Severe stress during pregnancy: consequences for the child. How to deal with stress during pregnancy and why is it dangerous? What are we afraid of during pregnancy?

Stress during pregnancy can be caused by both external and internal factors. From the first days of pregnancy, a complete restructuring begins in the body. At the beginning of pregnancy, nausea may begin, later frequent urge to urinate, constipation, heartburn, digestive system upset, bad or vice versa, increased appetite, dizziness, etc. others suffer from all the symptoms at once, others are tormented by only some of them. A psychological condition often joins a poor physical condition. Pregnant women, and at the same time those around them, are tormented by frequent mood swings, tearfulness, irritability, resentment, increased anxiety, vague fears, etc. In the second trimester, the gums may begin to bleed, headaches, runny nose, slight swelling may disturb.

The very state of pregnancy causes a woman a little stress, primarily from changes in hormonal levels. A woman during this period is preparing to become a mother, which completely changes her previous lifestyle - and this is also a kind of stress. To this are added problems at work or in family life, a woman begins to worry greatly about her future and the future of her baby. Closer to childbirth, a woman is haunted by fear of this process, especially if the child is the first and the pregnancy was not going very well. Stress in small doses is even useful, both for mom and baby. But if this condition haunts a pregnant woman for a very long time and manifests itself quite strongly, in this case it is worth seeking help from a specialist, because the negative effects of stress can seriously affect the mental health of the child.

By about the fifth month, the woman’s physical condition returns to normal, she is not bothered by morning sickness, frequent headaches disappear, she is less often irritated over trifles, and she is happy from the realization that a small life lives in her. But over time, a woman feels pulling pains in the lower abdomen, this is due to the fact that the ligaments that support the abdominal press are tightened. She is more and more distracted, more tired, closer to childbirth there is a feeling of fear of this process, especially in first-borns.

All these conditions cause some stress in the body of a pregnant woman, but not in the usual sense. Such shallow experiences do not affect the health of the future person, moreover, with small negative emotions, the hormone cortisol appears in the human body. This hormone, in reasonable doses, is necessary for the child to develop properly. And with severe stress, cortisol in the body of the mother, and, consequently, the child, receives too much, which, according to experts, can lead to congenital pathologies.

Severe stress during pregnancy

If a woman experiences severe stress during pregnancy, her chances of giving birth to an autistic child are doubled (autistic is a person with a mental disorder, which is characterized by immersion in the personal world, such people have a greatly weakened connection with the outside world, they lose interest to reality, there is no desire for communication, they have a very meager emotional manifestation).

Such conclusions were made by American scientists who conducted an experiment involving five hundred pregnant women. During the experiment, experts assessed stress by the strength of the impact. As it turned out, women in whose group of stressful situations were superior in strength to others were 2 times more likely to have children who were subsequently diagnosed with autism.

Severe stress, according to doctors, is moving to a new place of residence, bereavement of loved ones, job loss, conflicts with relatives, etc. It is especially dangerous if a woman has been under severe stress from the 24th to the 28th week of pregnancy, since during this period the mother's nervous strain can greatly affect the baby's brain.

As a result of the research, it turned out that the appearance of autism is associated not only with genetic abnormalities, as previously assumed, but to a large extent this is due to the negative factors of the surrounding world, in particular, the psycho-emotional state of the mother during pregnancy.

Nervous stress during pregnancy

Nervous stress during pregnancy is accompanied by every woman. Even in those moments when she is absolutely happy, a woman endures heavy mental stress. Any external irritant, which is conditionally divided into physical and mental, can lead to a severe psychological shock. The physical source of stress is characterized by a constant effect on the body of a pregnant woman - heat or cold, thirst or hunger, heavy physical exertion. Physical stress is possible with malnutrition, insufficient sleep, reduced physical activity. With psychological sources of stress, emotional overstrain is observed, this condition can be provoked by a lie of a loved one, resentment, as well as situations where there is a threat to personal relationships (for example, with a husband), social status, financial condition. Also, lack of time can lead to psychological stress, when responsibility is felt, but there is no time to think about a decision. Moreover, the source of stress here is precisely the attitude of a person to the situation.

