherwort infusion, Glycine, Person, Magne B6. Only a specialist will prescribe the necessary dosage for you, tell you how long you should take them. If the measures taken are not enough, the doctor will refer you to a psychologist, psychotherapist.

How to cope with nervous stress during pregnancy.

1. Throw out emotions - anger, anger overtook you at work, you can go to the toilet and wash yourself with cold water, open the faucet to the full and hit the jet of water with the edge of your palm;

2. Train yourself to relax

3. Sleep is the best medicine. If you have a lack of sleep, then this is a direct path to stress. You need to try to sleep for 8 hours a day, and if possible, you can take a nap for a couple of hours during the day. Give yourself a SIESTA!

4. Talk about problems. You were rude at work, pushed in public transport, etc. It is worth saying the situation, if there is a problem, then it will be easier for you to understand the reason and solve it.

5. Seek support from your husband. Do not take out your anger on your husband, this will only aggravate the situation. It is worth explaining to him that you are having a difficult period and you need help. Ask him to help you, even pull his mustache or beard (if it makes you feel better). Believe me, your husband, just like you, wants you to be calm and cheerful.

Stress greatly depresses the human immune system. Being in a stressful state, a person most often suffers from infections, which is highly undesirable for pregnant women. Unfortunately , Stress during pregnancy is common. It all depends on the degree of oppression. If the stressful state is shallow and passes quickly, then nothing terrible will happen. On the contrary, such stresses, which are light in strength and duration of time, prepare the woman's body for childbirth and train the nervous system of the child even in the womb.

Another thing is when pregnancy proceeds in a state of distress, which is detrimental to both the pregnant woman and the child, because during gestation, the mother and fetus become a single organism and endure all external storms together. A long state of oppression exhausts the body, which is not easy anyway - because it has to take care of two people at once. Physically, the woman becomes lethargic during the day and cannot sleep at night. The same will happen with the child after his birth, if the mother does not quickly mobilize herself to cope with her condition.

Negative stress causes negative consequences - anxiety for no reason at all (does not sit still), sudden tachycardia, tremors not only of the limbs (feeling that even the chest is shaking like in a fever), dizziness, headaches, it seems that every a part of the body, especially sensitive people may develop a rash over the body. Toxicosis only intensifies, a woman grabs infection after infection, consequences are possible in the form of pathologies of newborns and diseases of the child in the future.

The central nervous system of the baby is especially affected. The nervous system of a child whose mother experienced stressful situations during pregnancy is very vulnerable. The child, already at a conscious age, experiences great difficulties in adapting to the world around him, suffers from a disorder of behavioral reactions (they say about such children that an awl in one place does not allow him to be calm). Needless to say, such children are characterized by increased nervousness and anxiety. They are more likely than their peers to be subject to various kinds of fears. The consequences of frequent and severe stress or one prolonged stress of the mother during pregnancy include asthmatic and allergic reactions of the child. Asthmatic, allergic markers in most cases were found in the cord blood of newborns whose mothers were under stress during pregnancy. If it were possible to reduce the level of stress experienced by pregnant women, a lot of children would not face neurological and psychological problems. Schizophrenia can threaten those children whose mothers experienced a shock in the first three months of pregnancy, since it is during this period of intrauterine development of the fetus that the nervous system is laid. The probability of developing schizophrenia reaches 70%. The conclusions of the researchers are unambiguous: “Based on our results, we can assume that external emotional factors can influence the bookmarking processes. nervous tissue during early fetal development.

Each pregnant woman, with a certain amount of attention to the behavior of the child inside herself, could note that during her anxious state, the fetus increases its movements. The explanation is simple - with a reduction in oxygen delivery, which is caused by the alarming state of the mother, the child actively massages the placenta so that with its contraction a new portion of blood comes to him along with the necessary elements necessary for his full life.

Diabetes and enuresis can be attributed to the consequences that haunt a child if his mother was very nervous during pregnancy. And even autism is the cause of the state of severe negative stress experienced during pregnancy. By the way, when a mother is in a mental shock, her body is completely independently capable of “culling out” a weak male fetus. Under conditions of stress, a non-viable male fetus may well die. In fairness, it should be noted that this does not happen with girls. It was also noted that boys, if born into the world under stress, live longer than those who appeared into the world under more favorable circumstances.

