It’s no secret that being pregnant can be extremely demanding on both the body and mind.
For around 40 weeks, women go through a rollercoaster of physical changes and emotional challenges before the big moment finally arrives.
If you’ve just recently become pregnant, or are thinking about trying for a baby in the near future, then you’ll naturally have some concerns about how your pregnancy is going to impact you. There’s no need to panic, though.
Compared to the past, we now live in the golden age of healthcare. Pregnant women can do lots of different things in order to make their pregnancies easier to handle and reduce stress along the way. No doubt that’ll be a great relief to hear.
Why Is It Important To Remain Worry-Free During Pregnancy?
It is very common to feel stressed when you are expecting because the body observes many changes during this time. From your family to your body and even your emotions- everything is being jumbled up. Although you might welcome the new changes, they can be a bit overwhelming both for you and the baby.
PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a feeling that generates when you experience a scary or shocking event during pregnancy. These events might include abuse, terrorist attacks, the death of a close one, and even natural disasters. Those suffering from PTSD might experience the following:
- Series of anxiety
- Nightmares
- Traumatic event flashbacks
- Triggered responses while recalling the event
The expected mother who has PTSD is at risk of delivering a premature baby. In order to keep your child safe in the womb, it is important to stay strong mentally, too. Family members must come together and strive to create a happy environment for the baby on board.
Does Pregnancy Stress Affect The Health Of Babies?
You might be wrong if you think that pregnancy stress also causes complications during childbirth. Severe chronic stress when you are expecting might potentially affect the babies after their birth.
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The microbiome of your baby
Studies have shown that taking too much stress during the first trimester can affect the microbes residing in the vagina of a pregnant mother. When a child takes vaginal birth, the child gets exposed to such microbes. There might be an impact on their personal microbiome as well as brain development.
In return, the microbes affect the natural metabolism and immune system of the newborn.
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The Infant’s Natural Sleep
Researchers depict that expecting mothers dealing with preconception psychological distress have kids with sleep disturbances. This disorder might include depression and anxiety and might affect a baby’s sleep by 23%. During stress, the body gets filled with the stress hormone cortisol.
This particular chemical crosses the placenta and affects the brain of the baby dealing with sleep cycles. Child sleep is a significant measure of healthy brain development. Hence, a pregnant person must pay attention to stress levels and try to keep it as low as possible.
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Your Infant’s Stress Response
Intense cortisol levels or the stress hormone bear future consequences for their children. When an expecting mother experiences chronic stress levels, their overall system pumps out greater cortisol levels. This particular hormone causes the heart rate and blood pressure to increase subsequently.
Moreover, it also triggers the “fight-or-flight” response. Babies born with such conditions might deal with anxiety for the rest of their lives. Thus, it is important to keep stress levels in check as it affects the baby’s health significantly.
Here Are Four Prime Steps To Making Your Pregnancy Easier And Stress-Free
Keep on reading to discover the tips and tricks that this guide has in store for you surrounding what to do as a pregnant woman if you want to make your pregnancy journey as smooth and stress-free as it can possibly be.
1. Get Acupuncture For Pregnancy
Acupuncture for pregnancy is recommended if you’re a woman suffering from morning sickness, fatigue, stress, headaches, or other similar problems. Remember, it’s common to experience things like morning sickness as a pregnant woman — but this doesn’t mean you have to just accept them. By getting an acupuncture treatment, which is originally derived from ancient Chinese medicine, you can potentially eliminate (or reduce the impact) of those not-so-nice pregnancy symptoms.
2. Stay Active
Providing that you’re perfectly healthy and your pregnancy is normal, it’s absolutely fine for you to get regular exercise during your pregnancy. In fact, this is something that healthcare professionals actively encourage so that you can stay nice and fit.
Your general aim should be to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week. You can spread these minutes around your schedule to suit what you’re comfortable with.
If you don’t know where to get started, try these amazing pregnancy exercises that you can do from home. Simply put on your most comfortable leggings and follow along with the instructions.
3. Eat Healthy
During pregnancy, it’s very common for women to experience cravings for foods that aren’t necessarily good for them. Although there’s nothing wrong with indulging these cravings, it’s also important that you continue to eat healthy. Which healthy foods are best for pregnant women? Here are just some to include in your diet:
- Whole fruits (apples, oranges, bananas)
- Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale)
- Whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, wholewheat bread)
The better your diet is, the more enjoyable your pregnancy will be!
4. Have Plenty Of “Me Time”
During your pregnancy, don’t forget to have plenty of “me time”.
Of course, your baby is the main concern. However, you need to do the activities that you enjoy so that you can keep stress levels to a minimum — especially during the later months.
Whether it’s going for spa days or simply watching TV, make time during the week for your desired activities.
The Bottom Line
It is important to find out what works best for you. Pregnancy is a beautiful journey- make sure to cherish it, not suffer it. Remember the above-mentioned tips to ensure you have a smooth journey before and after pregnancy.
We hope this article helped you out. Let us know your share of opinions in the comment section below.
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