Stress loads accompany a woman throughout pregnancy. The main sources of stress here are natural restructuring, pregnancy, which was not included in the plans, thoughts about how to live on, about the health of the child, fear of childbirth. Experiences are usually associated with the news of pregnancy, the need to attend a consultation, communicate with doctors, conflict situations in the family or at work.

Stress during pregnancy has a very strong effect on the nervous system of the unborn child. As a result of frequent nervous shocks of the mother during pregnancy, children grow up more nervous, restless, it is harder for them to adapt to the world around them. Children whose mothers were pregnant who suffered from the cruelty of their husbands showed lower intellectual development than their peers who developed in calm conditions. Scientists have found that the cause of this is the hormone cortisol - the higher its level in the mother's blood, and, accordingly, in the amniotic fluid, the higher the risk of developmental delays. Approximately 15% of children who have anxiety, attention deficit, delays in the development of psychomotor functions, became victims of a strong nervous shock of the mother, transferred during fetal development. The most dangerous for the expectant mother is the stress in which she is subjected to cruel treatment, in this case, the risk of hyperactivity syndrome is doubled. If the mother's stress during pregnancy could be reduced in a timely manner, then hundreds of thousands of severe psychological and neurological disorders in children could be avoided.

Experts say that stress and negativity cannot be kept in oneself, one must get rid of it. Sometimes you need to talk to make it easier. Nervous strain can be relieved by having fun and relaxing time. If there is no positive dynamics, you should definitely consult a doctor, you may need the help of a qualified specialist. It is necessary to understand the source of the stressful situation and eliminate it from your life as completely as possible.

Sleep is the best way to treat stress, nervous overstrain and anxiety can occur from lack of sleep. Therefore, you need to rest more. If it’s hard to fall asleep, you need to do interesting active work (as far as possible), then the body tired during the day will relax and rest faster. You can take a warm bath before bed. Activity to some extent helps to get rid of nervous tension, so you can consult your doctor about special exercises or gymnastics for pregnant women. There are many hobbies that will help you forget unpleasant moments, get distracted - cooking, walking, taking photos, reading, etc. During pregnancy, the main thing is to see only the positive aspects in everything, avoid stressful situations if possible and set yourself up for the best.

Constant stress during pregnancy

Prolonged stress during pregnancy negatively affects both the health of the expectant mother and the health of her child. Strong and prolonged nervous shocks exhaust the body of a pregnant woman, she becomes lethargic, lethargic, suffers from insomnia, anxiety causes trembling in the body, heart palpitations. Severe stress can cause skin rashes, headaches, and soreness in the body. With such stress, various complications of pregnancy are possible. A woman may suffer from increased toxicosis, chronic diseases are exacerbated, a newborn may have congenital malformations.

In addition, constant nervous tension negatively affects the immune system, which is already greatly weakened during pregnancy. The body's weak defenses cannot cope with the viruses that enter the body, so the woman is in a constant painful state. A difficult physical condition is aggravated by an even more severe mental one - complete discontent, apathy, irritability. But no matter how hard it is for a woman, at this moment it is even harder for a man who has not yet been born into the world, and if a woman does not change her mind in time and does not bring her mental state back to normal, this little man may never know what life is.

Constant stress during pregnancy has very serious consequences, which is why you need to get rid of it as quickly as possible. The best option during pregnancy is to learn how to prevent such nervous shocks. A woman in position should think more about pleasant things, she should be able (or learn) to relax, it may not be superfluous to attend special yoga courses for pregnant women. All existing problems should not be kept in oneself, they should be immediately expressed, discussed in a calm atmosphere with loved ones. If you want to cry - cry, if you laugh - laugh, you should never be ashamed of your own feelings, especially for pregnant women, for whom a good emotional state is extremely important. Your motto during this period should be "movement is life." Try to walk as often as possible, swimming is very useful for pregnant women. As you know, sleep cures all diseases, stress among them. If you do not get enough sleep, then stress in this case is guaranteed.

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Effects of stress during pregnancy

Stress reduces the body's defenses. If a person is subject to frequent stressful conditions, he is more susceptible to infectious diseases, and this is extremely harmful for a pregnant woman. But, stress during pregnancy is a fairly common condition, unfortunately. If the state of stress is not deep and passes relatively quickly, then there is nothing dangerous in this. Such light and short conditions, as it were, train the body of a woman before childbirth, strengthen the nervous system of the baby in the tummy.

