Pregnancy stress is normal and every woman goes through it. You have to bear the changes taking place in your body. The hormonal changes make your emotions go all over the place, and it’s tough to control such mood changes. Add to the fatigue, nausea, frequent urination, backaches and swollen ankles. You may be stressed out by all of this together, along with fear of parenting, labor and other stressors. You can reduce anxiety and stress, by following these tips for dealing with pregnancy stress.
Best tips for dealing with pregnancy stress
Feeling stressed all the time can be harmful for you and your baby, as it leads to premature birth or low weight of the baby. You have to consult your doctor or midwife for help. But these tips for dealing with stress during pregnancy 2018 will help to keep a grip on anxiety and stress, before it escalates.
Focus on the baby
One of the nicest ways to overcoming stress while pregnant is to talk to the baby. According to science, babies can hear your voice from approximately 23 weeks. You can chat, sing or read to your baby. It will create a beautiful bond between you and your baby, and as other pregnant women will vouch, is one of the best ways to relax during pregnancy.
Take ample rest
Be tuned in to your body’s needs, especially the need to rest. While dealing with pregnancy stress, you must take short naps, or just lie down and read a book. Sleep at a regular time every night, avoid exhaustive chores or do them when you feel rested and alert. Enlist the help of your friends, relatives, spouse or grandparents to take care of your child/children, so that you get some time to snooze in the daytime. Or you take a nap when your other kids are at school. If you suffer from insomnia, (which happens sometimes during pregnancy), try meditation, listening to soft, instrumental music and other calming techniques to induce sleep.
Talk about your anxieties to the midwife
If you are worried about your baby, or any other health or personal problem, you should talk to the midwife. You must be honest with your midwife as she has seen a lot of pregnancies and has a lot of experience. It may turn out that your health/personal anxiety may be actually a simple problem which can be easily resolved. When you feel reassured, your stress will automatically reduce, and you’ll feel much better. This is one of the tips for dealing with stress during pregnancy 2018, which is a must-do, as you cannot be silent about the tiniest health concern or fears about labor/delivery.
Talk to your spouse/partner
Remember that your partner is also dealing with pregnancy stress, not physically but emotionally and mentally. Sharing your concerns will make him feel included, and there are certain things, such as finances which only he can reassure you about. He may also be stressing about similar things, and talking about it will bring you closer.
Talk to other pregnant mums
You can meet and make friends with other pregnant mothers in pregnancy exercise classes, antenatal class or even at the spa! Talking to them will make you feel that many of them are have the same fears. This is one of the best ways for overcoming stress while pregnant. There are certain tips to beat stress you can learn from them, and just having someone to talk to who is in the same situation as you are, helps a lot!
Eat nutritious food
Eating healthy nutritious meals is imperative during pregnancy. Your baby is getting all the nutrition from you, so you have to eat well, even if you don’t feel like or you feel nauseous. Eat in small quantities fruits, grains, cereals and take all the meds/supplements prescribed by the doctor. Hunger and weakness may aggravate feelings of anxiety.
Make sure you drink lots of water too, as dehydration can make you irritable. Drinking enough fluids and eat healthy food is one of the ways to dealing with pregnancy stress.
Stay off junk food, wine and cigarettes
Eating junk food during pregnancy is an absolute no-no. Junk food contains unhealthy sugars which will spike your blood sugar levels. This may lead to gestational pregnancy which is quite common during pregnancy but can be easily prevented.
Junk food contains huge amounts of salt, which is also unhealthy for you. Extra salt might increase your blood pressure. So to feel better, stop eating all junk food, so that you do not develop diabetes and high blood pressure. These two common pregnancy diseases/conditions are also caused by stress, tension and anxiety. Dealing with pregnancy stress is thus, essential for your mental and physical health.
Alcohol and nicotine are harmful for the baby, as you probably already know. Replace the wine with some harmless tea. Put your feet up in the evenings with a hot cup of cocoa or some warm milk and enjoy your favorite shows on the telly.
Try some gentle exercises
Exercising lifts your spirits as feel good hormones are released. Some exercises for stress during pregnancy are:
- Swimming
- Pregnancy yoga (practice under a qualified yoga teacher)
- Walk in the park
- Neck stretch
- Abs stretch (while sitting)
- Back stretch
Learn all the exercises from a trainer, and practice these exercises for stress during pregnancy. You’d also keep in shape and feel your anxiety disappear.
Be positive
Positive visualization really helps in dealing with pregnancy stress. Imagine all the things that you want for your baby, your family and you. Visualize all your money worries being resolved and once you start doing this, you will find great things happening. It’s always better to direct your energy in a positive way (by imagining and visualizing good things), rather than concentrating on what is not perfect in your life right now.
Take a few minutes every day for gentle stretching, yoga or swimming. When you feel overwhelmed, breathe deeply and calm your thoughts consciously. Think good thoughts and imagine a bright future and feel the stress dissolve into nothing.