Stress is the body's reaction to negative life factors. Usually, it does not harm a person, but helps to adapt, but only if it does not last long. Stress during pregnancy is considered very dangerous, and especially at an early stage of gestation.

Stress during pregnancy - how to calm down and not be nervous

An increase in the load on the psyche that a pregnant woman is exposed to can lead to health problems for both the expectant mother and the child. Therefore, a pregnant woman should protect herself from stress, and when its first symptoms appear, they should be quickly recognized and eliminated.

Symptoms of stress in pregnancy

Everyone is exposed to stress on a daily basis. He gets used to this state and does not try to prevent nervous shocks and their consequences. It is possible to determine that a pregnant woman has stress for several reasons:

• there is fatigue and loss of strength;
• performance decreases;
• poor sleep, trouble falling asleep;
• pain in the heart, rapid pulse;
• no desire to eat;
• frequent headaches and dizziness;
• increase in pressure;
• deterioration of immunity, the appearance of a cold, which lasts long enough.

Headache is a symptom of stress during pregnancy

Many people react to stress atypically. Tension can be manifested by discomfort in the stomach and intestines, a rash on the skin, and difficulty breathing.

Causes of stress in pregnancy

Stress during pregnancy appears for various reasons. It all depends on the lifestyle and the problems that may appear during the gestation period. In pregnancy, stress can manifest itself in different ways. For some, some problem may be mundane and will not create negative emotions, while for others, the slightest trouble will become a source of a nervous breakdown. Often during pregnancy in the second trimester, nervous tension appears even due to bad weather, because women are especially sensitive during this period.

Often, stress can be associated with a woman's changed state during pregnancy.

1. Physiological changes. A sharp increase in weight, the appearance of stretch marks, the fear of losing their former beauty can bring a pregnant woman to a stressful state. Every woman should know that this is temporary, soon everything will fall into place.
2. Fear of childbirth. Women often hear that during childbirth, difficulties often arise that lead to undesirable consequences. In addition, the process itself is very painful. Such information causes severe stress and spoils the mood for all 9 months.
3. Feelings for the future child. Will the pregnancy go well? What will the baby be like? How to raise him to be a good person? All these thoughts cause stress, but you need to get rid of it. Experiences can provoke a miscarriage, illness in the baby, or disturbances in its development.
4. Family troubles. Pregnancy can cause a chill in a relationship. It always seems to a woman that her husband does not hear her and does not pay due attention. To this problem are added worries about the baby, the future life, which will change significantly.
5. Money matters. With the advent of the child, the expenses in the family will increase significantly. You need to be ready for this.
6. Problems at work during pregnancy. Almost all women work until the 30th week and only then go on maternity leave. General work stress, a growing belly, because of which it becomes difficult for a woman to do something, lead to nervous tension.

stress during pregnancy - quarrel with husband

In addition to the foreseen reasons, unplanned ones may also appear. The death of a relative, a quarrel with a husband or breakup, an accident, and much more can cause severe stress in the second trimester of pregnancy, the consequences of which are unlikely to be pleasant.

Danger at all stages of pregnancy

Why is stress dangerous during pregnancy? During the nerves, special hormones are produced, which can lead to placental disorders, pathologies and abnormal development of the fetus. It largely depends on the duration of pregnancy.

Shocks in the first trimester of pregnancy, especially at 12 weeks, are undesirable. At this stage, the structure of the fetal organs, organ systems occurs, so experiences should be avoided. This condition can cause spontaneous abortion or congenital diseases of the child. If the formation of the placenta is disturbed, the fetus may die in the first weeks.

During stress, the embryo disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system

If a girl suffers stress in the second and third trimester, the child may be born with autism spectrum diseases. In late pregnancy, entanglement with the umbilical cord is dangerous due to the active life of the child due to the stress of the mother.

