Stress and nervous tension during pregnancy. Stress during pregnancy: how to deal with and what to expect Have had stress during pregnancy

Stress during pregnancy about further childbirth and other related issues in pregnant women is not considered uncommon. A little anxiety, frustration and depression during this period is the norm, due to the influence of hormones. If stress during pregnancy causes more negative emotions and nervous breakdowns, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Causes of negativity

The causes of stress are different for every woman. For some moms-to-be, pregnancy itself is stressful. It is difficult for them to maintain control, to manage physical changes. Other reasons that cause emotional damage to the expectant mother include:

Heavy load on the body. This is due to periodic nausea, constipation, muscle pain.
The hormonal fluctuations that lead to mood swings affect self-control during pregnancy. This makes it difficult to manage yourself in such a situation.
Simultaneous employment, pregnancy and household chores becomes a difficult test for some pregnant women. It affects personal and work life.
Domestic violence, personal problems.

If a pregnant woman recognizes herself in several of the listed life situations, the level of stress hormones in the body increases.

The effect of stress on the fetus and the health of the pregnant woman

Bad mood, depression with nervousness is unlikely to lead to pregnancy complications if the circumstances are properly controlled. In some cases, this affects the health of the expectant mother, child. Severe, prolonged stress leads to complications if left untreated:

high blood pressure;
diabetes mellitus during pregnancy;
weakened immune system;
severe depression.

Some women try to cope with stress by smoking, drinking alcohol. This again leads to health problems for the mother with the child.

Stress during pregnancy in the first trimester has the following effects on the baby:

Emotional shock stimulates the release of the hormone cortisol, which increases with the severity of the stress. As a result, depression, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis develop in a child at a later age.
The child is born prematurely, which leads to diseases associated with digestion, respiratory tract, reduced immunity and death of the child in some cases.
Full-term babies are born with excess weight and weak immune systems. Stress causes hypoxia (insufficient oxygen supply during childbirth).
Increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Watch a video about the effects of stress during pregnancy:

Sometimes in the early stages, an ultrasound scan reveals a frozen pregnancy after stress. It is better for others to treat pregnant women with understanding. The consequences of stress for a child develop at an older age if the mother was very nervous during pregnancy.

Dangerous symptoms

Constant nervous stress causes many physical, emotional, mental and social symptoms:

Chest pain, difficulty breathing, vision problems, headaches, heart palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, muscle pain, increased sweating. But most often, a pregnant woman has a stomach ache.
Confusion, nightmares, memory loss, sleep changes, and difficulty focusing.
Grief, guilt, worry, irritability, fear, denial, restlessness, loneliness, or frustration
Isolation from family, friends, loss of appetite, smoking and alcohol abuse.

If these symptoms occur, it is recommended to contact a gynecologist and a psychologist.

How to deal with stress during pregnancy

There are ways to reduce the manifestations of negativity during pregnancy:

You need to do some light physical activity. For example, walking, because it not only reduces stress levels, but also prevents general discomfort during pregnancy.
Prenatal or meditation classes.
Breathing exercises should be done.
It is best to read a book, watch your favorite show.
It is necessary to find out what the pregnant woman is more worried about and try to talk about it with her husband, friend, or even a therapist.
Seek help from family and friends.
Go to childbirth education classes to understand about pregnancy, childbirth, relaxation techniques, exercises.
If a pregnant woman thinks she is depressed, treatment should be started early to avoid the need for antidepressants.
Eat healthy, nutritious food.
Consider joining a social media support group. So you can meet like-minded women among pregnant women.

Stress for pregnant women is highly undesirable. If you can’t contain your emotions, it’s better to consult a psychologist.

“Well, everything: now you are pregnant and you can’t be nervous. Stress during pregnancy can harm the baby, you have to control yourself and radiate positivity around the clock. These truths are so hard hammered into the head of a pregnant woman that she falls into a vicious cycle of constant tension. After all, an attempt to tightly control emotions in order to prevent negative experiences, in itself, keeps the nervous system on edge.

Doctors agree that short-term, mild stress can affect pregnancy even in a positive way for both mother and baby. He progressively prepares them for the passage of a responsible period of their lives - childbirth.

