Stress in pregnancy affects the baby and the mom-to-be. Prolonged stress during pregnancy triggers the release of cortisol. This is not indifferent to the developing body, especially its central nervous system. Learn more about the effects of chronic stress in pregnancy and also learn how to cope with it?
Pregnancy – a time of change
Pregnancy is the eager anticipation of the arrival of a new family member and the hectic preparation for the role of a parent. It’s time to learn new skills, adjust professional activities, transform existing plans.
Our bodies change, our lifestyles change, our hierarchy of values – many a mom-to-be could say that everything changes. And that’s a challenge!
Pregnancy is therefore a time of challenges. And sometimes they just happen to be difficult for us. We find ourselves in a whirlwind of intense changes and have hundreds of things on our minds. Bearing them down generates stress. As much as we would like it, pregnancy is not a worry-free idyll.
Stress in pregnancy – research
A 2019* study shows that pregnant women in Poland are most worried about childbirth, going to the hospital and the possibility that something bad will happen to the baby.
Miscarriage, the health of a loved one, internal gynecological examinations, coping with a newborn baby and the occurrence of financial problems were also common responses.
Growing fears, anxiety, fear of the unknown… Pregnancy can prove to be more challenging than we initially anticipated. Let’s take a look at what else might be keeping us up at night during pregnancy.
Causes of stress during pregnancy
- traumatic past experiences, such as miscarriage or loss of a child,
- worries about lifestyle changes and loss of previous independence,
- experiencing unpleasant symptoms such as headaches and nausea, increased sweating
- social pressures and expectations associated with motherhood,
- difficulties related to access to good medical care,
- worries about the changes taking place in the body,
- family conflicts, arguments between partners, loneliness in the relationship,
- fear of childbirth (pain, complications),
- concerns about one’s own health and that of the child,
- abnormal course of pregnancy,
- uncertainty about the future,
- lack of social support, loneliness,
- financial problems.
Effects of stress during pregnancy. How does stress affect the baby?
There are many negative effects of stress during pregnancy. Here are the most important ones:
- Stress can increase the risk of premature birth. Studies suggest that severe maternal stress can increase the risk of premature birth, which can affect the health and development of the fetus.
- Effects on brain development. Prolonged and severe maternal stress can affect the development of the baby’s brain, particularly in areas related to stress regulation and response.
- Mental health. Maternal stress may be associated with the risk of mental health problems in the child, such as anxiety or depression.
- Increased risk of chronic diseases. Some studies suggest that maternal crying and stress during pregnancy may increase the risk of chronic diseases in the child, such as hypertension and diabetes.
- Maternal stress can affect initial mother-child interactions and influence the child’s behavioral patterns, attachment styles in later life.
Stress and pregnancy – consequences for the mother-to-be
- increased risk of health problems (including hypertension and gestational diabetes),
- increased risk of premature birth and perinatal complications,
- problems with breastfeeding,
- greater susceptibility to infections,
- sleep disturbances.
Stress in the 1st trimester of pregnancy
The first trimester means adjusting to a new situation. If the pregnancy was anticipated, we are excited, hopeful and joyful from the beginning of the pregnancy. However, if the sight of two lines on the test causes shock, a lot of anxiety accumulates in us. Coming to terms with such unexpected news will take time.
The initial months of pregnancy are also accompanied by hormonal changes. They are the culprits ofmood swings and more intense reactions to everything going on around us. Each of us experiences this time differently. Some women feel tired, overwhelmed and increased tension, while others become volcanoes of happiness and energy.
The stress that occurs during the first three months is also often due to concerns about maintaining the pregnancy and the future development of the baby. In addition, many women choose to withhold announcing the pregnancy news to family and friends until the end of this trimester. Keeping the news a secret, although a thoughtful decision, provides a certain level of stress.
Stress in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy
The second trimester is usually calmer. We are no longer bothered by symptoms as severe as before. Gradually, we are also more and more aware of our own condition – we are already after several doctor’s appointments, and perhaps reading a stack of advice books for moms-to-be.
The mother’s protective barrier is the placenta. The placenta is an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy and is extremely important for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby. It functions as a barrier, preventing the passage of certain substances harmful to the fetus.
Stress in the second trimester generally arises due to concerns about the proper development of the baby. The situation becomes especially difficult when the tests performed have detected potential abnormalities.
Stress in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy
In the third trimester, anxiety increases again – after all, the birth is imminent. We are looking forward to the arrival of the baby in the world, and while we can’t wait for this, it is also accompanied by a whole range of worries.
We hurriedly finish the final preparations for welcoming the baby at home and make sure we have a completed layette for the hospital. We are afraid of the course of labor, the occurrence of complications, as well as what will happen later – whether we will cope with the role of mother and whether we will know how to take care of the newborn.
Toward the end of pregnancy, we are also prone to more discomfort due to our growing bellies. Sore backs, trouble doing many activities, swollen legs and other unpleasantness easily make us irritable.
