Can stress cause cramping during pregnancy

Stress and pregnancy

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Stress is a common feeling during pregnancy. Physical discomforts and other changes in your daily life can cause stress during pregnancy.
Some types of stress may cause serious health problems, like high blood pressure, and lead to problems like premature birth.
Learn about ways to help manage some stresses in your life like talking to your health care provider and asking your partner, friends or family for help.

How can stress affect your pregnancy?

Feeling stressed is common during pregnancy because pregnancy is a time of many changes. Your family life, your body and your emotions are changing. You may welcome these changes, but they can add new stresses to your life.

High levels of stress that continue for a long time may cause health problems, like high blood pressure and heart disease. During pregnancy, stress can increase the chances of having a premature baby (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or a low-birthweight baby (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces). Babies born too soon or too small are at increased risk for health problems.

What causes stress during pregnancy?

The causes of stress are different for every woman, but here are some common causes during pregnancy:

You may be dealing with the discomforts of pregnancy, like morning sickness, constipation, being tired or having a backache.
Your hormones are changing, which can cause your mood to change. Mood swings can make it harder to handle stress.
You may be worried about what to expect during labor and birth or how to take care of your baby.
If you work, you may have to manage job tasks and prepare your team for when you take maternity leave.
You may worry about how you eat, drink and feel and how these things affect your baby.

What types of stress can cause pregnancy problems?

Stress is not all bad. When you handle it right, a little stress can help you take on new challenges. Regular stress during pregnancy, such as work deadlines, probably don’t add to pregnancy problems.

However, serious types of stress during pregnancy may increase your chances of certain problems, like premature birth. Most women who have serious stress during pregnancy can have healthy babies. But talk to your health care provider if you have these types of stress:

Negative life events. These are things like divorce, serious illness or death in the family, or losing a job or home.
Catastrophic events. These include earthquakes, hurricanes or terrorist attacks.
Long-lasting stress. This type of stress can be caused by having problems with money, being abused, being homeless or having serious health problems.
Depression or anxiety. Depression is a medical condition that causes feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in things you like to do. It can affect how you feel, think and act and can interfere with your daily life. It needs treatment to get better. Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear of things that may happen. Both conditions may make it hard to take care of yourself and your baby. Depression and anxiety are common and treatable so talk to your provider if you feel depressed or anxious. If you have these conditions before pregnancy, talk to your provider before stopping or starting any medications. Quitting suddenly can cause serious problems for you and your baby. If you need to stop taking medicine or switch medicines, your health care provider can help you make changes safely.
Neighborhood stress. Some women may have stress from living in a neighborhood with poverty and crime.
Racism. Some women may face stress from racism during their lives. This may help explain why African-American women in the United States are more likely to have premature and low-birthweight babies than women from other racial or ethnic groups.
Pregnancy-related stress. Some women may feel serious stress about pregnancy. They may be worried about pregnancy loss, the health of their baby or about how they’ll cope with labor and birth or becoming a parent. If you feel this way, talk to your health care provider.

How does stress cause pregnancy problems?

We don’t completely understand the effects of stress on pregnancy. But certain stress-related hormones may play a role in causing certain pregnancy complications. Serious or long-lasting stress may affect your immune system, which protects you from infection. This can increase the chances of getting an infection of the uterus. This type of infection can cause premature birth.

Other ways stress can cause pregnancy problems include:

Normal pregnancy discomforts, like trouble sleeping, body aches and morning sickness may feel even worse with stress
You may have problems eating, like not eating enough or eating too much. This can make you underweight or cause you to gain too much weight during pregnancy. It also may increase your risk of having gestational diabetes and preterm labor.
Stress may lead to high blood pressure during pregnancy. This puts you at risk of a serious high blood pressure condition called preeclampsia, premature birth and having a low-birthweight infant.
Stress also may affect how you respond to certain situations. Some women deal with stress by smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or taking street drugs, which can lead to serious health problems in you and you baby.

Many women worry that stress may lead to miscarriage, the death of a baby before 20 weeks of pregnancy. While extra stress isn't good for your overall health, there's no evidence that stress causes miscarriage.