Nature protects woman

On the one hand, pregnancy itself is already a strong stress for the body and psyche. On the other hand, this is the natural physiological state of a woman, and nature has provided for everything. The lady "in position" is in a special psychological state of focus on her inner world and on her unborn child. It reaches its peak during childbirth and then continues throughout the period of breastfeeding. All these processes occur under the influence of changes occurring in her nervous and endocrine systems that regulate pregnancy. Physiological changes contribute to the creation and strengthening of a close symbiotic bond between mother and child and significantly alleviate the stress of pregnancy. This connection, in turn, helps to shift the focus of the woman's attention to the unborn child. In other words, everything that worried and bothered before, everything that could upset or frighten her, now affects her with much less force.

But of course, this does not mean that the expectant mother does not experience at all. Fears, anxieties, worries, stress are the eternal companions of absolutely any pregnant woman. In addition, women in position, as a rule, continue to work and lead a socially active lifestyle, which means that stalemate situations cannot be avoided.

What are we afraid of during pregnancy?

Changes taking place in the body.

The belly grows, the weight comes, toxicosis interferes with life, the hormonal background changes. It's scary to turn into a "hippopotamus", to stop being attractive. Worries about whether the former form will return after childbirth.

All in your hands. Good nutrition, fresh air and moderate exercise can not only significantly reduce stress during pregnancy, but also keep the body in good shape, avoiding unpleasant consequences.

How will it go, how much it hurts, will I survive. This question is constantly spinning in my head and also leads to stress for a pregnant woman. The closer the cherished date, the worse.

In fact, it is not in vain that pregnancy lasts as much as 9 months. During this time, a psychological restructuring takes place. The woman is preparing for childbirth. In the later stages, when the stomach is already large and noticeably interferes, even dreams about them. Imagine this day in detail, positively. Exactly the way you would like to spend it. You see, in many ways it will. Special courses for preparing for childbirth reduce stress very well.

Anxiety about the condition of the baby.

A pregnant woman listens sensitively to her condition from day to day, every hour and minute.

Visit your doctor in a timely manner and do not wind yourself up. Frequent trips to the clinic and tests are not an annoying hindrance, but professional supervision and your peace of mind.

Family tension.

The reaction of the spouse is not always the one expected in romantic films. For the future dad, the news of paternity can be just as stressful. And dreams of how he will carry on his hands and blow off dust particles can crumble. In addition, a lot of advisers always appear around a pregnant woman who begin to dictate to a previously free person what to do and how to live correctly in principle.

Don't wind yourself up. You can safely do without flowers and pineapples at 3 am. Give your partner time to get used to the new quality. Focus on the positive aspects of your new state. As the baby begins to push, how pleasant it is to carry a new life in yourself. Gently but clearly indicate your boundaries to advisers.

How does constant stress affect pregnancy?

No matter how much we are told that pregnant women should not worry, we still forget about it. However, let's take care of our health and the baby, because there are examples of negative consequences:

Miscarriage and premature birth.
Oxygen starvation of the child. Stress during pregnancy triggers the release of the hormone cortisone into the bloodstream. It raises blood sugar levels and results in less oxygen reaching the tissues. Consequences - deviations in the development of the child. The nervous system of the baby may suffer, in the future there will be anxiety, fears, autism, poor adaptability in the team, a tendency to depression, hyperactivity. And this is not the whole list...
Neurosis in a pregnant woman
Decreased immunity
Heart diseases

Always remember: you always have how to react to this or that event. Someone will throw a tantrum over a spilled cup of coffee, while for another, serious family trials will not be a reason to give up. The harm of stress during pregnancy lies not in the negative events themselves, but in your reaction to them. The good news is that you can learn to choose this reaction yourself!

Where to put your nerves?

Reading about the effects of stress on pregnancy is scary. But we are all human beings. And in 9 months, anything can happen to us. How to deal with stress? Where to put your nerves? Anna Matulyak, head of the Family Counseling Center, family and reproductive psychologist, author and host of the art therapy project for expectant mothers “Waiting for a Miracle,” shared exclusive advice for healthy people.

