Stress in pregnancy
Emily Cater
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Pregnancy not only causes huge physical changes to your body, it can have an impact on your emotional health, too. If you're experiencing stress in pregnancy, help is at hand.
Why am I feeling stressed during pregnancy?
It's completely normal to feel excited about your pregnancy but also have moments of feeling worried or scared. Pregnancy – and having a baby – is life-changing so it's natural to experience a range of feelings.
Not only that, the pregnancy hormones flooding your body can make you more emotional.
Some of the causes of stress in pregnancy include:
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- fear of pregnancy loss
- fear of labour and delivery
- psychological worries around becoming a parent or expanding your family
- financial stress of raising a child
- a response to the unpleasant physical problems like nausea and sickness, backache and exhaustion
These maternal worries and stresses can feel pretty rubbish, but rest assured they are all perfectly normal in pregnancy at any age, and especially if it's your first child.
Many of these worries can also affect dads-to-be and the partners of pregnant women. If your partner is pregnant, it's perfectly normal for you to experience stress, and it's important to look after yourself, too.
However, if you feel constantly stressed and out of control or are having panic attacks, then please don't suffer in silence. Contact your GP or midwife who will be able to offer support and advice.
What are the symptoms of stress in pregnancy?
The symptoms of stress can vary from person to person, but the NHS states that the most common ones are:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Headaches
- Upset stomach
- Low mood
- Low self esteem
- Irritability
- Racing thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
Some of these, such as difficulty sleeping, can be normal side-effects of pregnancy. But if you're experiencing a few of the above symptoms, it's usually worth seeking a bit of extra support.
Stress is a part of normal life, and in fact, in small doses, isn't always a bad thing. However, it's when severe stress becomes a part of your daily life, ie chronic stress, that it can cause problems.
The effects of chronic stress can increase your chance of complications like premature birth and low birth rate. It can also affect your baby's development.
This is because your body thinks it constantly needs to be in 'fight or flight' mode. You produce a high surge of stress hormones, or cortisol, which could affect your baby’s stress management system.
Fortunately, self-help techniques and getting the right treatment can reduce any risks. Read on for more info.
Could it be depression?
The difference between stress and depression is sometimes hard to spot, but there are key differences.
According to the NHS, symptoms of depression can include:
- Withdrawing from other people
- Feeling sad and tearful
- Feeling empty and numb
- Feeling helpless and hopeless
- Feeling irritable and intolerant of others
- Feeling anxious or worried
- Having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self harm
If you think you could be suffering from depression during pregnancy (also known as prenatal depression or antenatal depression), speak to your doctor or midwife as soon as possible, they will be able to diagnose you. Read more about antenatal depression.
Will being stressed affect my pregnancy or my baby?
Certain disorders or complications often get linked to stress in pregnancy, which can cause concern if you are expecting. Don't believe everything you read on Google!
The main thing to know is that the everyday stress of life is unlikely to affect your pregnancy or your baby in any way. Stress usually only affects a person's health if it's very severe, or goes on a long time; such as the stress of losing a loved one.
Here's the lowdown from various studies on how stress can affect the health of a pregnancy:
Pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication that affects your blood pressure and organs, and could lead to early delivery of your baby.
Past research has shown that if you already have high blood pressure (hypertension), you’re at greater risk of getting pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.
It’s a common misconception that chronic stress can cause long-term hypertension, however it is not the case, and pre-eclampsia is largely not caused by being stressed. Stress can cause only short-term spikes in blood pressure.
Additionally, not every mother with chronic hypertension gets pre-eclampsia.
According to the NHS, data shows that mild pre-eclampsia affects up to 6% of pregnancies, and severe cases develop in only about 1 to 2% of pregnancies.
You therefore needn't worry that being stressed means you’ll risk having high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia.
Miscarriage
According to the miscarriage charity Tommy's, stress is not linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.
They emphasise that stress is common in pregnancy, and studies haven't shown any link between increased stress – even severe stress – and miscarriage.
Premature birth and low birth weight
Some studies link stress to premature birth – delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Premature babies are more likely to have developmental delays or a learning disorder. As adults, they’re more at risk of having chronic health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Also linked is low birthweight (weighing less than 5 1/2 pounds). However with the right care, most premature infants are born every day and do quite well.
However, it's usually only very severe stress that can cause these issues (such as the stress of losing a loved one). The usual daily stresses of having a baby aren't likely to affect your little one's development.
The most important takeaway here is to do what you can to avoid adding risk factors - like stress - to your pregnancy if you can, or seek treatment, because the fewer the risk factors, the more positive the outcomes.
Will high cortisol levels in pregnancy affect my baby?