How can post-traumatic stress disorder affect pregnancy?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (also called PTSD) is a disorder that develops when you have problems after you experience a shocking, scary or dangerous event. These events may include rape, abuse, a natural disaster, a terrorist attack or the death of a loved one. People with PTSD may have:

Serious anxiety
Flashbacks of the event
Nightmares
Physical responses (like a racing heartbeat or sweating) when reminded of the event

Women who have PTSD may be more likely than women without it to have a premature or low-birthweight baby. They also are more likely than other women to have risky health behaviors, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, abusing medications or taking street drugs. Doing these things can increase the chances of having pregnancy problems. If you think you may have PTSD, talk to your provider or a mental health professional. Treatments for PTSD include medications and therapy.

Can high levels of stress in pregnancy affect your baby’s health later in life?

Some studies show that high levels of stress in pregnancy may cause certain problems during childhood, like having trouble paying attention or being afraid. It’s possible that stress also may affect your baby’s brain development or immune system.

How can you reduce stress during pregnancy?

Here are some ways to help you reduce stress:

Know that the discomforts of pregnancy are only temporary. Ask your provider about how to handle these discomforts.
Stay healthy and fit. Eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise (with your provider’s OK). Exercise can help reduce stress and also helps prevent common pregnancy discomforts.
Cut back on activities you don’t need to do. For example, ask your partner to help with chores around the house.
Try relaxation activities, like prenatal yoga or meditation. They can help you manage stress and prepare for labor and birth.
Take a childbirth education class so you know what to expect during pregnancy and when your baby arrives. Practice the breathing and relaxation methods you learn in your class.
If you’re working, plan ahead to help you and your employer get ready for your time away from work. Use any time off you may have to get extra time to relax.

The people around you may help with stress relief too. Here are some ways to reduce stress with the help of others:

Have a good support network, which may include your partner, family and friends. Or ask your provider about resources in the community that may be helpful.
Figure out what’s making you stressed and talk to your partner, a friend, family or your provider about it.
If you think you may have depression or anxiety talk to your provider right away. Getting treatment early is important for your health and your baby’s health.
Ask for help from people you trust. Accept help when they offer. For example, you may need help cleaning the house, or you may want someone to go with you to your prenatal visits.

Last reviewed: October, 2019

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How to Handle Stress While Pregnant

Most of us experience stress here and there. It’s normal. In fact, in the United States, 77% of people frequently experience physical symptoms of stress, while 73% routinely experience stress-causing psychological symptoms.

And in your case, you’re growing a baby inside of you—who wouldn’t be a little stressed? Every emotion is heightened when pregnant (thanks, hormones), so stress is common when pregnant, especially since there’s a lot you can stress over: money problems, unplanned pregnancy, complicated pregnancy, being a single parent, weight gain, what diaper bag really is the best, wondering if you’re ready for parenthood, etc. A little stress won’t hurt you or your baby, but you want to avoid high levels of stress while expecting, no matter what happens.

What does stress do to your body while pregnant?

Some stress symptoms during pregnancy look like your typical pregnancy discomforts, like headaches, body aches, trouble sleeping, and a weakened immune system. But pregnancy stress can cause even more serious issues for you and your baby:

High blood pressure. This puts you at greater risk for having preeclampsia, preterm birth (delivering before 37 weeks), and a baby with low birthweight (5.5 lbs or less).
Eating problems. Overeating can result in too much weight gain and gestational diabetes, while not eating enough is harmful to your health and prevents your baby from getting all the nutrition her growing body needs. You’re also at risk for a premature delivery when you’re too underweight or overweight.
Depression. Between 10-20% of pregnant women experience signs of depression. Especially if you’ve had depression before, pregnancy-related stress can lead to the return of your depression symptoms or cause symptoms to worsen.
Health and developmental problems for the baby. Your exposure to stress can have health and development consequences for your child’s cognitive and motor development, temperament, attention regulation, as well as lead to behavior and emotional problems.
Baby sleep issues. Stress may not only keep you from sleeping while pregnant, but it can also trigger your baby to have sleep problems. Cortisol, the stress hormone, can cross into the placenta, and then affect how your baby’s brain regulates his sleep-wake cycles.