The situation is different with a prolonged, severe state of stress during pregnancy. This condition is harmful both to the woman herself and to her unborn child. Prolonged depression drains vitality. The woman becomes lethargic, sleepy, suffers from insomnia at night. The baby will have the same state when he is born, if the mother does not find the strength to overcome this difficult condition.

Stress during pregnancy has serious consequences: severe anxiety, which can occur even without serious reasons, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), trembling in the hands, in the chest, dizziness, headache attacks, rash (manifested in especially sensitive women). Toxicosis manifests itself much more severely, as a result of a weakened immune system in a woman, which threatens with pathologies in the development of a child.

The central nervous system of the child is especially affected. If a pregnant woman is constantly under stress, the nervous system of her child will be extremely vulnerable. Even at a conscious age, it will be very difficult for a child to adapt to the world around him, he will be very restless, nervous, anxious. Such children are more prone to various fears than their peers. Allergies and asthma are one of the consequences of the stressful state of the mother during pregnancy, and this can be a consequence of both prolonged stress and a short, but strong and frequent stressful state. If it were possible to find a way to reduce stress levels, many children would not suffer from severe psychological and neurological disorders. If the mother experienced severe nervous tension in the first three months of pregnancy, then her child may develop schizophrenia over time, since it is during this period that the baby's nervous system is formed. The chances of developing schizophrenia in this case are approximately 70%. Experts are unequivocal in their conclusions: external psychological factors have a direct impact on the processes of formation of the nervous system even at the early stages of human development.

Every pregnant woman noticed that in case of anxiety, the baby began to actively move. There is a simple explanation for this - if the mother is in an anxious state, the child does not have enough oxygen and, with his movements, he seems to begin to massage the placenta in order to get blood with the necessary elements.

A child whose mother was often nervous during pregnancy will suffer from enuresis and diabetes in the future. Also, autism is one of the consequences of a strong nervous tension of the mother during pregnancy.

With a strong nervous shock of the mother, her body can independently get rid of the weak male fetus, i.e. this can lead to miscarriage. By the way, but for unknown reasons, the body does not get rid of the female fetus. Also interesting is the fact that boys who were born when the mother was in a severe state of stress live much longer than those who appeared in this world under favorable conditions.

Malformation of the fetus, popularly referred to as "cleft lip" or "cleft palate" was observed among women who were in a long stressful state during pregnancy. The risk of developing a malformation in women in constant nervous tension is 2 times higher than in those who were more calm during pregnancy. Strongly restless women risk giving birth prematurely, the weight of the child in this case will be much lower than normal and the chances of survival for such children are very small. If such children survive, then they have a deformation of all body functions, so such children are prone to frequent illnesses.

Conflict situations in the family can lead to mental and emotional inhibition in a child. Also, frequent quarrels in the family can provoke premature birth or miscarriage. Constant stress leads to a long delivery, during which the child may die. Poor sleep, dissatisfaction with oneself, severe fatigue leads to premature and rapid childbirth.

Stress during pregnancy is a condition that needs to be dealt with urgently. A woman, first of all, should think about the health of her baby, whose life is now completely dependent on her, and not only from a strong physical condition, but also a balanced emotional and mental one. A woman must remember that any of her anxiety cuts off the oxygen to her child, he literally begins to suffocate. It is for this reason that when mom is nervous, he begins to actively move to show her how bad he is now.

Stress greatly depresses the human immune system. Being in a stressful state, a person most often suffers from infections, which is highly undesirable for pregnant women. Unfortunately , Stress during pregnancy is common. It all depends on the degree of oppression. If the stressful state is shallow and passes quickly, then nothing terrible will happen. On the contrary, such stresses, which are light in strength and duration of time, prepare the woman's body for childbirth and train the nervous system of the child even in the womb.

Another thing is when pregnancy proceeds in a state of distress, which is detrimental to both the pregnant woman and the child, because during gestation, the mother and fetus become a single organism and endure all external storms together. A long state of oppression exhausts the body, which is not easy anyway - because it has to take care of two people at once. Physically, the woman becomes lethargic during the day and cannot sleep at night. The same will happen with the child after his birth, if the mother does not quickly mobilize herself to cope with her condition.