The danger during pregnancy at the 35th and 36th week of pregnancy with shocks also exists for the woman herself. She may develop preeclampsia and develop diabetes. Stress can also affect pregnancy in the form of difficulties during childbirth. A woman will give birth too long, or, conversely, give birth ahead of time, without bringing the baby.

How to prevent dangers?

To avoid complications from severe stress during pregnancy, you need to get away from problems. For example, stop paying attention to outsiders and not talking to those people who provoke conflict. If you can’t remove the possible reasons, you need to try to change your attitude to the situation.

A woman can make a list of factors that disturb her emotional state. Nearby you need to write possible ideas: how to fix the problem, put the nervous system in order. You need to control your emotions.

You can increase your resilience by doing the following:

• walk more in the fresh air;
• sleep well;
• eat right, eat more vegetables and fruits;
• do yoga and swimming;
• talk heart to heart with friends;
• rest more.

To relieve stress, you need to walk more in the fresh air

Many women are well relieved by aromatherapy or meditation. Any such event is important for the body, the main thing is to perform the procedure in a good mood.

It is worth remembering that at the 9th month of pregnancy and during all stages of gestation, a woman must take care of herself and the child.

How to behave?

Doctors warn about the harmful effects of stress on pregnancy. You need to know how to deal with it. Special methods will help relieve nervous tension.

1. Take small breaths in and out at the moment of shock. Gather and give yourself completely to breathing, stroke your stomach, do a massage.
2. Turn on the music and relax. For this, calm melodies are suitable.
3. Take a warm shower, light scented candles.

It will be easier to endure a terrible event if you tell someone about it, speak out. Mom, husband or good friend. Go for a massage, read nice books, watch comedy movies.

Turn on the music and relax

During times of constant stress, sleep more (at least 9 hours). If you can’t fall asleep quickly, you can take mild sedatives, for example, valerian. Check with your doctor for instructions.

If these methods do not help, go to experienced professionals. In difficult life situations, a psychologist helps a lot.

Result of stress during pregnancy

Short-term stress contributes to the recovery of the body due to the production of hormones. However, sudden mood swings cause severe damage to the nervous and immune systems. The number of lymphocytes, which are responsible for fighting diseases and infections, is significantly reduced, so the likelihood of long and severe colds increases. Chronic diseases can worsen and even cancer cells can form.

High psycho-emotional stress is dangerous. Weakness, poor sleep, headache and the onset of a cold are symptoms of overexertion. Such stress can negatively affect the fetus and cause possible developmental abnormalities.

Conclusion

Stress has a negative effect on the woman and the fetus. The expectant mother must understand that she is now responsible not only for her life, but also for the life of her child. She should try her best to control her emotions and not give in to stressful situations. Thus, she will protect both her health and the baby.

The stress of a pregnant mother greatly threatens the health of the unborn baby.

Stress is bad for everyone. At this point in time, scientists are studying the impact of stress experienced by the mother during pregnancy on the health of the baby.

Pregnancy itself is already stressful for the body of the expectant mother. We will try to find out how dangerous the stress endured by the mother is for the baby, and also consider ways to deal with unnecessary excitement and anxiety.

What is stress?

The very concept of "stress" means the body's reaction to certain situations: hormonal changes, changes in external conditions, strong feelings, and so on. And pregnancy entails a lot of changes in a woman's body. Perestroika also concerns the psycho-emotional background, so expectant mothers always react brighter and more painfully to the influence of their environment.

This is a completely natural process necessary for adapting to a new position and properly bearing a child.

But such a reaction can also become pathological. If the first two stages of stress are a manifestation of a normal defensive reaction, then the third, last, can cause protracted and other mental disorders.

Reasons for stress during pregnancy

Unfortunately, there are really quite a lot of reasons for worries in pregnant women: especially if the pregnancy is the first. Consider the most common fears among expectant mothers:

1 Fear for the health of the baby. Even under ideal conditions of conception and constant examinations, there remains a small percentage of the likelihood of pathologies in the fetus.

