Stress during pregnancy: causes and consequences

All unanimously reiterate that during pregnancy, women should not be nervous, worried, refuse to eat their favorite foods, to experience various discomforts. But why? Why are nervous experiences, stress and depression so detrimental to the health and development of the fetus? Why is a pregnant woman literally worn in her arms and trying not to disturb over trifles? Do stressful situations really affect the baby or is it the tricks of pregnant girls? In this article, we will try to understand how stress affects the body of a pregnant woman and a child, why the expectant mother cannot find a place for herself, and what to do if the usual methods do not help calm down.

How is stress manifested during pregnancy?

Very often, a woman does not even understand that she is in constant stress. Especially if the causes associated with stress stretch from those times when the expectant mother was not yet pregnant. Depressive state of a woman can be diagnosed by her mood. Very often, pregnancy (especially desired) brings inspiration, a sense of flight, expectation of a miracle. If a woman constantly feels a broken state, she is depressed and apathetic, most likely, stress makes itself felt. Such a condition is fueled by very real physical manifestations - a headache, heart rate increases, blood pressure becomes unusually high, and appetite is lost. If a woman continues to work, stress affects her working ability - the expectant mother ceases to make her usual norm, breaks down on clients, loses the quality of her activities. In relationships with loved ones, nervousness is felt, hands can shake, nights go by without sleep, anxiety is felt, a woman begins to get sick often. If you notice such symptoms in yourself, you need to take action as soon as possible, because stress during pregnancy is very dangerous.

Causes of Stress During Pregnancy

In various films, a huge number of stories with rabid pregnant women who can not restrain their anger are presented. Is it really that complicated or have directorial productions simply exaggerated everything? Let's try to figure out why a woman experiences stress during pregnancy, what reasons can contribute to this.

1. Hormones. Very often, a woman is worried due to hormonal changes. As a rule, hormones during pregnancy (especially at the initial stage) simply rage, a woman becomes tearful, often nervous, her mood changes several times a day.
2. Job. Stressful situations in a future mother can be associated with work. If the work is stressful, you need to try to transfer to childbirth in another department with less psychological stress. Often the expectant mother is worried about work if she is unofficial, because in this case the woman does not have any social guarantees. She is worried that her place may be taken and her career will be derailed due to a forced interruption in work in the near future. If there is no work, the experience does not become less, especially if the father of the child is not a guarantee of stability. We can say that work is one of the most serious concerns for a pregnant woman.
3. Finance. The practical side of the issue also plays an important role during the expectation of a child.Even if a woman has a stable income, after receiving maternity money (which is usually quickly spent on the needs of the baby), the woman at best receives a childcare allowance, which is quite small. The future mother is worried about how she will feed the child, whether her husband’s salaries for the whole family will be enough, how to pay a loan, a mortgage, etc. Of course, these issues should be decided by a man, but not all women are lucky with the father of the child and the situations can be completely different.
4. Housing. Very often the housing issue is acute - if the family does not have their own apartment or it is small enough to increase the number of residents. The lack of finances for renting an apartment, the compelled need to live with relatives, a small area, adverse living conditions - all this can cause stress for a woman, because she, as a true hostess and mother, tries to do everything to make the baby comfortable and comfortable.
5. Men Sometimes a cause of concern may be a relationship with the father of the unborn child. It's no secret that pregnancy is not always planned and desired. If a woman is not married or believes that a man will abandon her as soon as she finds out about pregnancy, this becomes a serious cause for stress.

In addition, there may be any number of reasons for feelings - a figure that will surely deteriorate, the relationship of the unborn child with older brothers and sisters, the opinions of others, worries about the health of the future crumbs. The imaginary brain of a pregnant woman is able to experience stress even from a watched emotional film. But why is it so important to maintain calm and psychological balance?

The effects of stress during pregnancy

It is difficult to find a woman who would go through her whole pregnancy in harmony, peace and good mood. All pregnant women experience in one way or another, this is normal. Any mother is worried about the future baby. But what are the consequences of excessive psychological stress? How do nervous shocks affect the health and development of the fetus in the womb?

1. In the early stages of pregnancy, when the fetal egg is not attached firmly to the uterine wall, severe stress can cause a miscarriage.
2. In the first trimester, the mother’s experiences especially affect the baby’s health in the future, because it is at this time that the vital organs of the crumbs are laid and formed. Due to the mother's experiences, the baby may have various pathologies in the development of the nervous and cardiovascular system, gene mutations, anomalies in the development of the maxillofacial system.
3. Under severe stresses of the mother, children are born weak, often sick, their immune system cannot withstand external negative factors.
4. Very often, the mother's depressive state during pregnancy is reflected in the baby in the distant future. If after birth the baby seems healthy, then after 5-10 years, he develops various psychological disorders, for example, schizophrenia. At a minimum, such children grow up in isolation, it is difficult for them to find new friends.
5. The course of pregnancy during stress is aggravated by various complications. The placenta may begin to exfoliate ahead of time, polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios may occur. All this leads to hypoxia and even fetal death.
6. Babies whose mothers constantly worried about something during pregnancy often suffer from enuresis and hyperactivity. These children have a tendency to autism.
7. Due to the mother’s feelings, the child in late pregnancy may be overly active, which leads to the entanglement of the umbilical cord.
8. Stress of the mother in the later stages leads to premature birth, and, as a result, to a premature and small baby.
9. Such children are more likely to suffer from various kinds of allergic reactions and asthma.

Stress is a serious test, especially for a pregnant woman.And it is important to understand this, not only for herself, but also for the people around her. But what if the anxiety does not go away?

How to get rid of stress during pregnancy

First you need to try to get rid of the provoking factor. Sit down and try to talk heart to heart with yourself. What are you afraid of? What are you worried about? Believe me, you do not need a man who abandoned you after the news about pregnancy. You earn enough money to be enough for the first time, because the baby, in fact, needs very little, especially if he is breast-fed. An apartment is a business, the main thing is that the baby is born healthy. All the worries about finances, work, figures will seem to you a simple mouse fuss, as soon as you see the eyes of your baby. Believe me, no worries are worth the health of your baby.

Share your fears with your loved ones, walk more, eat right, tune in to positive, watch good and kind films. Communicate with pregnant women - most of them are cute and carefree creatures. If you have an older child, devote all your free time to him so that he does not subsequently feel left out. Sleep more, engage in permissible physical activity, communicate with nice people. Take a shower with aromatic oils, eat delicious dishes, cook, listen to music, re-read your favorite books. All this will give you a bunch of positive emotions that simply will not leave you time to worry. Believe me, the birth of life in your womb is already happiness.

Pregnancy is a time of worries, worries and worries. However, anxieties are not always pleasant. Everything happens in life and often a woman is forced to experience serious emotional upheaval during pregnancy. Whatever the environment, remember that there is nothing more important than a baby in the womb. Try to stay calm and not worry about the little things. It’s better to seem like a carefree fool than a hysterical vixen. Remember about the child - this is the main motivation for your peace.

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