Negative stress causes negative consequences - anxiety with or without reason (does not sit still), sudden tachycardia, tremors not only of the limbs (feeling that even the chest is shaking like in a fever), dizziness, headaches, it seems that every a part of the body, especially sensitive people may develop a rash over the body. Toxicosis only intensifies, a woman grabs infection after infection, consequences are possible in the form of pathologies of newborns and diseases of the child in the future.

The central nervous system of the baby is especially affected. The nervous system of a child whose mother experienced stressful situations during pregnancy is very vulnerable. The child, already at a conscious age, experiences great difficulties in adapting to the world around him, suffers from a disorder of behavioral reactions (they say about such children that an awl in one place does not allow him to be calm). Needless to say, such children are characterized by increased nervousness and anxiety. They are more likely than their peers to be subject to various kinds of fears. The consequences of frequent and severe stress or one prolonged stress of the mother during pregnancy include asthmatic and allergic reactions of the child. Asthmatic, allergic markers in most cases were found in the cord blood of newborns whose mothers were under stress during pregnancy. If it were possible to reduce the level of stress experienced by pregnant women, a lot of children would not face neurological and psychological problems. Schizophrenia can threaten those children whose mothers experienced a shock in the first three months of pregnancy, since it is during this period of intrauterine development of the fetus that the nervous system is laid. The probability of developing schizophrenia reaches 70%. The conclusions of the researchers are unequivocal: “Based on our results, we can assume that external emotional factors can influence the processes of laying the nervous tissue at the stages of early fetal development.”

Each pregnant woman, with a certain amount of attention to the behavior of the child inside herself, could note that during her anxious state, the fetus increases its movements. The explanation is simple - with a reduction in oxygen delivery, which is caused by the alarming state of the mother, the child actively massages the placenta so that with its contraction a new portion of blood will come to him along with the necessary elements necessary for his full life.

Diabetes and enuresis can be attributed to the consequences that haunt a child if his mother was very nervous during pregnancy. And even autism is the cause of the state of severe negative stress experienced during pregnancy. By the way, when a mother is in a mental shock, her body is completely independently capable of “culling out” a weak male fetus. Under conditions of stress, a non-viable male fetus may well die. In fairness, it should be noted that this does not happen with girls. It was also noted that boys, if born into the world under stress, live longer than those who appeared into the world under more favorable circumstances.

The frequency of manifestations of "cleft lip" and "cleft palate", the so-called fetal malformations among pregnant women experiencing prolonged persistent stress, is doubled compared to pregnant women bearing a child in stress-free conditions. Very anxious mothers have an increased risk of having a premature baby with small weight. Children with a similar pathology may not survive at all. Yes, and survive, what kind of life awaits them? They had a deformation of the body and all its functions even in the prenatal state. The child is unlikely to be healthy.

The consequences of hormonal changes in the body of pregnant women

In addition to external factors that cause stress in pregnant women, there are internal ones. This is a daily, hourly restructuring of your body in connection with pregnancy. Already in the first month of an interesting position, nausea may begin to haunt you. In the second month of pregnancy, frequent urination, constipation, vomiting, indigestion, heartburn, gases, lack of appetite, or vice versa, excessive voracity, fainting, dizziness may be added. All of these symptoms are possible all at once, but only a few may appear. Mood volatility, tears, resentment, irritability, some vague anxieties and fears may cling to the listed list. In the fourth month, vomiting and nausea leave the list, but bleeding gums, headaches for no reason, a runny nose, stuffy ears, and slight swelling in the legs will add - the weight increases.

By the fifth month, awareness of one's position begins, a feeling of euphoria comes. Increasingly less tormented by bouts of irritability. The sixth month will bring with it an additional feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, as the ligaments that support the abdomen begin to tighten. Instead of irritability, absent-mindedness will appear. In the eighth month comes the fatigue from the state of pregnancy. More and more often there are thoughts that everything is over as soon as possible. The ninth month will please with fears of childbirth.

All of the above also causes some stress in the mother's body, but the stress is of a completely different order. These are shallow experiences, unable to somehow negatively affect the health of the mother-child tandem. In addition, small negative emotions contribute to the appearance of the hormone cortisol in the human body. As they say, any medicine can become poison - it's all about the dosage. Cortisol, in principle, is necessary for a child for his normal development. But when the expectant mother is in a state of distress, there is too much cortisol in her, and therefore in the child's body. Doctors believe it is cortisol that is responsible for the pathologies of newborns.