The frequency of manifestations of "cleft lip" and "cleft palate", the so-called fetal malformations among pregnant women experiencing prolonged persistent stress, is doubled compared to pregnant women bearing a child in stress-free conditions. Very anxious mothers have an increased risk of having a premature baby with small weight. Children with a similar pathology may not survive at all. Yes, and survive, what kind of life awaits them? They had a deformation of the body and all its functions even in the prenatal state. The child is unlikely to be healthy.

The consequences of hormonal changes in the body of pregnant women

In addition to external factors that cause stress in pregnant women, there are internal ones. This is a daily, hourly restructuring of your body in connection with pregnancy. Already in the first month of an interesting position, nausea may begin to haunt you. In the second month of pregnancy, frequent urination, constipation, vomiting, indigestion, heartburn, gases, lack of appetite, or vice versa, excessive voracity, fainting, dizziness may be added. All of these symptoms are possible all at once, but only a few may appear. Mood volatility, tears, resentment, irritability, some vague anxieties and fears may cling to the listed list. In the fourth month, vomiting and nausea leave the list, but bleeding gums, headaches for nothing, a runny nose, stuffy ears, and slight swelling in the legs will add - the weight increases.

By the fifth month, awareness of one's position begins, a feeling of euphoria comes. Increasingly less tormented by bouts of irritability. The sixth month will bring with it an additional feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, as the ligaments that support the abdomen begin to tighten. Instead of irritability, absent-mindedness will appear. In the eighth month comes the fatigue from the state of pregnancy. More and more often there are thoughts that everything is over as soon as possible. The ninth month will please with fears of childbirth.

All of the above also causes some stress in the mother's body, but the stress is of a completely different order. These are shallow experiences, unable to somehow negatively affect the health of the mother-child tandem. In addition, small negative emotions contribute to the appearance of the hormone cortisol in the human body. As they say, any medicine can become poison - it's all about the dosage. Cortisol, in principle, is necessary for a child for his normal development. But when the expectant mother is in a state of distress, there is too much cortisol in her, and therefore in the child's body. Doctors believe it is cortisol that is responsible for the pathologies of newborns.

How to relieve stress during pregnancy and improve your mood

So, what to do if emotions are overflowing, and you are already worried about their excessive amount? First of all, go to the doctor - let him convince you that this is not that protracted terrible stress, the consequences of which you need to worry about and take measures to get you out of this state (if, of course, this is true). When your doctor calms you down, take your own steps to bring you back to peace and reduce your fears. Do not deny yourself communication with positive people - laughter is contagious, good mood can also be obtained from ordinary women's conversations. Work problems are easily resolved if you decide that the child is more important. Talk about it with your superiors without hurting anyone's ambitions. As a smart, wise woman, try to understand your husband, who himself is at a loss, how to treat you during this period. Look for solutions that suit both of you. If the thought of childbirth scares you, take special courses. As the saying goes, "one must know the enemy by sight" and "forewarned means forearmed." So arm yourself with knowledge to be less afraid.

Even simpler things can cheer you up and add hormones of joy to your body during this difficult period:

Allow yourself to be lazy, rest as often as possible, sleep as much as you want.

Adjust nutrition so as not to lose teeth during pregnancy. Don't forget about vitamins. Listen to the doctor. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.

Take relaxing aromatherapy baths more often.

Talk a lot with anyone - this way accumulated emotions splash out.

Read only positive literature with good news. Women's novels are perfect for these purposes - there is always, as in a good fairy tale, a happy ending.

Simple exercise can increase the amount of oxygen in your body and drive away irritation.

Remember, you have a serious mission - to bring a person into the world. And it is in your power to ensure that this person is born healthy.

Source - http://crazymama.ru

Pregnant women should not be nervous, therefore, when they encounter some kind of problem, they are doubly nervous: firstly, they experience because of the problem itself, and secondly, they worry that. It turns out a vicious circle. How to open it and stop being nervous?

We offer 9 simple but effective ways to help during pregnancy. Choose which one you like best. Or you can use all nine.