But modern medicine is not limited to diagnosing the state of health of the baby in the womb. If any developmental abnormalities are found, doctors will always be ready to provide the necessary assistance to eliminate them. Your worries about the health of the child can only give the opposite result. Therefore, it is best to just calm down and not miss planned examinations, tests and ultrasounds.

2 Fear of negative changes in appearance. The fear of losing its former shape after childbirth is perhaps the most groundless of the "pregnant" fears. The appearance of many women who gave birth not only did not deteriorate after gestation, but also became more spectacular, bright and attractive. And such trifles as a tummy that has appeared and rounded hips can be easily eliminated with the help of classes in the gym.

3 Fear of the upcoming birth. How they will pass sometimes remains a mystery even for a specialist who observes pregnancy throughout the entire period. Possible pain sensations, insufficient competence of medical personnel - any pregnant woman repeatedly thinks about all this.

Solving this problem is quite simple. You need to communicate as much as possible with women who have already experienced childbirth, to express your concerns to them.

An experienced mother will definitely give you good advice and help dispel all fears. It will not be superfluous to attend courses in preparation for childbirth. Here you will be taught proper breathing techniques, special gymnastics and other useful things.

Thanks to the knowledge gained, you will never get confused at the most crucial moment, and your baby will be born healthy and strong.

Effects of stress during pregnancy

Not a single woman during her entire pregnancy managed to save herself from stress, and therefore the question lurks in the head of every expectant mother - “How can the stress I experienced affect my child? Does he feel all my feelings?

The group of food antidepressants, contrary to popular belief, does not include chocolates, ice cream or jam. The ability to improve mood is inherent in products that contain B vitamins, manganese and vitamin C.

Interesting! Breech presentation - causes, signs and exercises

Such products are fish, nuts, lean meat (chicken, turkey, rabbit meat), cottage cheese, natural yogurt, red fruits (apples, pomegranates), berries and dried fruits. These products will help not only improve the mental state of the mother, but will also be very useful for the baby.

2 Love and be loved. Scientific experiments have shown that it is single women who are most often exposed to stress. Moreover, a woman can feel lonely even when she is married.

It is important to understand that it is not so much sex that can help get rid of stress, but the feeling of complete understanding in the family. Do not withdraw into yourself: it is necessary to share experiences and thoughts with your half.

A joint trip to a film screening, theater or exhibition is a good way to forget about everyday problems and anxieties. New experiences experienced together will surely give you and your life partner a good mood.

3 An interesting hobby is the best cure for stress. Many women begin to discover new talents in themselves during maternity leave or pregnancy. If in the usual pace of life we ​​do not always have time for creativity, then right now you can do something exciting and enjoyable.

The future mother can attend master classes, during which the teacher will give you basic knowledge about a particular art form in an accessible form. In addition, on such courses you can find new acquaintances: communication with interesting creative people always leaves positive impressions.

By creating something with your own hands, you will be distracted from negative thoughts. The fruits of your creativity will also be an excellent decoration for the interior of your home.

4 Healthy sleep and proper daily routine. Physical fatigue also has a negative effect on the nervous system. Therefore, it is so important for pregnant women to observe a normal daily routine. Go to bed no later than 22-23 hours. It is during these hours that the body restores its strength to the maximum. Sleep started at a later time is less effective.

Many consider pregnancy to be the happiest period of life, but not everything is always so carefree. Health problems and worries about the unborn child contribute to stressful conditions in pregnant women.

Do depression and stressful situations affect the course of pregnancy? It's hard to get a definitive answer. A short-term emotional outburst is to some extent beneficial for the body, which cannot be said about long-term stress, which negatively affects the well-being of the expectant mother and her health, and also prevents the normal development of the fetus.

Symptoms of nervous stress

A woman expecting a baby may not even feel that she is in constant stress. At the initial stage of this condition, only psychological symptoms are present:

• bad sleep;
• apathy;
• tearfulness;
• decrease in working capacity;
• irritability;
• feeling tired;
• panic attacks.