How to relieve stress during pregnancy and improve your mood

So, what to do if emotions are overflowing, and you are already worried about their excessive amount? First of all, go to the doctor - let him convince you that this is not that protracted terrible stress, the consequences of which you need to worry about and take measures to get you out of this state (if, of course, this is true). When your doctor calms you down, take your own steps to bring you back to peace and reduce your fears. Do not deny yourself communication with positive people - laughter is contagious, you can also get a good mood from ordinary women's conversations. Work problems are easily resolved if you decide that the child is more important. Talk about it with your superiors without hurting anyone's ambitions. As a smart, wise woman, try to understand your husband, who himself is at a loss, how to treat you during this period. Look for solutions that suit both of you. If the thought of childbirth scares you, take special courses. As the saying goes, "one must know the enemy by sight" and "forewarned means forearmed." So arm yourself with knowledge to be less afraid.

Even simpler things can cheer you up and add hormones of joy to your body during this difficult period:

Allow yourself to be lazy, rest as often as possible, sleep as much as you want.

Adjust nutrition so as not to lose teeth during pregnancy. Don't forget about vitamins. Listen to the doctor. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.

Take relaxing aromatherapy baths more often.

Talk a lot with anyone - this way accumulated emotions splash out.

Read only positive literature with good news. Women's novels are perfect for these purposes - there is always, as in a good fairy tale, a happy ending.

Simple exercise can increase the amount of oxygen in your body and drive away irritation.

Remember, you have a serious mission - to bring a person into the world. And it is in your power to ensure that this person is born healthy.

Source - http://crazymama.ru

Stress is the body's reaction to the impact of various adverse factors (physical or psychological). Being short-term, it does not pose a threat and helps to adapt to circumstances, but if this state is delayed, negative consequences inevitably occur. Stress is especially dangerous in the early stages of pregnancy, as well as throughout the rest of the period of bearing a child.

Increased psycho-emotional stress to which the expectant mother is exposed can cause many complications related to the health of the woman and the fetus. Therefore, all pregnant women should learn to protect themselves from stress, recognize its signs in time and take the necessary measures.

Most people get into stressful situations on a daily basis. As a result, one gets used to this state of affairs and the person stops paying attention to it.

You can understand that the situation has become critical by a number of symptoms indicating constant stress:

• apathy, lethargy;
• decrease in working capacity;
• difficulty falling asleep, restless sleep;
• attacks of tachycardia (rapid heartbeat);
• lack of appetite;
• dizziness, tremor of the limbs;
• increased blood pressure;
• decreased immunity (frequent and prolonged colds).

Some people react to stress differently. For example, there are sudden headaches, causeless discomfort in the abdomen, skin itching, a feeling of lack of air.

Causes

The causes of stress can be many, they depend on life circumstances and perception of a person. The fact that for some expectant mothers is quite normal and does not cause psychological discomfort, for others it becomes a problem.

Sometimes a stressful situation arises even due to weather conditions (intense heat, cold, rain). The reason can also be a change of residence, a change in the regime of the day, hunger, excessive physical activity.

Often, stress is associated with the state of pregnancy itself. The most common concerns for expectant mothers include:

1. Physiological changes. Weight gain, the appearance of stretch marks, the fear of spoiling the figure and losing attractiveness can put many people into a state of stress. It is important to remember that it is temporary and reversible.
2. Childbirth fear. The process of giving birth to a child is shrouded in many myths and conjectures, in which it is the quintessence of danger and pain. Of course, this does not contribute to the positive mood of the expectant mother.
3. Anxiety about a child. While waiting for the baby, especially if the pregnancy is complicated, the woman worries about him, fearing a miscarriage, premature birth, possible congenital pathologies and abnormalities in the development of the fetus. All this can lead to prolonged stress.
4. Family problems. During pregnancy, sometimes there is a cooling between the spouses. It may seem to a woman that her husband does not understand her and does not fully support her. Added to this are the experiences associated with the imminent change in the way of life. Such problems are more typical for couples expecting their first child.
5. Financial difficulties. If the family has a small income, the costs associated with the upcoming replenishment can overshadow the joy of future parents.
6. Conflicts and difficulties at work. Since most women are forced to work until the 30th week of pregnancy, solving work tasks and communicating with the team can be a burden on the expectant mother. After all, with the growth of the abdomen, it is more and more difficult to cope with work, and the nervous system becomes more vulnerable.

