Pregnancy should be full of excitement and happy moments. The reality is, being pregnant can also be stressful. It may feel like you have so much to worry about up until you finally hold your little one that it makes the hair on your head stick straight up just thinking about all of it it. Just know that it’s ok and totally normal to be stressed, but it shouldn’t feel constant or overwhelming either. The key to relieving stress when you’re expecting boils down to having the right tools to manage it.
Can Stress Affect My Pregnancy?
Stress negatively influences your well-being, plain and simple. It can affect your ability to sleep, give you headaches, cause high blood pressure, and more. Over time it takes a toll on your mental and physical health, which is why it’s important to find ways to tackle it head-on.
How Can I Manage My Stress?
Knowing how to manage stress effectively will leave you with a renewed sense of calmness. While reasons for your stress now might be different than the ones you had before pregnancy, how you handle it is still the same. When you’re starting to feel the tension rise, here are some techniques to help:
- Identify the cause. First things first, ask yourself: "Why am I stressed?" Reasons for stress vary for each mom-to-be. If you know what’s triggering it, you can find ways to stop or minimize it.
- Get help with pregnancy symptoms. When pregnancy symptoms have you feeling down, it can be somewhat stressful. Talk to your healthcare provider about what’s bothering you and the best way to handle it.
- Healthy Eating. The right food will cut down on stress-causing hormones and even boost serotonin levels. Plus, healthy eating builds up your immune system and maintains your blood pressure.
- Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your mood. When you’re well-rested, you’re less likely to be stressed or get irritated.
- Workout: A solid workout is a great way to kick stress to the curb. Exercise creates endorphins in your brain, which minimize discomfort and increase happiness. So lace up your sneakers and aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.
- Do a relaxing activity. What is an activity that helps put your mind at ease? Do you like to read? Do you enjoy listening to music? Or how about yoga? Doing something that relaxes you will help you free your mind from stress. Discovering relaxation techniques that work best for you can work wonders.
The trick to a less stressful pregnancy is easy with the right techniques. And when you’re not feeling stressed, you have more time to enjoy being pregnant.
Disclaimer: PerkinElmer and ViaCord do not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medications or treatment. All information is provided for informational purposes only.
Resources:
March of Dimes. STRESS AND PREGNANCY. https://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/stress-and-pregnancy.aspx
American Pregnancy Association. Stress During Pregnancy. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/stress-during-pregnancy-10335.
WebMD. Foods that Help Tame Stress. https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-for-stress-management.
Harvard.edu. Sleep and Mood. http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood
ADAA.org. Physical Activity Reduces Stress. https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st
Mayo Clinic. Pregnancy and Exercise: Baby let’s move! https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-and-exercise/art-20046896#
Mayo Clinic. Stress Management. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368
