Anxiety and stress are never good for one’s health however they are extremely common during pregnancy. While most people feel that stress is a normal part of pregnancy, it is not always true. Women do tend to develop anxiety while they are pregnant but this is not true for all pregnant women.
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Stress and Anxiety during Pregnancy
Stress becomes a symptom of pregnancy because there are several physical and chemical changes in the body during pregnancy. These changes, along with the several hormones, fluctuating sugar levels, pregnancy-related anemia, change in the blood circulation, indigestion, and the change in your overall physical appearance, can together overwhelm you and put you under a lot of stress.
No need to panic yet though. Stress and anxiety are normal during pregnancy and with a little support from your partner, friends, and family, stress during pregnancy is nothing that you cant handle.
Threshold of a ‘Normal Worrying’
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Anxiety comes anytime – as part of being human. Anyone could be a victim, even pregnant mommies.
Researchers recorded that 15% of the pregnant population has anxiety, commonly depression during pregnancy.
Women that will soon be mommies or have previous pregnancy losses and fertility issues, tend to worry about their future babies, their relationship with husbands, if the baby is healthy, the pain of birth-giving, financial issues, etc.
Worrying about all these things makes you still normal. But there is a difference between worrying normally and antenatal anxiety or being consumed by this anxious state during pregnancy.
In this situation, you may need to consult a doctor or expert if your anxiety affects your concentration, makes you panic, or causes physical symptoms like your heart beating rapidly and shortness of breath.
Signs and symptoms of anxiety that you must take note of
The following can show symptoms of severe anxiety during pregnancy:
- A feeling of extreme panic, fear, or restlessness
- Inability to focus on your day-to-day activities
- Issues on functioning at work or home
- Obsessive thinking
- Can not enjoy things that used to make you happy
- Your heart is palpitating
- Tension in your muscles
- Hyperventilation or shortness of breathing
- This anxiety goes beyond the normal way of worrying – but treatment can be done
What causes it during pregnancy
Women that will undergo major changes in their lives – like motherhood – trigger anxiety. Motherhood also stems from new responsibilities, shifts in career, and how motherhood can change existing relationships.
Even pregnancy itself is to worry about. Mommies sometimes fear possible complications during the gestational period, delivery, or after birth.
But mommy, remember that feeling extremely anxious is a medical condition during your pregnancy; you are not at fault for having this condition.
Risk factors resulting in pregnancy anxiety
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Anyone can develop anxiety during pregnancy. By knowing this, there could be criteria that can affect preggy mommies that may result in severe anxiety disorder.
This means a lot of self-checking of how you are feeling when expecting.
Those criteria are the following:
- You were previously diagnosed with anxiety
- Anxiety from the past pregnancy
- Past pregnancy issues or losses
- Bed rest or complicated pregnancy
- Age can affect too (younger pregnants can be more anxious than older)
All of these factors could affect your worrying state. Your anxiety may heighten, and it is better to be keen on your condition.
Seek help
Women deal with a lot of stressors and pains in their life, and they resolve these by struggling through them. But different pregnant women have a lot of differences in how to cope with different things. Knowing that anxiety could be severe, it is immediate to seek help.
Keeping yourself at ease with the common “it will pass once I delivered”, studies conducted claim that preggy mommies with pregnancy anxiety would deal with postpartum depression after birth.
Anxiety and depression are closely related but they won’t occur together.
By learning means to control anxiety before your baby arrives, there will be a high probability that you will enjoy the first few months moments after birth.
Seeking and looking for treatment a way ahead can also prevent the outcome of long-term severe anxiety to a baby’s development issues.
Researchers found that pregnancy depression results in possible preterm birth and low birth weight. Also, as your baby grows, he will have emotional and behavioral issues.
Safe treatments for your pregnancy anxiety
How to cope with pregnancy anxiety
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More sleep
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Eating fresh foods
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Being active
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Be knowledgeable
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Having a supportive company
You may also want to join an online community where you can ask questions and share experiences with people who are on the same page as you are.
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Make a schedule to relax during a day
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Make time to relax.
Relaxation comes in different ways like talking to your husband over funny and enjoying things, reading, listening to music, yoga, cooking, etc.
When to see a doctor?
Additional information from Nathanielle Torre
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