Stress pregnancy symptoms
Stress and pregnancy | March of Dimes
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
Stress and pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
Stress and pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content4-minute read
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Being pregnant can bring up a range of emotions for you, including feeling anxious or stressed, but this is completely normal.
Stress is a normal reaction to a major change (such as pregnancy). In some cases, stress may even be good for people because it can push them to take action in the face of new challenges. However, too much stress can be overwhelming and could even lead to health problems both for you and your baby.
What can cause stress in pregnancy?
For some women, finding out that they are pregnant can be a stressful experience in itself. You could feel like you have lost control or don’t have enough resources to manage what you’ll be experiencing. Stress can come from having a pregnancy that is unplanned, or becoming pregnant after previous negative experiences with a pregnancy, birth or motherhood, such as a miscarriage or the death of a baby.
It can be stressful while waiting for the results of your antenatal tests, and dealing with the physical changes of pregnancy or a complicated pregnancy.
The situation at home may cause stress, such as being a single parent or teenager and wondering how you will cope, or experiencing relationship difficulties, which could include family violence.
Pregnancy can lead to practical challenges, such as financial difficulties, moving house and job changes.
Emotional stresses, such as grief, such as a death in the family, past anxiety, depression or other mental illness, can cause more stress during pregnancy, as can drug and alcohol problems.
If more than one of the above are happening to you at the same time, you could experience even more stress.
How can stress affect my baby and me?
Chronic (ongoing) stress can affect your own health or wellbeing, and can include experiencing headaches, problems sleeping, fast breathing and a racing pulse.
Some people might also experience:
- obsessive thoughts
- worry or anxiety
- anger
- eating problems (too much or too little food, or the wrong types of food)
- trouble relaxing or winding down
Chronic stress could also cause problems for your baby. These can include effects on your unborn baby’s growth and the length of gestation (your pregnancy).
They can also increase the risk of problems in your baby’s future physical and mental development, as well as behavioural issues in childhood.
Reducing stress while you are pregnant
It’s important to look after your mental wellbeing during pregnancy, just as it’s important to look after your physical health. When you are feeling well, content and happy, you are better able to manage stress. When your stress is managed, it is not likely to have any serious effects on you or your baby.
To reduce stress, you could try the following:
- Pay attention to the triggers that make you stressed and notice what happens when you feel stressed.
- Try to slow down, rest and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
- Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet to help keep you and your baby healthy.
- Talk to someone you trust about your concerns and how you’re feeling.
Physical activity and relaxation can also help to reduce stress:
- Take part in regular exercise, suitable for pregnancy.
- Do yoga, meditation, breathing, or relaxation through classes, or using apps, videos or podcasts.
- Engage in a favourite distraction activity such as reading, watching TV or a hobby.
- Spend time with people who make you feel calm.
You don’t need to cope on your own. Try to ask for help when you need it and accept people’s offers to help you.
Further help
If you need more help to manage your stress, you can contact:
- your GP, who can help you or refer you to a psychologist or counsellor
- your obstetrician or midwife
- PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia) on 1300 726 306
- Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
Sometimes the health professionals you talk with may not have enough time to answer all of your questions or talk through all of your concerns. If you need to discuss any issues further, call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to speak to a maternal child health nurse for advice and support.
Sources:
Beyond Blue (What to expect during pregnancy), Centre for Community Child Health (The First Thousand Days - an evidence paper), Australian Family Physician (Chronic stress), Centre of Perinatal Excellence (Stress & relaxation strategies in pregnancy), Raising Children Network (Stress and pregnancy)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: June 2020
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- Mental wellbeing during pregnancy
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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 :)
First signs of pregnancy before delay, early symptoms
Significant hormonal changes occur during pregnancy. This causes a number of symptoms. Some women experience pregnancy symptoms right away, while others may only have a few. About the first signs of pregnancy at an early stage and when exactly the initial signs of pregnancy appear are described in the article.
At what time do the first signs of pregnancy appear
The answer to the question of when the first signs of pregnancy appear is rather ambiguous, because some women do not feel any signs at all during the first few weeks. At what week do the first signs of pregnancy appear in others? When do the first signs of pregnancy appear after conception? Symptoms of very early pregnancy (such as breast tenderness) may appear before a missed period, as early as six to seven days after conception, while other early signs of pregnancy (such as spotting) may appear about a week after ovulation. We will tell you more about the first signs of pregnancy before menstruation and when the signs of pregnancy appear.
What are the earliest signs of pregnancy?
The first signs of pregnancy in the early stages:
- delayed menstruation - 29%;
- nausea - 25%;
- mood swings - from 14 to 23%;
- breast changes - 17%;
- pain in the lower abdomen - 15%;
- depression - 15%;
- fatigue, drowsiness - 13%
- decrease in immunity - 6%;
- the first signs of pregnancy - discharge or implantation bleeding - only 3%.
Physiological first signs of pregnancy
What are the very first symptoms of pregnancy?
The most common physiological signs of pregnancy include:
- Tender and enlarged breasts. Signs of pregnancy in the first days after conception include breast changes (1-2 weeks after conception). The area around the nipples, called the areola, may also darken.