In addition to the usual negative factors, unforeseen circumstances are possible. The death of a loved one, a break in relations with a spouse, an accident or an accident can cause severe stress during pregnancy, which has sad consequences.

Danger

It was found that in response to stress in the human body, special hormones are produced - glucocorticoids. The result of a frequent increase in their concentration in the blood of a pregnant woman can be pathologies of the placenta and a violation of the development of the child.

The likelihood of these and other negative consequences is not one hundred percent. In many ways, the danger of stress experienced by a woman for the fetus depends on the gestational age.

In the early stages

In the first trimester of pregnancy, when the baby's organs and nervous system are laid down, strong feelings are especially undesirable. This can lead to miscarriage or the formation of maxillofacial anomalies of the fetus (cleft soft and hard palate).

Also, as a result of the stress experienced by the expectant mother, the child increases the risk of developing schizophrenia in the future, and the immune system suffers. Possible disruption of the functioning of the placenta, lagging intrauterine development of the fetus due to hypoxia.

At a later date

If a woman experiences stress in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the child has a tendency to, hyperactivity,. In the later stages, sometimes there is a multiple entanglement of the fetus with the umbilical cord, due to its active movements during the psycho-emotional stress of the mother.

Pregnant women have an increased risk of developing diabetes. Against the background of constant stress, complicated prolonged labor or premature birth of a child is possible.

How to avoid?

To maintain their health and protect the baby, the expectant mother should try to avoid stressful situations. For example, stop communicating with unpleasant people who provoke conflicts. If it is impossible to eliminate stressors, you need to try to change your attitude to the situation.

Make a list of the reasons that cause psycho-emotional stress, write down ideas for how you can reduce their influence next to it, and follow this plan. When you get into an unpleasant situation, do not forget about self-control and do not exaggerate the importance of what is happening.

Also to increase stress resistance will help:

• walks in the open air;
• full sleep;
• a balanced diet that includes many vegetables and fruits;
• light physical activity, if there are no contraindications (, swimming, yoga for pregnant women);
• communication with friends and pleasant people;
• making time for hobbies or extra rest.

Some pregnant women find aromatherapy and meditation to help them relax. Whatever you do, a positive attitude is important. Remember that within 9 months you are responsible not only for yourself and it is in your power to create comfortable conditions for the baby to develop.

What to do with stress?

According to experts, the worst thing you can do is to keep negative emotions in yourself. Therefore, if it was not possible to avoid stress, you need to learn how to deal with it correctly.

You can relieve stress in the following ways:

1. Take a few slow deep breaths in and out. Focus on breathing and imagine how oxygen is supplied to the baby, stroke the stomach with light massaging movements.
2. Listen to music for relaxation. To do this, you can create a special collection of pleasant calm melodies.
3. If you are at home, take a warm bath with aromatic oils.

It will be easier to survive an unpleasant situation if you speak out, discussing it with a loved one - husband, mother, girlfriend. It is also useful to attend relaxing massage sessions, if there are no medical contraindications to this. It is recommended to read light books, such as women's novels, and watch only positive films.

An important role in the fight against chronic stress is given to sleep - pregnant women need to sleep at least 9 hours a day. If it is difficult to fall asleep due to nervous strain, you may need to take light herbal sedatives, such as tincture or. The dosage and duration of their intake should be discussed with your doctor.

If all of the above does not help, do not be afraid to seek qualified help. In difficult situations, when it is impossible to find support among relatives, working out the problem with a psychologist gives good results.

Effects

Stress allows you to mobilize the forces of the body for a short time, due to the production of a number of hormones by the endocrine glands. At the same time, the heart rate increases, the level of blood pressure rises, and sweating occurs. But after a period of resistance to negative influences, the stage of exhaustion begins.