Don't be afraid of emotions. Many expectant mothers exaggerate the impact of negative experiences and try to avoid them in every possible way. For example, a woman needs to lie down for preservation, she is frightened and upset, but in every possible way she tries to drive these thoughts away from herself and forcibly switch herself to the positive. You can't do that. The tension that is created as a result is much more harmful. It is important to accept and acknowledge real feelings: “Yes, I am worried and worried. I'm worried about the child. I am doing my best and entrusting myself to the good hands of the doctors and I will hope that everything will be fine.” If you want to cry, cry. If you allow yourself to experience emotions, they will go away. If you forbid yourself, they will remain with you - in your unconscious, in your body, and this, of course, will affect the state of the child.
Look for sources of positive emotions and support. Be sure to identify for yourself what or who can be a resource for you. Let others help you deal with stress. Walking with a friend, chatting on the forum with the same pregnant women, going to the movies, trips and entertainment. Do not deny yourself pleasure.
Perform special. It's no secret that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. During physical exertion, endorphins are released - the hormones of happiness, they are what we need for a pregnant woman in order to “calm the nerves”. Be sure to consult with your doctor - what kind of physical activity will be useful for you and not contraindicated. You can dance or just walk in the fresh air with pleasant music. There can be many options, the main thing is not to sit idly by.
Try meditation and visualization. No special knowledge or skills are required. Even children know how to dream and imagine pleasant things. Choose the right time and place (so that you won't be disturbed), close your eyes, and imagine anything that can evoke pleasant images, emotions, and sensations in your body. If you love the sea, you can imagine yourself on the beach, enjoying life on the warm sand to the sound of the sea or swimming in warm water. It is not so important whether you remember past experiences or dream and fantasize about the future. The main thing is that it causes positive emotions and pleasant sensations in the body that will make you completely forget about what this stress is.
Connect Aromatherapy. It is easy to combine, for example, with relaxation and visualization. Fill a well-ventilated room with your favorite scents that make you feel good. You can mix aromas and add several oils to the aroma lamp at once.
Get creative. Many immediately reject this option, citing the fact that "I'm not a creative person." In fact, it is one of the most effective ways to deal with pregnancy stress. You do not need to have superpowers to knead a piece of plasticine in your hands or mold a circle or square out of it. But the process itself will already bring quite a few benefits - the massage of the fingers and palms, which takes place during the modeling process, relieves stress well. You can mold or draw a “problem” or “cause of stress” and then get rid of it, thereby helping yourself to get rid of negative emotions. Draw with your hands, with your toes, no matter what, the process itself is important. If the result is critical for you, think about such types of creativity as knitting, embroidery, scrapbooking - the concentration necessary for these activities balances the nervous system.
Contact the experts. If you understand that you can’t cope on your own or the level of emotions is too high, seek help from specialists.

What to do if you are at the epicenter of stress?

Focus on your breathing. Think about making it even.
Lightly touch the tummy and mentally or hear talk with the baby, imagine him
Find someone you can get support from. Sometimes just speaking up is enough.

Yes, strong prolonged stress during pregnancy certainly negatively affects both the health of the pregnant woman and the baby. But it is important to understand that in our life it is impossible to avoid experiences. You shouldn't hold them back. Cry if you cry. But at the same time, pregnancy is the time to learn to accept yourself, fill your life with pleasant moments, increase stress resistance and not be afraid to seek support from loved ones.

The materials on the website are for informational purposes only and are intended for educational purposes. The information should not be used as medical advice. Diagnoses and prescribes treatment only your doctor. The editors of the site are not responsible for possible negative consequences resulting from the use of information posted on the site site.

Journalist. Two higher educations - a journalist and a psychologist. Member of the Belarusian Union of Journalists. Laureate of the Belarusian Union of Journalists. Experience in the profession - 15 years. Work experience in the medical field - 12 years. Belarusian State University - 2002-2007 Specialty - print media. Belarusian State Pedagogical University M. Tanka - 2017-2019 - Diploma with honors. Specialty - psychologist. Jobs: Editorial office of the newspaper "Polesskaya Pravda" (Pinsk), correspondent; Since 2007 - editorial office of the newspaper "Medical Bulletin" (Minsk). Correspondent, curator of Minsk; Since 2017, she has been a correspondent for the Healthy People information portal, a correspondent for the Medical Bulletin newspaper. I am one of the compilers of the book "History of Health of the Republic of Belarus" (Minsk, 2009). I prepare both printed materials and video content. Since 2018, the organizer and author of the idea of contests for the site are "Scorching Doctor", "The Best Day", as well as "Stylish Season" on TeenAge.by. In 2019 - the winner of the "Golden Pen" award of the Belarusian Union of Journalists.