With prolonged depression, the expectant mother develops physical symptoms of stress. These include:

• cardiopalmus;
• high blood pressure;
• migraine;
• nausea;
• frequent SARS and colds;
• weight loss;
• increased muscle tone.

Causes of the condition during pregnancy

Stress in early pregnancy can occur for a variety of reasons. For the most part, this factor depends on the nature and psychological susceptibility of the woman.

The most common causes of stress are:

1. Fear of childbirth. After listening to the frightening stories of her grandmother or friends, the pregnant woman begins to panic and get nervous in anticipation of the upcoming birth. During this period, in order to reduce emotional stress, you can attend special trainings for pregnant women and read literature on modern methods of childbirth.
2. Problems at work. Many pregnant women continue to go to work until they go on maternity leave, and if work is not easy, there are many stressful situations. Some are worried about informal work, as they may lose their job and career growth will be in question.
3. Fear of losing beauty and former figure. Often women in a position are worried about their appearance, because mass gain occurs very quickly. In addition, stretch marks appear that do not look aesthetically pleasing. You need to understand that after the birth of a baby, you can restore your previous forms. You can start exercising within a couple of months after delivery. It is important to control your diet and follow the correct daily routine even while carrying a child.
4. Experiences regarding the development and intrauterine formation of the fetus, as well as the normal course of pregnancy. Severe stresses on this basis occur quite often. The expectant mother is worried about whether the fetus is developing correctly, whether any pathologies will arise.
5. Fear of not being able to cope with the new role of a good mother and wife. After the birth of a baby, a young mother sometimes has a very difficult time. The baby often wakes up at night and requires constant attention. During this period, relatives need to support the young mother and overcome difficulties together.

Danger and consequences for the expectant mother and baby

Experts believe that experienced severe stress during pregnancy can be the impetus for serious complications. The consequences of mental overstrain may not appear immediately, but have their negative impact only a few years after the baby is born. Problems in such a child can appear not only in primary school age, but also in adolescence.

In the early stages

Stress is dangerous at any stage of pregnancy, because it not only harms the female body, but can also cause abnormalities in the development of the fetus. In the first months of gestation, stressful conditions threaten miscarriage, as the tone of the uterus increases due to the release of hormones.

In addition, there is a tendency to reduce immunity, which contributes to the unhindered penetration of viruses and bacteria into the body of a future woman in labor, causing various diseases. In the period from 5 to 9 weeks, stress can provoke abnormal formation of the maxillofacial bone in the fetus. The consequence of this is a wolf's mouth or a cleft lip (we recommend reading: what is a wolf's mouth in children: pathology photo).

If a woman experienced a super-emotional shock in the second trimester of pregnancy, the child may develop autism in the future. Subsequently, it will be difficult for him to communicate with peers and be in a team. Stress in the early stages provokes the appearance of diabetes in both the mother and her baby.

At a later date

Serious emotional overexcitation in the third trimester threatens with early birth or, conversely, the baby will be born post-term. In addition, this condition can affect the course of delivery. Sometimes childbirth is too difficult or doctors decide in favor of a caesarean section.

With stress that appeared at a later date, the fetus often suffers from a lack of oxygen, blood flow in the placenta is disturbed. A baby can be born with an underdeveloped nervous system (autism, enuresis or hyperactivity), will lag behind in development.

How to avoid stress during pregnancy?

Every woman who is preparing to become a mother should be aware of the danger of stress for her and the baby, and try to avoid such situations so that unforeseen consequences do not arise. If you can’t overcome nervous tension on your own, you can use useful tips:

• Try to overcome fear. If a woman is afraid for her child, you need to consult a doctor and, if desired, undergo an additional ultrasound. Special trainings for pregnant women or a psychologist will help to cope with fears.
• Hobbies will help you take your mind off negative thoughts and relax.
• Walk outdoors. Walking saturates the body with oxygen and improves blood circulation. Do not forget about the ventilation of living rooms.
• Communicate with people who do not cause negative emotions, irritation and hostility.
• Appropriate nutrition and good sleep will relieve overwork and provide the body with important substances, as well as a supply of energy.
• Perform special physical exercises for pregnant women. Swimming or yoga classes will help keep the body in the right shape and give a charge of vivacity and good mood.