Watch your breath

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

So, get comfortable, you can generally lie down, and close your eyes. Try to relax your body as much as possible. Breathe in as slowly as possible into your lungs, hold your breath, slowly counting to four. Then exhale slowly. Before you take a new breath, hold your breath again for four counts.

How it works: Firstly, they make you breathe slowly, which means they prevent hyperventilation of the lungs, which often occurs during stress. Secondly, as long as you follow your breath and count to four, your overexcited mind is not up to the rest of the problems. Thus, you give him a breather and an opportunity to cope with stress.

Visualize Happiness

You have known for a long time. Remember how you loved to dream as a child. How vividly they imagined a carefree summer spent with their grandmother, and a fairy-tale country in which you were a real queen. So, nothing has changed - you still know how.

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

Visualization of pleasant moments helps to get rid of psychological and bodily clamps, and the pleasant emotions that you experience at this moment are transmitted to the baby. By the way, this psychological technique will help you not to lose control over yourself. In the meantime, it will help relieve stress during pregnancy, find peace of mind and cope with anxious experiences.

To Relax, First Tighten Up

If you feel that stress seems to have fettered your entire body, your head has become heavy, and your hands are dropping, Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation method will help restore mental balance. It is based on the idea that after strong tension, the muscles automatically relax.

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

Gradually increase the number of muscles involved in relaxation.

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

Breathe in pleasant aromas

Another effective method of dealing with stress can be. 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 scent 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 well reduce psycho-emotional stress. Aromas of petitgrain have anti-stress properties (it helps not only with anxiety and anxiety, but also in case of panic attacks), eucalyptus, fir, pine.

Essential oils of lemon, grapefruit, jasmine, cypress, cinnamon and geranium improve mood and raise emotional tone. Soothe and help cope with lavender oil.

Chat 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 positive, and limit contact with those who bring you down. If something is bothering you, meeting an optimistic girlfriend is the best cure for stress.

Don't be afraid to share your concerns, because speaking them out loud will reduce the intensity of your stress. Even studies confirm that sociable people overcome stress more easily. In addition, your girlfriend will surely have the right words of support for you. However, do not focus solely on your problems. Having spoken out, be sure to switch to other topics, take an interest in the affairs of a friend - this will also help to distract from disturbing thoughts for a while.

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. Do you know how to knead clay, for example? You know how! Can you make a bun? Still would! Here, do it. It is not the result that is important here, but the process, because clay modeling is a massage of the fingers and palms, which relieves tension and leads to peace. You can fashion some kind of figure that would be associated with your problem, and then get rid of it, and with it, unpleasant emotions.

Also great - intuitive drawing. You don't have to be an artist for this. You can even draw not with brushes, but with your fingers - this has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system. Trust your intuition, it will definitely tell you what to draw.

Also, negative thoughts will be forced out of the head and activities that require concentration, such as knitting, embroidery, scrapbooking, will balance the nervous system.

Get out into nature

True, when you found out about your pregnancy, you almost immediately wanted to go somewhere to the village, where there is fresh air, cucumbers from the garden, apples from the garden, milk from a real cow, and peace and grace around. Yes, it helps calm the nerves. As well as rest in the mountains or on the seashore. But if your nerves are failing right now, and you may be at work, then get out to the nearest park. Quarreled with your husband? To the park!

Enclosed in four walls, the problems increase markedly 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 of life. In the meantime, you enjoy the singing of birds, the rustle of leaves, saturate your body with oxygen and take free vitamin D3.

Contemplate the beautiful

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

Sitting on a bench or just on the grass, choose some interesting object for yourself and study it. It could be a tree with an interesting twist, or a cloud that looks like someone's face. Look at them, try not to have anything else occupy your attention for a while.

Go in for sports

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

Don't want to run? Dance! Music plus physical activity is a double whammy for stress. If you want something quieter, find out. The main thing is not to sit idly by.

Drink fresh

Fresh juices will save you from stress. Studies conducted by British scientists have shown that one glass of pomegranate juice a day reduces stress levels, and with regular use of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, you will not only react less to external stimuli, but also feel an emotional lift! Carrot and pumpkin juices will also improve mood and help during pregnancy, because they are rich in vitamins and trace elements that have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.