Causes of nervousness
Anxiety and stress are constant companions of pregnancy. hormonal war going on in the body of the expectant mother.
, which causes a strong emotional “response” to any insignificant detail. If before pregnancy a woman could look at the situation with a condescending smile, then during pregnancy the same incident causes a storm of emotions and becomes a cause of depression.
Why “you can’t” and what the consequences may be
The bond between mother and unborn child is very strong. The future development of the baby depends on the mother’s lifestyle, physical and mental health. The child in the womb feels the slightest emotional shock of his mother and reacts to it.
Frequent stress, frustration, and bad mood are transmitted to the baby. Moreover, those children who were constantly “under pressure” from their mother’s bad mood in the womb after birth may lag somewhat behind their peers in development; they experience nervousness, increased muscle tone, nervous excitability, and sensitivity to noise, light, and smells.
Mood swings and nervous experiences are contraindicated for expectant mothers, and they pose a real danger both in the early and late stages of pregnancy.
- Severe nervous shocks and experiences at the beginning of pregnancy can cause a miscarriage.
- Stress can cause serious complications in a baby after birth.
- Excessive worries and worries of the expectant mother can affect the quality of the baby’s sleep, which in the future will become a reason for even stronger experiences that turn into depression.
- Under severe stress, a huge amount of adrenaline is released in the body. It constricts the blood vessels, resulting in the baby receiving much less oxygen and nutrients.
- Constant nervous tension leads to an increase in the level of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body, which provokes the development of heart defects and cardiovascular system of the baby. Cortisol increases blood sugar levels and causes oxygen starvation.
- The result of mom's stress during pregnancy can be a violation of the child's symmetry. Most often, the baby's fingers, elbows, ears and feet are affected.
- A mother’s nervous experiences can also affect the child’s mental development. Various developmental pathologies are possible, including severe retardation and mental retardation.
- A low level of self-control, excessive worries, and constant anxiety of the child are a consequence of the mother’s frequent stress during pregnancy.
- In the second and third trimester, severe nervous shock provokes premature birth, after which the baby will require long-term nursing.
- A mother's high level of anxiety can cause changes in her body that will complicate the birth process.
Scientists have established a certain pattern in the influence of mother’s stress on children of different sexes. Thus, strong emotional experiences in mothers of girls during pregnancy led to rapid labor and the absence of the baby’s characteristic cry after birth; in mothers of boys - premature onset of the birth process and rupture of amniotic fluid.
Foreign scientists about the problem
The problem of nervous tension during pregnancy has been actively studied by Western scientists.
Scientists from America have come to the conclusion that mothers who are nervous and worry a lot are at risk of giving birth to a low birth weight baby. In addition, constant stress can trigger premature birth.
A group of Canadian scientists who studied the problem came to a disappointing conclusion. It turned out that the constant stress of the expectant mother significantly (by 25%) increases the risk of developing asthma in the child in the future.
Why does the nervous system become less stable in pregnant women?
The very fact of pregnancy can excite anyone. In addition, during this period, a woman’s hormonal background changes greatly, which causes sudden changes in mood. Excessive emotionality is even one of the first signs of pregnancy. This is especially noticeable in the early stages, when the body is just rebuilding and getting used to its new state. Who are the main culprits behind the tears of expectant mothers?
- The pituitary gland, the gland responsible for the functioning of the endocrine system, increases two to three times with the onset of pregnancy.
- In the first three months after conception, the production of prolactin, the hormone responsible for lactation, increases 5-10 times.
- The level of oxytocin, the so-called hormone of love and affection, which is responsible for the production of breast milk and starts the birth process, increases.
- And for fetal implantation and its further development, the production of sex hormones – prolactin and estrogens – increases.
Recommendations on what to do
Being nervous during pregnancy is harmful; it immediately affects the baby’s condition and can lead to undesirable consequences in the future. What should expectant mothers do? There are several common ways to relieve nervous tension:
- long walks. Walking will not do any harm to the baby and mother. Among other things, walks are an excellent prevention of anemia in pregnant women and hypoxia;
- communication with loved ones and friends;
- watching your favorite movies, listening to music. Good classical music will have a beneficial effect on the psychological state of mother and baby;
- “anti-stress point” massage. This active zone is located in the center of the chin. Circular massage of this area helps to calm down (9 times in one direction, 9 in the other);
- even and deep breathing;
- essential oils. Coniferous and citrus aromas provide a good calming effect;
- with a sufficient level of physical fitness, you can meditate in the lotus position;
- Tea with mint and lemon balm has a calming effect.
Sometimes frequent disorders and nervous breakdowns in pregnant women are caused by a deficiency of vitamin B in the body, which can be replenished by consuming milk, cheese, legumes, sprouted grains, pumpkin, fish, eggs, and melon.