Stress can also make you constantly worry about things and prevent you from enjoying your pregnancy.

What can pregnant women do to reduce stress?

Every woman experiences stress differently. Likewise, things that reduce stress for one mom-to-be may not work for others. But in general, here’s how to relieve stress during pregnancy:

Know your stress triggers.

First off, pay attention to what’s causing you stress. It may help to keep a pregnancy journal to jot down your triggers and how you feel before, during, and after a stress episode. Once you realize what’s causing your pregnancy stress, talk with someone about it, like maybe your partner or doctor, and then eliminate any stress triggers you have control over.

Get plenty of sleep.

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Growing a baby is a 24/7 job. You’re constantly nourishing her while still doing your normal, daily tasks. So go to bed early and take naps when you can. If you find it hard to nap, at least lie down and let your body rest.

Eat a well-balanced diet.

Eating healthy is good for your brain, body, and baby. It gives you the physical and mental energy you need to handle nine months of pregnancy while providing your baby the nutrition he needs to properly grow and develop. Here are some foods to focus on during each trimester.

Do some moderate exercises.

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This may not be how you relieve stress during early pregnancy. Most women don’t have the energy to exercise during their first trimester. But usually, you get your energy back during the second trimester. So whenever you feel like it, try some moderate workouts. Even if you don’t, make yourself a few times a week. Go on a walk. Swim a few laps in a pool. Bike around your neighborhood. Exercising releases endorphins. Endorphins not only reduce your perception of pain, but they also produce positive or “feel good” feelings.

Communicate your emotions.

Pregnancy is a rollercoaster of emotions. One day you’re elated about becoming a mom, and the next you’re freaking out about pushing a small watermelon out of your body. Hormones and a changing body are to blame. But no matter what you feel, talk about it. Talk to your partner, parents, friends, moms who are also pregnant, doctor, therapist, or whoever you feel comfortable talking to. Start to build your “mom tribe,” a group that understands what you are going through. Share your fears, concerns, and excitement. Find someone who will listen, give advice, or put things into perspective for you at this time in your life.

Get prenatal massages.

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Find an amazing and certified prenatal massage therapist and let him or her give you a nice lower back, foot, or full-body prenatal massage. The benefits of prenatal massages are more than relaxing muscles and rubbing away pregnant aches and pains. Getting a massage while pregnant can also reduce stress, improve blood flow, alleviate insomnia, and relieve sinus congestion.

Soak in the tub.

We don’t need science to tell us that taking a hot bath is relaxing. We all have probably taken a bubble bath after a long day before. And why do most of us do it? Because it helps relieve body aches, tension, and anxiety. But while you’re pregnant, skip the bubbles and use warm rather than hot water.

Meditate.

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A great relaxation technique to learn while pregnant is meditation. Simply sitting down somewhere comfortable and quiet, closing your eyes, and inhaling and exhaling deep breaths can help clear your mind and soothe your body. And it only takes a few minutes to focus, breathe, and relax to relieve feelings of overwhelm or stress.

You could also try prenatal yoga. The bending and stretching are good for your body, while the breathing and meditation techniques you learn help your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Know what to expect with labor and birth.

Nervous, scared, anxious, overwhelmed—these are all normal feelings pregnant women feel. Knowing what happens during labor and delivery, though, like what you should expect with your body and the baby as well as your before and after care options, can help you feel more confident and at ease as you prepare to give birth. So read articles and books about labor and delivery. Attend birthing and parenting classes. Journal about your intuition to better trust your instincts once baby comes. Ask your OB or midwife questions. Write out a birth plan. Take a tour of the hospital or birth center you’ll be giving birth in.

Make time for self-care.