Such overloads strike at the nervous and immune systems. The number of T-lymphocytes responsible for fighting viruses and infections decreases, which increases the likelihood of prolonged and complicated colds. With chronic stress, these changes become permanent. Against their background, exacerbation of chronic diseases and even the development of oncological processes are possible.

Increased psycho-emotional stress is undesirable for any person, but a pregnant body is especially susceptible to its influence. Loss of strength, seizures, complicated colds, the risk of developing late toxicosis - all this threatens the expectant mother, who often experiences negative emotions. The consequences of stress during pregnancy also affect the child, causing deviations in his physical and emotional development.

A woman preparing to become a mother should be aware of her responsibility for the life of the baby. By avoiding stress during pregnancy and getting rid of unnecessary worries in a timely manner, you will protect your baby and maintain your health.

Useful video: how to deal with stress during pregnancy

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Stress during pregnancy about further childbirth and other related issues in pregnant women is not considered uncommon. A little anxiety, frustration and depression during this period is the norm, due to the influence of hormones. If stress during pregnancy causes more negative emotions and nervous breakdowns, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Causes of negativity

The causes of stress are different for every woman. For some moms-to-be, pregnancy itself is stressful. It is difficult for them to maintain control, to manage physical changes. Other reasons that cause emotional damage to the expectant mother include:

1. Heavy load on the body. This is due to periodic nausea, constipation, muscle pain.
2. The hormonal fluctuations that lead to mood swings affect self-control during pregnancy. This makes it difficult to manage yourself in such a situation.
3. Simultaneous employment, pregnancy and household chores becomes a difficult test for some pregnant women. It affects personal and work life.
4. Domestic violence, personal problems.

If a pregnant woman recognizes herself in several of the listed life situations, the level of stress hormones in the body increases.

The effect of stress on the fetus and the health of the pregnant woman

Bad mood, depression with nervousness is unlikely to lead to pregnancy complications if the circumstances are properly controlled. In some cases, this affects the health of the expectant mother, child. Severe, prolonged stress leads to complications if left untreated:

• high blood pressure;
• diabetes mellitus during pregnancy;
• weakened immune system;
• severe depression.

Some women try to cope with stress by smoking, drinking alcohol. This again leads to health problems for the mother with the child.

Stress during pregnancy in the first trimester has the following effects on the baby:

1. Emotional shock stimulates the release of the hormone cortisol, which increases with the severity of the stress. As a result, depression, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis develop in a child at a later age.
2. The child is born prematurely, which leads to diseases associated with digestion, respiratory tract, reduced immunity and death of the child in some cases.
3. Full-term babies are born with excess weight and weak immune systems. Stress causes hypoxia (insufficient oxygen supply during childbirth).
4. Increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Watch a video about the effects of stress during pregnancy:

Sometimes in the early stages, an ultrasound scan reveals a frozen pregnancy after stress. It is better for others to treat pregnant women with understanding. The consequences of stress for a child develop at an older age if the mother was very nervous during pregnancy.

Dangerous symptoms

Constant nervous stress causes many physical, emotional, mental and social symptoms:

1. Chest pain, difficulty breathing, vision problems, headaches, heart palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, muscle pain, increased sweating. But most often, a pregnant woman has a stomach ache.
2. Confusion, nightmares, memory loss, sleep changes, and difficulty focusing.
3. Grief, guilt, worry, irritability, fear, denial, restlessness, loneliness, or frustration
4. Isolation from family, friends, loss of appetite, smoking and alcohol abuse.

If these symptoms occur, it is recommended to contact a gynecologist and a psychologist.

How to deal with stress during pregnancy

There are ways to reduce the manifestations of negativity during pregnancy:

1. You need to do some light physical activity. For example, walking, because it not only reduces stress levels, but also prevents general discomfort during pregnancy.
2. Prenatal or meditation classes.
3. Breathing exercises should be done.
4. It is best to read a book, watch your favorite show.
5. You need to find out what the pregnant woman is more worried about, and try to talk about it with your husband, friend, or even a therapist.
6. Seek help from family and friends.
7. Go to childbirth education classes to understand about pregnancy, childbirth, relaxation techniques, exercises.
8. If a pregnant woman thinks she is depressed, treatment should be started early to avoid the need for antidepressants.
9. Eat healthy, nutritious food.
10. Consider joining a social media support group. So you can meet like-minded women among pregnant women.