- Drowsiness and fatigue. Fatigue is also among the signs of pregnancy in the first days after conception. During early pregnancy, levels of the hormone progesterone rise dramatically, which can cause drowsiness.
- Nausea with vomiting. When do these signs of pregnancy appear? Morning sickness, which can appear at any time of the day or night, often appears between the second and eighth weeks after conception.
- Dizziness and fainting .
This may be due to dilation of blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
- Spasms. Some women experience symptoms of pregnancy in the early days, such as slight cramps in the uterus.
- Headaches and back pains. Many pregnant women complain of frequent headaches and others experience back pain.
- Insomnia - another first sign of pregnancy before the test. Causes can include stress, physical discomfort, and hormonal changes.
- Change in taste preferences. Like most other symptoms of pregnancy, these eating habits can be attributed to hormonal changes.
- Temperature. Early signs of pregnancy include fever (37-37.5).
- Delayed menstruation. How long does it take for the first signs of pregnancy to appear? If you are of childbearing age and a week or more has passed without your expected period, you may be pregnant.
However, this symptom can be misleading if you have an irregular menstrual cycle.
- Bloody discharge - the first signs of pregnancy . This bleeding, known as implantation bleeding, occurs when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, approximately 10 to 14 days after conception.
- Bloating, heartburn. Hormonal changes can cause problems with the stomach and esophagus - these are common signs of pregnancy at 2 weeks.
- Constipation . Hormonal changes cause the digestive system to slow down, which can lead to constipation (signs of pregnancy after a delay).
- Frequent urination. You may urinate more than usual, which is a common sign of pregnancy at 5 weeks. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in the body increases, causing the kidneys to process excess fluid that enters the bladder.
- Runny nose.
The appearance of this symptom is associated with excessive production of the hormone estrogen.
- Exacerbation of chronic diseases. This is a sign of pregnancy after ovulation.
- Increased salivation. Also associated with hormonal changes.
- Sense of smell enhancement . Signs of pregnancy in the first two weeks may cause sensitivity to certain smells and the sense of taste may change.
Emotional first signs of pregnancy
The first signs of pregnancy before the delay (the earliest signs of pregnancy) include psycho-emotional symptoms.
- Mood swings.
- Irritability.
- Vulnerability, tearfulness.
- Capriciousness.
- Depression.
These are all emotional signs of early pregnancy that many women report. They describe feelings of heightened emotion or even bouts of crying, which are associated with rapid changes in hormone levels in the body.
Also, signs of pregnancy at week 4 can make you feel PMS-style cranky. In addition, about 15% of women suffer from depression or anxiety during pregnancy. And after childbirth, these conditions suffer even more. In this case, it is better to seek help from a doctor.
Do everything you can to improve your mood: get plenty of rest, eat well, get enough sleep, do things you love, and pamper yourself.
However, be aware that mood swings can be caused by a number of conditions other than pregnancy.
Influence of early pregnancy on daily routine
Early signs of pregnancy, mainly those that bring discomfort, may cause a change in daily routine. Here are some tips on what you can do with some of them:
- In case of toxicosis, avoid too hot or too cold food - this provokes an attack of vomiting. Eat often - at least 5-6 times a day, but in small portions.
- For nausea or vomiting, try ginger, chamomile, or vitamin B6.
- Drink plenty of water, in small sips between meals, to replenish lost fluids.
Teas, juices, fruit drinks are also suitable. - For back pain, wear shoes or shoe insoles designed for pregnant women and avoid high heels. Sleep on a firm mattress.
- For chest discomfort, wear a special bra that supports your enlarged breasts.
- For constipation, eat more fiber-rich foods such as wheat bran and fresh vegetables and fruits.
- If you suffer from headaches and mood swings, try stress reduction techniques such as yoga or meditation.
- Be outdoors more often, at least half an hour a day. This helps to reduce the symptoms of toxicosis, calm the nervous system.
- Maintain your daily physical activity for as long as it is convenient for you to perform certain activities.
- Eat a balanced diet with enough protein, fat and carbohydrates.
Important! All these tips are advisory in nature, be sure to consult your doctor if you encounter discomfort.
What to do if you notice early signs of pregnancy
To make sure the signs of pregnancy are accurate, you can use the following methods to diagnose early pregnancy:
- Donate blood for hCG.
This method can be used a few days after conception. This type of pregnancy test is done using a small sample of blood that is analyzed in a hospital. It determines whether there is a pregnancy hormone in your body and in what quantity. Its accuracy is 99%. - Use a test strip. It can be used at home from the first days of delay. To determine pregnancy, dip the reagent area of the test strip into the urine. Accuracy: 99%. You can buy Evitest or HomeTest test strips in our pharmacy.
- Use jet or electronic test. They can be used at home a few days before your expected period. You need to remove its protective cap, substitute the test under the stream of urine for 10 seconds, and after 3-5 minutes get the result. Accuracy: 97%. In our pharmacy you can buy Evitest or Alpe inkjet tests.
- Get your first ultrasound. You can use this method at 3-4 weeks from the start of a missed period.