Pregnancy is a time of change. The body of a woman, her emotions, the life of the whole family are changing. These changes can be joyful, or they can add stress to life. Everyone experiences excitement during pregnancy, but too much stress can cause inconvenience:

provoke sleep disturbances;
cause headache;
cause loss of appetite or overeating.

Chronic stress can lead to health problems, high blood pressure and heart disease. In pregnant women, a life of stress increases the chances of having a premature baby (delivery before 37 weeks), a baby with low birth weight. Prematurity and low birth weight are common causes of poor health in children.

The reasons are different for every woman, but there are some common factors:

many are nervous due to physical discomfort - nausea, constipation, fatigue, backache in the later stages;
disturbing thoughts about the upcoming birth and child care;
working women think about the upcoming maternity leave and talk about it with the employer.

Hormonal changes in the early stages provoke mood swings, so stress is more difficult to cope with.

How stress can hurt

Not all stress can lead to problems during pregnancy. The usual dissatisfaction experienced in a traffic jam will not complicate the state of health. However, severe stress can lead to preterm delivery.

Most pregnant women who have experienced a major shock have healthy children. But you should be careful under such circumstances:

serious illness or death of relatives;
loss of a job or home;
catastrophes like an earthquake, hurricane or terrorist attack.

Prolonged stress is usually associated with financial problems, poor health, significant changes in everyday life. This is a medical condition where a strong feeling of sadness lasts for a long period and interferes with a normal life.

Pregnancy is a cause for nervous tension. For some women, pregnancy itself is a major stressor. They are worried about the possibility of a miscarriage, the health of the unborn child, how they will cope with childbirth and parental responsibilities. Those who suffer from such fears should tell their doctor about the disease.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This type of disorder occurs in those who have experienced a terrible event - rape, natural disaster, terrorist attack, death of a loved one. People with PTSD experience:

severe anxiety;
memories of events;
nightmares.

Physical manifestations: palpitations, sweating from memory.

Statistics show the presence of post-traumatic disorder in 8% of pregnant women. They are more likely to have a miscarriage, premature birth, and have a low birth weight baby. In addition, they are more likely to resort to health-threatening behavior: smoking, alcohol abuse, drugs.

How Stress Causes Pregnancy Problems

Bringing a new person into the world is not an easy task. You can worry about everything: is the diet healthy enough, is the environment safe, how to combine parenthood with work. Therefore, stress for pregnant women is the same norm as at any other stage. But if it is chronic, it can affect negatively. As you know, the fight or flight regime - the consequences of stress - is the release of cortisol and other hormones. They mobilize the body, prepare the muscles and heart for physical effort.

If the situation has been dealt with, the tension will recede and the body will regain its former balance. And chronic stress can cause inflammation, premature birth. A woman should not feel guilty about stress, but should try to control her emotions. The mechanism of the influence of stress on the course of pregnancy is not yet fully understood. But some stress-related hormones can make you feel worse. Chronic anxiety weakens the defense system, which can lead to infection of the uterus and premature birth. Under the influence of stress, women cannot cope with various difficult situations, some resort to smoking and alcohol.

Can high levels of stress during pregnancy harm the baby later on?

Many are interested in whether stress can harm a child. Some studies show that high levels during pregnancy can cause problems for the newborn and growing child, affect his sociability and fears, brain development and immune system.

At each stage of development, the organism analyzes environmental signals in order to optimize genetic parameters. Mother's stress is an irritant to which the child reacts, tries to adapt to it. When a mother's levels of stress hormones rise, the baby may be susceptible to a number of stress-related pathologies after birth.

Preterm birth and low weight are recognized consequences of stress, established over many years of animal and human studies. Recent research suggests that children who experience stress in the womb are at risk for chronic health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The most recent results suggest the effect of prolonged stress experienced by the mother on the child's temperament and neurobehavioral development. Babies whose mothers experienced high levels of stress, especially early in pregnancy, showed signs of depression and irritability.

Doctors say that the baby bathes in all the substances produced by the mother's body, so the level of anxiety and stress affects the temperament of children. If the woman's nervous system stimulates the production of adrenaline and norepinephrine, the blood vessels that feed the fetus narrow, limiting the access of oxygen to the uterus. And the placenta increases the production of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which regulates the duration of pregnancy and fetal maturation.

CRH is one of the most interesting recent scientific discoveries, called the "placental clock". Its high level from 16 to 20 weeks may portend preterm labor. It turns out that stressful events occurring in the first trimester of pregnancy are crucial. It used to be thought the other way around: women are the most vulnerable when approaching their due date. Modern data show that in the later stages of women become psychologically stronger.