Stress for pregnant women is highly undesirable. If you can’t contain your emotions, it’s better to consult a psychologist.

Severe stress negatively affects the mental and physical state of a person. An acute shock affects the functioning of the immune system, health and performance deteriorate. Therefore, during the bearing of a child, it is extremely unfavorable. Not only the mother's body suffers, but also the fetus.

Of course, within nine months it is impossible to completely isolate oneself from exciting situations, but it is an acute and protracted stress factor that is dangerous. Powerful emotional trauma can cause the development of various pathologies, for example, missed pregnancy. But not everything is so scary. Scientists believe that small worries are even beneficial for the female body and the nervous system of the baby. Serious damage is caused only by constant stress and deep feelings. What consequences, in addition to a missed pregnancy, can be with a prolonged stress factor?

The effect of stress on the female body

Long-term chronic stress affects the condition of a pregnant woman as follows:

1. Increased blood pressure, palpitations, breathing problems, tachycardia, dizziness. Some women complain of pain in the chest and abdomen, incessant migraines.
2. In the first trimester, many women are haunted by toxicosis, and constant stress enhances its manifestations.
3. A pregnant woman is unable to cope with emotions, she can often cry, she is haunted by apathy and fatigue. does not allow the woman to relax, she is tense and in a state of anxiety.
4. Decreased overall tone and strength. A woman constantly wants to sleep during the day, and at night she cannot sleep. This behavior will subsequently be in the baby.

Exposure to prolonged stress during gestation leads to depression, irritability, and dissatisfaction with one's position.

Mental stress and pregnancy

Regular ones also affect the bearing of the fetus. What is the danger of a stress factor?

1. Traumatic circumstances can provoke such an undesirable phenomenon as a miscarriage. It has been proven that constant worrying increases the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester.
2. Due to prolonged emotional experiences, the outflow of amniotic fluid may begin ahead of time, and this is an unfavorable development of events for the baby.
3. In the first trimester, the most dangerous periods include the eighth week of gestation. At this time, the fetus is sensitive to stressful circumstances and a strong traumatic factor can lead to a miscarriage. In this case, the embryo stops developing. Additional causes of missed pregnancy include alcohol abuse, infectious diseases, hormonal imbalance, weight lifting, previous abortions. But in some cases, doctors do not see any other reason for the appearance of a missed pregnancy, except for nervous stress. Signs of a missed pregnancy may also appear in the second trimester, especially at 16 and 18 weeks.

Any deviation from the normal course of pregnancy exacerbates the emotional state of the woman. And some pathologies, for example, the occurrence of a missed pregnancy or miscarriage, greatly affect the overall well-being.

Effects of stress on the baby

The mother's fetus is most susceptible. Stress during pregnancy negatively affects the baby for the following reasons:

1. Medical experts say that during a period of strong excitement, the nervous system of the baby suffers greatly. If the expectant mother experienced stress during pregnancy, then after birth the child may suffer from hyperactivity. Such children are prone to various phobias, their adaptive threshold is lowered.
2. Stress during pregnancy has a negative impact on the health of the baby. The fetus suffers from intrauterine hypoxia, and after birth, the child is prone to allergic and asthmatic reactions.
3. According to some reports, in the early stages of pregnancy, namely in the first trimester, it can provoke the development of schizophrenia in a child. Researchers talk about a seventy percent chance.
4. The child needs calm emotions of the mother. If a woman is subject to negative thoughts, then the consequences of negative experiences affect the psyche of the child. A balanced mother can give her child health, both mental and physical. Some scientists believe that the manifestation of a missed pregnancy should be sought in the nervous excitability of the mother.
5. The cause of enuresis, diabetes, autism also lies in the stressful state of the expectant mother. Severe trauma is a factor in many adversities in the baby, for example, prematurity, or the unviability of the baby.

Stress during pregnancy affects not only the woman, but also her unborn child. The baby suffers from the anxieties and worries of the mother. The cause of many problems lies behind the stress of pregnancy. You should be wary of strong unrest, not only in the first trimester, but throughout the entire period of bearing a child. In this case, many negative aspects can be avoided, for example, the occurrence of a missed pregnancy or the outflow of amniotic fluid.