Stress in pregnancy – abdominal pain
Stress and abdominal pain is quite a common combination. When we get stressed a lot during the day, pain in the lower abdomen may appear. In general, this is nothing alarming, but in pregnancy it is worth being extra vigilant.
Therefore, if you are concerned about any pain, it is a good idea to go to the doctor. For the sake of the baby, it is better to blow the whistle than to ignore potentially dangerous ailments.
One-time severe stress during pregnancy
Daily stress can be a hardship, especially when these minor stressful events overlap, growing in intensity. But what if we are subjected to a one-time major stress during pregnancy?
A sudden accident, the loss of a loved one, a painful breakup, a divorce, the diagnosis of a terminal illness in a family member – these are just some of the very difficult experiences. They can have a significant impact on the well-being of the pregnant woman and the development of the baby. Chronic stress experienced by a mother-to-be leads to up to 10 times higher levels of the hormone cortisol.
If you find yourself in a crisis situation, it is important to find the right help. Professional care and proper emotional support are what we should not deny ourselves at that time. After all, thanks to them we have a chance to get back on our feet faster, work through difficult experiences and reduce the level of stress we feel.
Stress during pregnancy and Down syndrome
Ongoing research indicates that severe chronic stress in a pregnant woman may increase the risk of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome. However, not all results confirm this regularity, so it is worth approaching with caution.
Stress during pregnancy and autism
Some studies indicate that stress can lead to a child’s risk of autism. This is especially true of severe stress between 21 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.
However, it is worth being aware that there are many risk factors for autism – in addition to stress, genetic factors, the age of the parents, medications taken by the mother, illnesses suffered during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage, among others, are pointed out.
Stress during pregnancy by the partner
The attitude of the partner largely determines how the future mother will feel. If daily life in the relationship is marked by disagreements, arguments and lack of communication, we experience the impact of stress.
So it is good to talk to your partner. In anticipation of the baby’s arrival in the world, we need more care, understanding and support on his part.
Stress hormone and our thinking
Each of us reacts to stressful events differently. Interestingly, then, much depends on how we interpret events – whether we approach them as challenges or as obstacles that cannot be met.
The negative consequences of stress, then, occur not so much because of the intensity of the stressor itself, but because of our interpretation of the situation and how highly we rate our ability to cope with it.
How to deal with stress during pregnancy?
When stress occurs, we instinctively try to do something to make ourselves feel better. To do this, we use a variety of strategies. Some suit us more and others less. This is why each of us can deal with the same stressful situation in a different way. And so when faced with stress, we can, for example:
- plan (analyze the problem, think about what can be done and create a list of actions to be performed to properly deal with the new situation),
- seek support in the form of concrete actions from loved ones,
- seek emotional support and understanding from other people,
- blame ourselves and emphasize how difficult a situation we are in now,
- distract ourselves by doing other activities.
Based on the aforementioned strategies, we distinguish three coping styles. These are the problem-focused style, the emotion-focused style and the avoidant style.
Coping styles
The problem-focused style involves actively coping with a situation. This, in turn, can make it quickly stop being so stressful for us.
An example of following problem-focused strategies during pregnancy can be preparing carefully for childbirth (preparing a bag for the hospital in advance, active participation in classes at the birthing school). Thanks to such actions, the problem (that is, the stressful situation, in this case childbirth) causes less tension in us, because “we are in full readiness.”
An emotion-focused style helps unload what we are feeling. After all, in a stressful situation we may be struggling with a whole storm of feelings: fear, anxiety, anger, shame, helplessness or guilt.
An example of using emotion-focused strategies during pregnancy can be sharing concerns with loved ones and externalizing your feelings. After shedding lingering emotions and receiving warm words of support, we calm down.
An avoidant style, on the other hand, is based on distracting oneself from a stressful situation. It can involve finding other activities to do in order not to think about what is difficult and unpleasant. Sometimes it also takes the form of denial, cessation of activities or (which would be especially dangerous during pregnancy) turning to psychoactive substances, nicotine addiction.
An example of evasive strategies used during pregnancy could be denial of a situation in which a partner leaves us with problems during pregnancy. In this way, we defend ourselves from painful information by not allowing it to come to us. We cut ourselves off so that we don’t get hit by very severe stress.
Is one coping style better and another worse?
You can often come across information that a problem-focused style is the most effective. It actually works well in many situations – because we actively pursue a solution to the problem. By undertaking some activity, we can quickly succeed in reducing the degree to which an event stresses us.
However, it is important to remember that every situation is different. In some, avoidance will give us the greatest relief, while in others, seeking emotional support will come naturally.
Only stress in large doses can harm us, let’s not demonize stress!
Stress cannot be completely eliminated. It would even be inadvisable, because it is not always bad.
In smaller amounts, stress pushes us forward and motivates us to take action. So let’s not blame ourselves for not being relaxed twenty-four hours a day. That’s not the way to go!
Only prolonged, intense stress does not serve our body, causes fatigue and promotes disease. And it is this kind of stress that we want to guard against.
How to relieve stress during pregnancy?
Surely you are wondering how to relieve stress during pregnancy. So here are some tips that may help you.
