Pregnancy and Stress

Pregnancy and Stress

Pregnancy and childbirth are a joyful and exciting time for a woman to experience significant changes both spiritually and physically. During this period, emotions and behaviors differ depending on the rapidly changing hormones and the sensitivity of the woman increases. This good news, which will make a big change in the lives of parents, can bring some fear and stress. Stress, as most of us know, is all of our reactions to events and situations that force, restrict and prevent us. Stress is a natural and physiological process and does not just express negativity. Although sources of stress vary, there are known sources of stress that apply to many people. Stress, when dealt with appropriately, keeps one awake and empowered against the external environment. On the other hand, when stress reaches disturbing levels and cannot be resolved by behavioral and cognitive methods, the body's resistance is broken and it can be harmful for a pregnant woman as it is for all people.

 Today, living conditions, women's involvement in working life and the difficulty of working conditions cause pregnant women to be exposed to more stress. Studies suggest that long-term high stress may have negative effects on pregnancy and may bring some special risks. Some stresses that cannot be controlled or prevented during pregnancy (prenatal stress) may adversely affect fetal development and lead to undesirable results. During pregnancy, there may be concerns about birth, baby, motherhood role and physical change and appearance. Physical symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, low back pain, swelling in the hands and feet, weight gain, and anxiety about whether the baby is healthy, and stress factors in thoughts about the birth process, delivery method and labor pains, especially for those who are experiencing their first pregnancy. as they appear. It is known that prenatal stress in humans causes an increased risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, early pregnancy loss and fetal death. The period of exposure to prenatal stress is also extremely important and causes different results according to the week of exposure to stress. It is known that these results reveal the effects of the fetus in different periods of life (fetal period, newborn period, childhood, adolescence and adulthood). Children born under stress may be more likely to have Type II diabetes, obesity, hypertension and allergies in the long term. In addition, there are studies showing that behavioral disorders such as irritability and concentration disorders are seen at a higher rate than the general population in children born to mothers who are under stress.

The support and understanding of the environment is very important in the face of the changing emotional changes during pregnancy. During this period, the expectant mother should make some efforts for the health of both herself and her baby. A pregnant woman should eat healthy, get enough sleep, avoid alcohol and smoking. She should accept that the pregnancy period is a different and special period from her previous life. expectant mother; She should take care to notice her changing feelings and spare more time for herself during periods when she feels her tension increase. Relaxation exercises (such as breathing techniques, pregnancy yoga) during pregnancy work well during pregnancy, heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and muscle tone decrease. In particular, relaxation techniques also help women during childbirth. During pregnancy, many people will share ideas and shares about pregnancy. It can be difficult and tiring for the expectant mother to take into account all that has been said. For this reason, the pregnant woman should be in close communication with her doctor and trust him. She should first share her concerns about the baby's health with her doctor.

Every beautiful moment that a happy, peaceful and self-confident mother-to-be spares for herself will make great contributions to the healthy development of her baby.