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The phrase “treat yourself” takes on a whole new meaning when you’re pregnant. Need to get out of the house? Go have brunch with your girls. Can’t reach your toenails? Get a pedicure. Can’t button your pants? Buy some bump-friendly clothes. Haven’t read that book you got for Christmas? Let the laundry wait until tomorrow and read a few chapters. Trouble sleeping? Buy yourself a quality pillow. Your body is working overtime. Take time to take care of yourself. (And don’t forget about self-care once baby arrives too!)

Ask for and accept help.

Wanting to know how to stay stress-free during early pregnancy, or really any stage of pregnancy? Ask for help; help with dinner, dishes, errands, or whatever. And don’t feel bad asking. Your loved ones want to help you, but some may not know how to ask or what to help with. So if someone does offer their help, don’t tell them no.

Get organized.

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Clutter can cause anxiety and stress. So if your house is a mess, get it organized. Take it day by day or room by room. If you can’t do it alone, have someone help you. You can also get organized by planning out the nursery and everything you want to get before baby arrives, like a car seat, reversible stroller, ergonomic baby carrier, swaddles, noise machine, and booger sucker. Just remember to have the mindset that it’s OK if everything doesn’t get done on your to-do list.

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Stress during pregnancy - how to deal with it | Mamovedia

Everyone knows that pregnancy is a period of many changes. Your body, emotions and the life of your family are changing. Of course, the expectant mother is happy with these changes, but with them, experiences can be added, and if a woman is very impressionable, then experiences can turn into stress.

Unfortunately, the feeling of stress is not uncommon during pregnancy, and if you experience it constantly, it brings some discomfort and negative consequences. As a result, sleep problems, headaches, loss of appetite, or, on the contrary, overeating begin. If a woman is under stress for a long time, this can seriously affect her health and, as a result, provoke high blood pressure or heart disease. The impact of stress on a woman's body during pregnancy can provoke preterm labor (before 37 weeks) or the birth of a child with a low birth weight, because babies born too early or too small are at increased risk and health problems.

What can cause stress during pregnancy?

There are many different reasons, these are physiological, hormonal changes in a woman's body, and psychological and emotional stress on the body can also be attributed here.

Here are some of the main causes of pregnancy stress:

discomfort during pregnancy (nausea, constipation, fatigue or back pain)
changes in hormonal levels, which can lead to a change in your mood
anxiety about your health, baby, or fears of childbirth itself
emotional and psychological stress at work

But life goes on and should not stop just because you pregnant.

Symptoms of stress

We all experience stress in one way or another every day (news, traffic jams, doing important work) of course this will not negatively affect our health and will not cause problems with pregnancy. But you should see a specialist if you experience the following symptoms:

Constant insomnia
Sloveness, indifference to everything, apathy
decrease or absence of appetite
Frequent heartbeat
Tremor (trembling of the limbs)
Nervousness

In this case you have a more serious type of stress that you have a more serious type of stress that you have a more serious type of stress. can lead to certain health problems, so you should consult a doctor.

Effects of stress during pregnancy

In fact, women do not fully understand the effects of stress on pregnancy. In this condition, a special hormone rises - glucocorticoid, which is associated with the work of the placenta and can affect genes, as a result of which the consequences can be very serious. Prolonged stress can affect the immune system that protects you from infection.

. .. These include: fear, autism, fears and phobias, enuresis, the development of diabetes, problems with adaptation.

As you can see, the consequences can be serious, so try to avoid stress at all costs.

Control methods co stress om during pregnancy

Know that pregnancy is a period when you should be carried in your arms, you should not be upset about every occasion and take everything to heart. Here are some simple but effective ways to reduce the manifestation of stress during pregnancy:

healthy diet and good sleep (at least 8 hours)
light physical exercises, which are a good prevention of back pain and unloading for the spine.
perinatal courses for pregnant women, they will not only dispel myths and doubts, but also provide the expectant mother with the necessary knowledge of what to expect during pregnancy and after.
engaging in your favorite kind of creativity or needlework (drawing, knitting, sewing, weaving, color therapy)
communicate only with people who radiate positive energy, because it is our environment that makes us happy or unhappy.