How to relieve stress during pregnancy?

Panic attacks, anxiety and other negativity should not consume a woman during gestation. You need to be able to overcome this condition, because stress affects not only the well-being of the mother, but also the health of the crumbs.

If negative emotions and bad mood often overtake the expectant mother, she should not succumb to them, but, on the contrary, eradicate them at the initial stage. A woman should have several useful and effective techniques in her arsenal to help her effectively overcome this or that stressful situation.

Useful practices

When a woman feels that she is about to break down, or the situation is almost on the verge of it, it is necessary to resort to useful techniques for relieving stress. In this case, it is recommended:

• take a warm shower or take a bath by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the water;
• listen to slow relaxing music;
• perform breathing exercises;
• do yoga or meditation;
• light the aroma lamp;
• go for a light massage session.

These tips will help you deal with stressful situations. For example, having mastered the practice of relaxation breathing, you can achieve a visible effect in a few minutes. The body relaxes, blood pressure normalizes, heart contractions return to normal.

Medications

Sometimes a doctor may advise a woman to take sedatives that soothe and normalize sleep. Permitted herbs include valerian, motherwort, and teas that contain them. On the recommendation of a specialist, you can drink sedatives such as Notta or Novo-Passit.

With prolonged stress during pregnancy, a medical specialist may prescribe stronger drugs, sometimes even antidepressants. In this case, the doctor takes into account the possible risks to the fetus and the effect of treatment on the expectant mother.

Vitamins also help to overcome depression, which should be taken only after consulting with your doctor. Vitamins of group B, folic acid and magnesium B6 help to overcome negative conditions.

During pregnancy, this is a protective reaction to the changes taking place in the woman's body. This process takes place naturally, helping the expectant mother to adapt to her new position. Such stress is the norm, as the body is rebuilt to carry the fetus. First of all, the hormonal and psycho-emotional background changes, which makes a woman more susceptible to various external influences. Pregnancy and stress are related concepts. The danger arises when such a protective reaction of the body becomes pathological and accompanies the entire pregnancy. Severe stress at this time is especially dangerous, as it can cause irreversible consequences for the child.

Causes of stress during pregnancy

Stress is a common phenomenon, as there are a lot of reasons for a woman. Often this reaction is caused by fears:

In this case, the main thing is to calm down, not to succumb to emotions and tune in to a positive outcome.

Stress during pregnancy can be caused not only by fears. There are other reasons too:

• unpleasant conditions that often accompany pregnancy (toxicosis, joint or back pain, constipation, fatigue);
• sudden mood swings, which are the result of hormonal changes;
• stress can be caused by negative events in life (death or illness of a loved one, a major quarrel, etc.).

Sometimes a pregnant woman can develop, which usually occurs against the background of a strong shock. The cause of this condition may be a terrible event, a witness or participant of which was a woman. This can be, for example, a natural disaster, rape, a terrorist attack, military operations, etc. Subsequently, such severe stress during pregnancy can cause premature birth, health problems for the baby or mother.

stress symptoms

Sometimes a woman can be under stress without even knowing it. She gets so used to her fears that she takes them for granted. This situation is not normal and may cause fear in the doctor. Prolonged exposure to stress will not benefit either the mother or her child. To prevent possible negative consequences of such a situation, every pregnant woman needs to be responsible for her health and pay attention to the following symptoms of a pathological condition:

• sleep disturbance;
• apathetic state;
• lethargy and indifference to any action;
• reduced performance;
• appetite problems;
• bouts of spontaneous anxiety;
• nervousness;
• cardiopalmus;
• pressure problems;
• dizziness;
• tremor of the lower or upper limbs;
• reduced immunity, which is manifested by frequent colds.