Take care of what you can take care of…
Part of the stress in pregnancy comes from worrying about the future – how the birth will go, what it will be like in the hospital, what the first days with the baby will be like. So start preparing in advance for what is to come:
- do stretching exercises for pregnant women to take care of your condition and make childbirth easier,
- pack a layette for the hospital so you won’t lack anything there,
- think about what will be most useful in the first weeks of your baby’s life and get it ready.
Don’t worry about what you have no control over
Not everything can be predicted. You have no control over whether you will go into labor during the day or at night. You don’t know exactly how your labor will proceed or how you will feel right afterwards.
Try not to focus on these things – even if you think about them constantly, you still won’t take control of them. It is impossible to prepare for all the challenges of motherhood.
Seek knowledge and support
Read books on pregnancy and infant care. In them you will find a lot of information that will be useful for you now and immediately after the birth.
Also talk to other moms and ask about their experiences. Those friends who already have children can share valuable tips with you. They will calm your fears, lift your spirits and give you tips on stress during pregnancy – because they themselves once searched for effective ways to feel good.
Make friends with yoga
Yoga is a common physical activity of choice during pregnancy. It helps maintain good health and keep you fit, while relieving stress.
Yoga classes for pregnant women are a gentler version of classic asanas, or specific body positions. They are tailored to the needs of moms-to-be and are not an excessive strain on the body.
There are many yoga courses designed specifically for pregnant women – including those who have never had anything to do with yoga before. Gentle exercises facilitate breathing, prevent back pain and improve circulation. They also strengthen the muscles of the pelvis, hips and inner thighs.
Find inner peace
Counteract excessive stress with small daily rituals. Find at least a few minutes first thing in the morning to breathe deeply or perform a short relaxation. Below are instructions so you can perform them.
Deep breathing exercise
Sit down comfortably. Close your eyes. Concentrate on your breathing.
Try not to think about anything else – there is only you and your breath. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.
Take your time. Take slow breaths and notice how the stream of air moves downward. Feel it fill your lungs. Exhale it slowly. There is no reason to rush.
Take a few minutes to watch your breathing. Try to find the right pace. Let both your inhalations and exhalations be calm and longer.
Relaxation for the pregnant woman
Read the following instructions and then perform the relaxation. You can also ask a loved one to read the content slowly:
Take a comfortable position. Concentrate on the rhythm of your breathing. Take calm, deepened breaths. Allow each exhalation to immerse you deeper and deeper into a blissful feeling of relaxation.
Begin to relax your muscles. First the tips of your toes, your whole feet, your calves. Feel the relaxation spread farther and farther down to your legs and thighs. Each successive breath carries the wave of relaxation to more parts of your body. Let it spread to your abdomen and back, and then travel upward. Now relax your shoulders.
The relaxation now reaches your hands, palms and fingertips. It also travels unhurriedly to the neck and head. Discover how the tension leaves your facial muscles and your forehead becomes completely smooth. You no longer clench your eyelids – you feel them stretch.
Being completely relaxed, direct your attention to the presence of your baby. It is here with you and can feel the peace beating from you. Think that together you are just sharing this wonderful moment. Relax. Spend a few more beautiful moments like this.
When you feel it’s time to return to everyday life, take a few more calm breaths. Slowly prepare to emerge from your state of soothing relaxation. Gently move the fingers of one and then the other hand. Gently bend your toes.
Begin to open your eyes. Look around you and stretch. When you are ready, continue with your day – you are now relaxed and charged with calm.
Put your well-being first
Pregnancy is a time when you should take special care of your well-being. Put them first.
If you notice that the challenges accompanying pregnancy are very difficult for you, and your daily functioning is filled with severe stress, schedule a psychological consultation – online psychotherapy
After all, you don’t want to enter parenthood with anxiety and tension, but with calmness and tenderness. Talking to a psychologist can really help you do that!
Remember – you deserve to be heard and understood.
Bibliography
Balaskas, J. (1990). Natural Care in Pregnancy. A practical guide to well-being from pregnancy to delivery, Warsaw: NOWA Publishing House.
Fraś, M., Gniadek, A., Poznańska-Skrzypiec J., Kadłubowska, M. (2012). Lifestyle of pregnant women, Hygeia Public Health, 47 (4), 412-417.
Jośko-Ochojska, J. (2016). Traumatic experiences of a pregnant mother and the health of her child, Child Abuse. Theory, Research, Practice, 15 (3), 117-129.
Juczynski, Z., Ogińska-Bulik, N. (2009). Tools for measuring stress and coping with stress. Warsaw: Pracownia Testów Psychologicznych PTP.
Lachowska, B., Szteliga, A. (2019). Worries of pregnant women, Scientific Quarterly Fides et Ratio, 3 (39), 20-29.
Ogińska-Bulik, N., Juczynski Z. (2010). Personality, stress and health, Warsaw: Difin Publishing House.
Tunkiewicz, O. (2019). Reflections on the causes of autism, Humanistic Education, 1 (40), 165-175.