Admin
April 25, 2022

With the changes happening in your life now that you’re pregnant, things can get stressful. Now that there’s life growing inside you, it is important to have a healthy pregnancy, which means going through pregnancy stress-free.

You may notice drastic changes in your bodies which can be overwhelming. With the changes happening, it is important to care for both the physical and mental well-being to have a stress-free pregnancy. Although pregnancy stress is unlikely to cause problems with your baby, prolonged stress poses a higher risk of premature birth and low birth weight. Here are some tips on how to prevent stress:

1. Eat a Healthy Diet

Food is something we all love and now that you’re feeding not just for yourself but also your baby, it is important to eat healthy food for the development of your baby. Eating good food can instantly make you feel a lot better. Eat regularly, so your blood sugar doesn’t drop and leave you feeling tired and irritable. Stay hydrated, as dehydration can make it difficult for you to concentrate or think clearly. We recommend having 6 to 8 medium (200ml) cups or glasses of fluids a day.

2. Keep Your Body Moving

Doing exercise is good for your overall health even when you’re pregnant. Exercise is a great way for stress management. Not only can it boost your wellbeing, it also releases feel-good chemicals on the brain which are called endorphins. Although exercise can be daunting as you are concerned about the baby, there many types of exercises that are pregnancy-safe. An example of it is pregnancy yoga, dancing and low impact aerobics which is safe to build up your heart rate and is not too strenuous.

3. Get Enough Sleep and Rest

One way to manage stress during pregnancy is to get enough sleep and rest. Always listen to your body’s needs. When you feel exhausted, take a nap or go to bed early. This is important for your overall health(mentally and physically) all throughout your pregnancy journey. While staying active is important for a healthy pregnancy, rest is just as important for both you and your baby.

4. Prenatal Massages

Prenatal massage is a massage that can ease some aches and pains of pregnancy, to help you relax. Prenatal massage is safe, with doctors often prescribing it as a supplemental treatment for the aches and pains of pregnancy. There are lots of benefits the prenatal massage such as:

• • Relieving stress in pregnancy
• • Decreasing symptoms of depression
• • Regulating hormone levels 
• • Improving blood circulation
• • Reducing swelling, muscle aches, and joint pain
• • Improving labor outcomes

5. Take Deep Breaths

Deep breathing can help you relax. It can help you clear your mind and relax your body. When breathing, keep it slow and steady. Your diaphragm should go down and expand your abdomen when taking deep breaths. Compared to regular breathing, deep breathing uses your lungs’ full capacity. Keep in mind to not take deep, quick and forceful breaths, as it could make you feel faint, light-headed, and dizzy.

6.Learn What to Expect During Labor

Most of the time, pregnant women experience stress during pregnancy because they don’t know what to expect during pregnancy and labor. The answer to that is to antenatal classes to know what to expect and understand all the options you have in labor. Be informed and do research, as pregnancy is different for everyone and with that, you’ll know what to do when different situations arise. When there are questions, ask your doctor about it to have a comprehensive explanation about it.

7. Connect with Other Pregnant Women

Though there are parenting guides that may help you with your questions regarding pregnancy, connecting with other pregnant women can give you a perspective or insight on pregnancy. Pregnancy can be stressful, as you don’t know what to expect, but having someone to share the same experiences with can lift that uneasy feeling. Pregnancy differs from person-to-person but this may prepare you for what is coming. They can also advise you as they experience the same thing as you. If you’re shy to approach other pregnant women, you can watch videos on YouTube of pregnant women documenting their daily life. They also share their insights and experiences there.

8. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. This protects the health and well-being of both mothers and their babies. There are lots of benefits practicing mindfulness can bring, which are:

• • Reduces stress
• • Boosts positive feelings
• • Helps prevent premature birth
• • Promotes healthy development

Being pregnant and preparing for your little one’s arrival is never a simple thing, physically and emotionally. Feeling emotional during pregnancy is normal because of the hormone changes, but it is also important to ask for help when you feel very overwhelmed. Taking care of your emotional well-being can also affect your baby’s health.

These simple tips can help reduce the stress you are feeling, but if you feel too overwhelmed, it is best to ask for medical help.

You got this, mommies!

sources: babycentre.co.uk, webmd.com, tommys.org, freepik.com