Stress, anxiety, and anxiety during pregnancy will not bring anything good to either the mother or the child. Learn to relax and enjoy your pregnancy.
Ways to deal with anger
In order to prevent irritability from developing to a strong degree and not ruining relationships with loved ones, you must adhere to simple rules:
- Perceive events with humor. If all the events that happen and even unpleasant phenomena are laughed at on occasion or simply looked at from the outside, this can help neutralize the acute reaction to what is happening, and subsequently many events will not seem so global.
- Refuse to constantly inform others about your own health status. Many pregnant women do this, although such actions are committed recklessly. If someone they know is interested in their situation, they begin to accurately describe their experiences and problems. As a result, a person either faces undisguised indifference, or receives a lot of useless and sometimes harmful advice that cannot be used.
It is necessary to differentiate simple curiosity from a person’s desire and ability to help. At the same time, you cannot remain silent about your condition if obvious health problems are noticed. When unpleasant pathologies arise, you should inform your superiors about the need to leave the workplace, and if you are at home, tell your family that there is a need to seek medical help.
- Monitor the situation yourself. If a conversation takes place, and the pregnant woman feels discomfort or a noticeable misunderstanding, she should move from the position of the victim to the attacker. You can ask questions that are unpleasant for your opponent and make controversial assumptions. If communication does not go well and the situation cannot be corrected, you should end the conversation, avoiding unnecessary stress.
- When going through your first pregnancy, you need to be careful. You should not allow friends and acquaintances to tell scary stories about pathological phenomena, severe complications of chronic diseases and terrible pains during childbirth, since anomalies are not found in all people, and their presence and intensity depend on the specific situation and predisposing factors that a particular pregnant woman may have not to be.
- You should not listen to, much less trust, information that is not confirmed by official statistics or was not received from a reliable source. First of all, you should listen to the recommendations of a competent specialist, but also differentiate his words. If you choose a professional doctor and receive advice on all issues of interest, the information presented in the proper form will be correctly perceived, which will result in positive emotions and improve your mood. This will have a beneficial effect on mental health, eliminating manifestations of irritability.
If irritability and nervousness occur during pregnancy, it is necessary to suppress these negative phenomena so as not to worsen your own health, not to traumatize the child’s psyche, and also to maintain good relationships with loved ones and work colleagues. It should be remembered that during pregnancy it is necessary to respect your own comfort zone and avoid stress in order to protect both yourself and the baby from negative influences.
The influence of stress on pregnancy
Irritability and constant dissatisfaction with circumstances often develop into depression, and this, in turn, puts the safety of pregnancy in serious danger:
- Miscarriage.
The stronger the stress factor, the higher the risk of miscarriage. Neuroses are especially dangerous in the early stages of pregnancy. - Premature rupture of water.
Emotional stress quite often develops into physical stress, and this can lead to rupture of the amniotic sac. - Fading pregnancy.
Most often it occurs in the 8th week, against the background of stress and anxiety.
Of course, there are no conditions under which you can completely protect yourself from all irritants. This is not necessary: for a pregnant woman to feel comfortable, it is enough to protect her from prolonged moral experiences and sudden shocks.
How does the mother's condition affect the baby?
Excessive irritability and negative emotions can provoke undesirable consequences. It is especially dangerous to be nervous at 20 weeks or more.
According to doctors, nervousness can lead to:
- Fetal hypoxia (lack of oxygen)
- Having an underweight baby
- Having a child with a lung disease
- Hyperactivity and anxiety of the child - sleep disturbances, fears, loudness, etc.
Those who actively study the intrauterine life of a child say that EVERYTHING - thoughts, emotions, words, actions - affects the future life of the baby. Therefore, they advise you to be in a state of peace and tranquility as often as possible.
We offer several practical steps to help you find peace of mind.
How to stop being nervous during pregnancy?
If a woman is nervous during pregnancy, she needs to be able to pull herself together in time. Below are some useful tips:
- Develop some kind of defense mechanism for yourself. This is especially true for expectant mothers who continue to work while pregnant. You should focus your attention on the functional side of your responsibilities, and not on the emotional one. If you are surrounded by decent and good people, then, knowing your position, they will treat you gently and loyally.
- Don't communicate with people who annoy you. They are energy vampires not only for you personally, but also for your child. You shouldn’t show your integrity, because pregnancy is not the best time to experiment on yourself and your psycho-emotional system.
- Consult your doctor about what sedatives you can take for preventive purposes. The doctor will definitely prescribe you harmless medications that will support your nervous system while you are carrying your baby.
Treat yourself carefully, drive away everything that can upset you or make you nervous. Your main task is to bear your child and give him a healthy and happy life. Focus on this, everything else is vanity and has no meaning.