Doctors emphasize the link between stress and problem pregnancy. They also say that different women deal with stress differently and do not want to add guilt to someone who is already stressed.

Those most at risk are not those who have experienced a tragic event during pregnancy, but generally anxious people whose stress lasts for weeks and months.

How to reduce stress during pregnancy

Here are some ways to deal with stress:

find out the cause of anxiety, talk about the disease with a partner, the attending physician; having thought everything over, it is easier for a woman to assess her strength and accept the upcoming tasks;
realize that the discomfort associated with pregnancy is temporary;
monitor health and appearance - eat healthy food, sleep enough and move;
perform a simple set of exercises, take walks;
temporarily abandon tiring activities;
enlist the support of family, friends, relatives;
accepting help when offered (for example, cleaning the house or organizing leisure activities);
relaxation, yoga, meditation;
visiting the school of expectant mothers.

Music and singing help control cortisol levels. Relaxation will help a warm bath, herbal tea, reading. Stress is initially an asymptomatic disease. Pregnant women should be able to recognize that they are experiencing nervous tension, to do simple things to relieve stress.

Optimism, a sense of humor and self-esteem, control over one's own life help to cope with fear. Medicine today is increasingly focused on controlling not only the test results and pressure of the future mother, but also awareness of her lifestyle, mood and home atmosphere in order to reduce the number of premature births and complicated pregnancies.

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
Money matters. With the advent of the child, the expenses in the family will increase significantly. You need to be ready for this.
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.

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

Many people know that the emotional state of a pregnant woman has a strong effect on the health of an unborn baby. In this case, the impact can be short-term or long-term, bring both benefit and harm. Stress during pregnancy is normal. But you need to understand what stressors have an impact, and take into account how a woman tolerates it.

Definition

Stress is the body's response to intense excitement. This means that the person was very frightened, surprised, upset or indignant. Medical professionals see this concept a little differently. What was presented above, namely mental confusion or nervous tension, refers to neuropsychological stress.

There are several main types:

emotional;
physiological;
light;
temperature;
hungry;
neuro-psychic.

That is, such a state can be caused by a variety of factors. Carrying a baby is a very responsible task, so every mother needs to know how stress affects pregnancy.

Peculiarities

When a woman is in an interesting position, a huge number of changes occur in her body, there are disturbances in metabolic processes, hormonal disruptions, so the organs function differently. Everything affects the expectant mother - not only the environment, but also other personal factors:

a pregnant woman has rapid fatigue;
limited freedom of action;
there is constant irritation;
there is constant fear for the child.

Symptoms

How stress during pregnancy affects a woman, all expectant mothers should know in order to avoid such a condition, since the fetus reacts very actively to all experiences. It should be noted that such problems can take place in several forms:

1. Acute - it flows quickly enough and ends in the same way.
2. Chronic - this is a sharp depressive state that lasts constantly.

Due to the fact that the girl is nervous, her body produces the following hormones:

adrenalin;
cortisol;
norepinephrine.

This increases the tone of the uterus, significantly constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure, as a result, the pregnant woman's heartbeat accelerates.

It is almost impossible to get an unambiguous answer to the question of how stress affects pregnancy, since a short-term emotional outburst is also the best workout for the body. But it is very important that such a condition does not develop into a chronic form. After all, if such shocks are constant, a woman may have problems with breathing, her skin will begin to turn pale, then blush. Also from the symptoms can be noted wet palms, greatly dilated pupils and pain that periodically occurs in the chest area.

In the case, a woman cannot restrain her emotions, she becomes fussy, absent-minded, she has problems with memory, appetite, headaches and eating disorders.

Causes

It is already known whether stress affects pregnancy, so you need to know the factors that contribute to the appearance of the problem:

Lack of support from loved ones.
Continuous problems with sleep, because a woman gets tired so quickly during pregnancy.
Feeling of constant dissatisfaction with everything.
Nervous and difficult work or study at a university.

You need to know that severe stress is dangerous, as it can threaten the life of the fetus. It occurs when a woman worries about something for a long time and accumulates a huge amount of emotions in herself. Due to such troubles, the body cannot develop the required protection, therefore, such factors negatively affect the process of bearing the fetus.

How to relieve stress during pregnancy?