And remember the most important thing - the discomfort you experience is only temporary, the happiest moments await you ahead - the birth of a baby and your acquaintance with him :)

Pregnancy with epilepsy - GBUZ MO MONIIAG

Having healthy children is a natural desire of every woman. Many myths and prejudices prevent women with epilepsy from deciding to have a child, while many misconceptions have no basis. With the right approach to pregnancy planning and drug therapy, it is likely that a woman suffering from epilepsy will be able to give birth to a healthy child.

Epilepsy complicates approximately 0.3-0.5% of pregnancies. From 14 to 32% of these patients report an increase in the frequency of seizures during pregnancy. Pregnant women with ongoing or newly diagnosed seizures are at high risk and require close monitoring by a neurologist and an obstetrician-gynecologist.

There is also a risk of having a child with malformations, due to the fact that most antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have a negative effect on the fetus. This exposure is called a "teratogenic effect" and can cause birth defects in a child or developmental and learning disabilities as the child grows.

If a woman is not planning a pregnancy during treatment for epilepsy, it is recommended to use reliable contraception to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.

What are the actions of a woman with epilepsy who is planning a pregnancy?

BEFORE CONCEPTION IT IS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN A CONSULTATION WITH AN EPILEPTOLOGIST

TO SOLVE THE FOLLOWING ISSUES

1. Necessity of anticonvulsant therapy.

2. Determination of the minimum amount (ideally monotherapy) and the minimum effective dose of AEDs that do not cause seizures.

3. Taking slow-release AEDs or dividing the daily dose to lower peak blood levels, which may reduce the risk of malformations in the child.

4. Start taking folic acid at a dosage of at least 1 mg per day.

TERATOGENIC EFFECT OF ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS

1. All AEDs are teratogenic, there is no consensus on which AED is the safest.

2. The risk of fetal abnormalities increases with the number and dosage of AEDs taken.

3. Anomalies in the development of the fetus, due to the use of AEDs, can occur only in the first weeks of pregnancy, when all systems and organs of the fetus are formed.

4. Changing AED therapy after the first trimester has no effect on the risk of congenital anomalies.

5. 95% of children born to mothers receiving AED treatment have no abnormalities!

I HAVE BEEN PREGNANT, WHAT'S NEXT?

1. Epilepsy is not a contraindication for pregnancy.

2. Do not cancel PEP! Do not change the dosage of PEP yourself! Do not replace AEDs that have resulted in remission of epilepsy - taking AEDs during pregnancy is vital, as many factors increase the risk of recurrence of even well-controlled seizures before pregnancy. The most common provocateurs of seizures during pregnancy are skipping AEDs, emotional stress and sleep disturbances!!!

3. It is necessary to register for pregnancy for timely prenatal screening, get advice from an epileptologist.

4. Treatment of obstetric complications is carried out according to clinical guidelines.

5. Epilepsy is not a contraindication for natural childbirth, and labor management and pain relief are consistent with generally accepted standards. In most cases, prolonged epidural analgesia can be used.

6. Epilepsy is not an indication for caesarean section, even if there are several seizures during pregnancy!!! Indications for cesarean section are an increase in epileptic seizures, convulsive seizures more than once a week in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, serial or status epilepsy, and a seizure during childbirth.

POSTPARTUM AND BREASTFEEDING

1. Continue taking AED!!! There is a risk of epilepsy decompensation in the postpartum period!!!

2. In case of drowsiness, double vision and involuntary movement in the eyes, ataxia, an urgent study of the concentration of AED in the blood is necessary. If the dosage of the drug was increased during pregnancy, then it is advisable to return to the daily dose used before pregnancy.

3. Breastfeeding a newborn is not contraindicated! An exception should be made for phenobarbital and lamotrigine. The mechanisms of their excretion from the body of the newborn are not formed, which can lead to the accumulation of the drug.

4. Take AED after feeding!

5. The most common complication in newborns is skin manifestations in the form of allergic reactions. The use of phenobarbital during pregnancy can lead to both sedative manifestations (drowsiness, poor sucking, muscle weakness, lethargy, lethargy) and withdrawal syndrome (motor agitation, restless sleep, frequent unreasonable crying), if for any reason breastfeeding milk stops.