The presence of already several symptoms from the list may be a reason to suspect a severe form of stress in a pregnant woman. Scientists have found that stress in the body increases the amount of glucocorticoid hormones that affect genes and the placenta. And such a hormonal imbalance can lead to undesirable consequences. To reduce the negative impact of stress on pregnancy in general and on the child specifically, appropriate therapy will be required.

Dangers associated with stress

Why is stress dangerous? Can a stressful situation cause any serious disturbances in the development of the fetus? Short stresses during this period are unlikely to harm a woman or a baby. Such conditions are even useful, as they prepare the body before childbirth and strengthen the nervous system of the child. But prolonged and deep stress is a completely different matter. Such conditions must be treated. Severe stress is especially dangerous in the early stages of pregnancy.

If the pregnant woman suffered from stress, the results may not appear immediately. Parents may notice some mental abnormalities in a child only in adolescence.

If a woman experienced stress during pregnancy, the consequences can be identified both for herself and for the baby:

• babies can be born with low birth weight;
• problems with adaptation in society at an older age;
• if a stressful situation occurred in the late stages of pregnancy, then it can provoke anomalies in the formation of the fetal nervous system;
• autism;
• hyperactivity;
• over time, the mother or child may develop;
• urinary incontinence;
• the newborn may have a congenital external defect (eg, cleft palate);
• stresses in the early stages affect the normal supply of oxygen to the fetus (they can cause intrafetal hypoxia - this is one of the reasons for the fading of pregnancy);
• allergic or asthmatic manifestations in a newborn;
• diabetes;
• disruption of the cardiovascular system.

Stress during pregnancy has consequences for the health of the mother:

• premature birth;
• weak labor activity (contractions do not increase, which may require drug induction of labor);
• development of a nervous breakdown;
• miscarriage.

The consequences of stress during pregnancy can be a very serious test for both the mother and her child. To avoid this, it is important for a woman to learn to control her emotions, and for the people around her to try to create anti-stress conditions around her.

The effect of stress on the child

After suffering a severe psychological trauma, a woman may feel stressed. This situation in itself is very dangerous, but if a woman is in a position, it is doubly dangerous.

What stress can lead to a pregnant woman has already been figured out, but how exactly does this happen? What causes fetal developmental disorders?

The impact of pregnant stress on the health of her baby can be schematically expressed as follows:

• during a stressful situation, the hormone cortisone is produced in the woman's body, which causes a jump in blood sugar and reduces the oxygen supply of cells (both of these conditions are not normal and can cause disturbances in the development of the fetus);
• at the time of stress, the body removes toxins worse, which can lead to its poisoning, which means that the fetus will be subject to toxic effects;
• the mother’s frustrations and worries can contribute to a decrease in her appetite, which means that the child will receive less nutrients, which can also cause developmental disorders.

The most unfavorable time for a stressful situation is the 24-28th week of pregnancy. During these periods, the development of the fetal brain occurs. In addition, a missed pregnancy can become a consequence of severe depression. A strong mental impact in the 1st-3rd months of pregnancy increases the likelihood of a child developing schizophrenia. The chances of getting sick with such an ailment are about 70%. With strong prolonged stress, the central nervous system of the fetus is especially affected.

Strong fears often lead to miscarriages, and basically this situation affects only male children. Interestingly, premature birth of girls for this reason is very rare. But boys whose mothers experienced severe stress during pregnancy live much longer than those who were born under favorable conditions.

How to reduce the manifestation of stress

Since stress affects pregnancy predominantly negatively, the question arises as to whether. There are several ways to deal with stressful situations:

How to deal with stress during pregnancy? In such a situation, you need to consult a doctor who will talk or prescribe medication, while only relatives and friends will be able to surround the pregnant woman with the necessary care and love. The psycho-emotional state of a woman largely depends on the situation in the family.

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 early 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.