It is extremely important to get rid of nervous experiences in a timely manner. Although sometimes it is difficult to do, it is worth closing your eyes to the problems and thinking about the health of the unborn child. To overcome trouble, you need to strengthen your body:

As prescribed by the doctor, vitamin complexes should be taken. Especially necessary are vitamins C and E. With their support, you can not only strengthen the immune system, but also rejuvenate the entire body as a whole, as well as protect the nervous system. It has been proven that with the help of vitamin C, you can get rid of provocateurs that cause a feeling of panic. Thanks to vitamin B, the nervous system will be thoroughly protected, it can be easily found in marine products.
Having figured out how stress affects pregnancy, and realizing that this can leave a negative mark on the health of the baby and mother, you should perform specially designed yoga complexes that include breathing exercises, relaxation and simple physical exercises.
It is advisable to do your favorite thing as often as possible, knit, read, that is, calm your mind and be distracted from various problems.
Those who know how nervous stress affects pregnancy and how difficult it is sometimes to get rid of it, recommend seeking help from a psychologist if you cannot get out of this state for a long time. The doctor will advise effective methods, and the patient will feel better.
Pregnant women are calmed by listening to romantic and calm music.

Danger in different trimesters

Every woman who intends to become a mother should know how stress affects early pregnancy, because negative experiences can end in miscarriage. If problems catch a girl in the second or third trimester, then there is a threat to the mother herself. The vital major organs begin to strain, then the pressure rises, a large number of edema appears and it is possible to see protein in the urine. In the placenta, blood flow worsens and, as a result, the fetus will have a lack of oxygen.

Possible consequences

Why is stress dangerous during pregnancy? A similar question is asked by many girls to their doctors. The presence of additional experiences often leads to health problems for the baby. He can be absolutely healthy at birth, and troubles will begin to appear further. The most common disorders in children are:

increased distraction of attention and activity, which further affects learning;
problems with the speech apparatus, as well as difficulties in learning to write;
phobias, fears, urinary incontinence, neuroses;
weakness of the immune system and cardiovascular ailments, which provoke an increased susceptibility of the child to various diseases;
the appearance of defects in appearance, which require surgical intervention to correct;
autism and developmental problems.

Pathologies while carrying a fetus

As you can see, a woman needs to know how it affects during pregnancy, as well as how it affects the mother's condition:

Often there is a problem of hypoxia - lack of oxygen. Because of this, it is more difficult for a woman to endure and give birth to a healthy baby. In the most severe cases, suffocation and fetal death may occur.
In the placenta, blood circulation is disturbed, problems are formed with the exchange processes between the child and the mother. Therefore, the baby is born premature and late in development.
Childbirth is difficult, and the woman in labor quickly loses her strength.
Due to the fact that a woman constantly has fears, her pregnancy is disturbed. Sometimes everything ends even with a miscarriage. Girls are born much earlier, and they walk with boys.

Another indicator of how severe stress affects pregnancy is the threat of early discharge of amniotic fluid as a result of it, and this is quite dangerous for the life of the child.

Stress medications

Special psychotropic components for the treatment of stress are used extremely rarely and only at a time when the body's adaptive mechanisms are unable to cope with emotional stress. At the same time, the doctor will definitely weigh all the possible risks for both the baby and the mother and select the most harmless medicines.

Many drugs adversely affect the fetus and lead to the formation of malformations in the development and circulatory disorders. So, expectant mothers should understand that drops such as Barboval, Corvalol, Valocordin, which can be easily purchased at any pharmacy, are categorically contraindicated for pregnant women. Experts also do not recommend self-medication and taking herbal-based combination preparations - Nottu, Novo-Passit, Persen - since their effect on the fetus has not yet been fully studied.

The safest remedy is the preparation of valerian.

Prevention

How stress affects pregnancy is already known, so this condition is best avoided. There are several types of stress: moderate, which is standard for all women in labor, and strong, arising from mental shock leading to prolonged depression.

A factor for the appearance of the last stress can be a strong excitement or the loss of a loved one, work, property. Lack of attention, cynicism, rudeness, as well as sharp statements of doctors about any problems of a woman in labor lead to a similar state.

As a preventive measure, a pregnant woman can be offered to undergo special tests with a psychologist that show a predisposition to nervous shocks. Such a procedure should only be carried out by a specialist. Based on the results of the survey, a conclusion is drawn for psychologists and doctors to help the expectant mother.