Stress
and Pregnancy
by Beverley Brooke
Stress Relief During Pregnancy
If you truly want to ensure a great pregnancy, you should work
on keeping a healthy and positive physical, mental and spiritual
state. There is substantial evidence which suggests that a mother’s
physical and mental wellness during pregnancy can affect not only
the outcome of their pregnancy but the well being of their child
later in life. You relationship with your baby begins at the moment
of conception.
There are many things aside from physical
factors that can impact your pregnancy. Stress is one of the more
common problems many pregnant mothers face at some point during
their pregnancy. While stress in and of itself isn’t always
bad, prolonged stress can be damaging to a pregnancy. Most people
associate stress that is harmful during pregnancy with physical
labor. However, emotional stress may be just as damaging. Stress
actually causes certain hormones in the body to be produced, and
some scientists have suggested that these hormones can promote
miscarriage or even bring on pre-term labor.
The
best thin you can to do to ensure the well being of your baby
is to minimize both physical and emotional stress as much as possible.
Here are some stress reducing tips you can engage in during your
pregnancy to promote a happy and healthy outcome:
Accept
the fact that you are pregnant. Some women stress because they
thrive on working a very demanding schedule, and attempt to continue
to do so throughout their pregnancy. At some point or another
however your pregnancy will catch up with you, and you will need
to slow down a little bit. Rather than see this is as a burden,
consider this a great time to prepare yourself for the life you
are about to bring into the world. Take some time to pamper yourself
a bit and give yourself more time for rest and relaxation during
the week. This can be time that you spend just with yourself and
your baby, without having to share with the world around you.
Give
up some control. Having a baby changes everything. If you are
the type of person that likes to be in control, keep in mind that
there are many things related to pregnancy and child raising that
will be out of your control. You won’t for example be able
to sail through pregnancy without any aches and pains (unless
you are extraordinarily lucky) but you can work to minimize them.
You may have other symptoms such as fatigue and nausea that don’t
go away. Some women have to go on bed rest during pregnancy. Simply
recognizing however that some things are not under your control
will help you get a better grip on your pregnancy and arm you
to face the challenges that lie ahead.
Expect
the unexpected. You just never know what will happen when you
are pregnant. Your baby for example, might decide to come a few
weeks early. You may find that midway through your pregnancy your
physician recommends bed rest. If you prepare for the unexpected
ahead of time however, when it happens it won’t seem like
such a challenge and you will be better prepared to handle it.
Maintain
close ties with friends, family and loved ones. Pregnancy is an
emotional time. The more people you have around you to lean on,
the less likely you will be to feel stressed.
Accept
help. Let people know when you can use a hand. You don’t
have to manage everything alone during pregnancy. If people offer
to help you out and relieve some of the burden you are facing,
be glad that there are people around you that love you enough
to help out.
Another
important thing to consider during pregnancy is communication.
It is particularly important that you keep the lines of communication
open with your partner during pregnancy. Remember that pregnancy
is a very emotional time, and many women act in ways they would
not ordinarily during their pregnancy. Don’t assume that
your partner is a mind reader. This assumption has negatively
impacted many relationships. If you have concerns, anxiety, feel
sad or are even angry, be sure you share your feelings with your
loved ones. Let people know what you are experiencing physically
and emotionally and how it is affecting you. This will help them
understand where you are coming from, and will help them learn
the best way to help you during your pregnancy.
If
you haven’t considered a prenatal massage already, you should
during your pregnancy. Prenatal massage can be particularly helpful
during the third trimester when your body is feeling burdened
by the heavy load it is carrying. There are many qualified practitioners
that offer prenatal massage in medical offices, chiropractic offices
and even in traditional spa settings.
©
Beverley Brooke
Article
by Beverley Brooke- Visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com
to ensure a healthy pregnancy and for more on food to avoid during
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