Pregnancy is exciting, happy, fascinating but sometimes can get frustrating and stressful. It’s not an easy journey and can take a toll mentally and physically. Moreover, it’s shown that extreme pregnancy stress can affect the health of your baby.
So when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed during your pregnancy, how do you deal with it?
Tips to cope with pregnancy stress
Ensure you have the right support system. Pregnancy is full of ups and downs and having the right support around you will help you navigate the highs and lows you face. Your support system could comprise your partner or spouse, close family and friends, your doctor, books or even a fridge loaded with your favorite food. Try and set up your support system early in your pregnancy and keep turning to them whenever required. If you need to vent out your stress or frustrations, you know who to turn to.
Read and prepare yourself. Arm yourself with knowledge about pregnancy, labour, childcare by reading up research papers or asking questions to your doctor. The more you read and understand the more prepared you will be. As a result, you shall feel less stressed and your worries and concerns will dissipate.
Meditate. Meditation is extremely effective at decreasing stress levels, so why not give it a try when pregnant? It gives you a break from your day, allowing you to focus on yourself and your thoughts for a while, without any judgment. It’s simple and takes only a small amount of time, and you can even meditate at home!
Eat well. When faced with pregnancy stress, you might end up overeating or ignoring food cues completely. This, mixed with the various hormones running through your body at such a time may make you “hangry”. Instead, make sure you eat nutritious meals at regular intervals, with proper water intake as well. And yes, you should even give into cravings now and then.
Don’t overexert yourself. You’re about to bring a new life into this world, there is no need to overextend yourself, be it at work or at home. Understand that your body and mind can only take a certain amount of strain. Take regular breaks, work from home with defined hours and let others pick up the pace at home, it’s perfectly okay and will help reduce pregnancy stress.
Get enough rest. Be it through naps during the day or sleeping better at night, you should get ample rest. Take breaks, wind down and give your feet some down time. It’s these breaks and alone time that will reduce stress, recharge your body and give you some joy. Sleep helps reduce any cortisol in your body brought about by stress leading to better health for you and your baby.
Gentle exercise. Light walks or mild swimming are suggested exercises when pregnant. They will help you deal with stress as exercising produces endorphins, which surge your mind and body with positive energy. The physical activity will also be helpful to your baby and keep you fit, while allowing you to cope with stress. Always consult with your doctor to know what’s the right amount of exercise for you.
Pregnancy stress can be extremely tough to deal with considering it comes with a lot of changes in your body. Remember that there are easy ways to deal with it. However if your stress is prolonged, we suggest you talk to a professional and consult your doctor as well.
The Evolve app is now live globally on Android & Apple, click here to try for free!