Cortisol is an important hormone that has lots of functions in the body, including supporting a healthy metabolism as well as regulating the body's stress response. When we're stressed, we have more cortisol in our system.
There's some evidence that raised levels of cortisol during pregnancy can increase the risk of your baby having growth problems; either restricted growth, or growing too big (large for gestational age).
Raised cortisol levels may also affect a baby's cognitive development. There's a very small amount of evidence that increased cortisol in early pregnancy might lead to slower development in the first year of a baby's life. But the same study also found that stress in late pregnancy might lead to faster development.
In short, there's still a lot we don't know about how cortisol affects a developing baby. But once again, experts stress that if there are any risks, they're most likely to be associated with severe, long-term stress.
How to manage stress and anxiety in pregnancy
1. Don’t suffer in silence
Bottling things up will only make it worse, whereas talking about your feelings will help to relieve your stress. Although you might feel like talking about things won't help, there's loads of evidence that just speaking out can really help you feel better.
Speaking to friends, your partner or midwife can provide much reassurance when you need it the most.
If there's no one you can turn to, you could consider trying professional counselling – even a couple of sessions might help to put things in perspective.
You can also get help and advice from other mums going through similar things, over in the Netmums Coffeehouse.
If you're feeling super stressed and don't know where to turn, you can always call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
2. Practice self-care
Take good care of your body, and your mental wellbeing will improve too.
Eat a balanced diet and healthy food, drink plenty of water and take some gentle exercise – a brisk walk, gentle jog or something mindful like yoga can really work wonders.
Some sports and fitness activities are better suited to pregnancy than others, like jogging, swimming, and pilates, so opt for more gentle forms of exercise like this, and don't throw yourself into something brand new before talking to your GP.
You can also try breathing exercises, mindfulness and other relaxation techniques. There are loads of meditation apps available that can help you learn how to calm down when you're feeling stressed. And breathing exercises will be handy during labour, too!
Of course, if you're really busy and stressed, it can be hard to find the time or energy to look after yourself. But now you're pregnant, you really need to prioritise self-care. Earmark at least half an hour a day just for you.
Read more about health in pregnancy here.
3. Get plenty of rest
Pregnancy is tiring! In fact, tiredness and fatigue in pregnancy is one of the most common symptoms mums-to-be will experience.
It’s important to take care of yourself and put your feet up now and again without feeling guilty – after all, you're growing an ACTUAL human being inside of you.
Treat yourself to a new book or a long bath, have a nap, and be sure to take some time for you. The hoovering can always wait.
If you already have children this can be tricky, but don't be scared to ask for help and accept it if it's offered. You deserve it.
Getting enough sleep at night can be easier said than done, especially if you're suffering from pregnancy symptoms like heartburn, or needing to get up and go to the loo every five minutes. Take naps during the day if you need to.
4. Try to understand what's causing your stress
Sometimes there’s no easy answer, but give it some thought. It could be one big thing or an accumulation of lots of little things.
An uncomfortable commute to work? A busy social life? The fear of giving birth? Or responsibilities you are finding hard to maintain?
Identifying areas that are causing you stress and attempting to create some balance should help your overall wellbeing.
Can you work from home? If so, do. Cut back on social plans? Great. If you're feeling stressed over giving birth, talk to your midwife, or other mums who can help put you at ease.
5. Prepare for birth and beyond
When you’re pregnant, there’s a lot of uncertainty around giving birth and what happens once the baby finally arrives.
For some women, the lack of control can cause stress and anxiety. Speak to your midwife about birthing options and start planning for your baby’s arrival
Make a list of all the things you need for having your baby - and bringing them home - and start getting everything in order.
Taking control should boost your confidence and help eliminate feelings of stress.
What if my stress continues?
If you've tried the self-help tips above, and still feel you are unable to cope or manage your stress, then you should consult your doctor or midwife.
They are there to help so please don't feel you have to face this alone.
Are there treatments for stress in pregnancy?
Your GP's likely to recommend that you try the self-help tips above at first. They may give you worksheets, or the details of websites that can help you manage your stress yourself.
If that doesn't work, they may suggest talking therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which can help you get on top of things.
Stress is considered a part of everyday life, not a mental health condition, so there isn't any specific medication for it. But if your stress leads to anxiety or depression, and it's affecting your daily life, your GP may recommend medicine to help these conditions.
Not all anxiety medications or antidepressants are suitable for use during pregnancy, but your GP will help you weigh the risks and benefits, and find the right option for you.
What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff is a must-read book for all expectant parents. See more details here at Amazon.
You can also buy it here at Waterstones.
Are you pregnant and experiencing stress? Read more below, and speak to other mums-to-be over on our forum:
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