Stress And Pregnancy

For a pregnant woman coping with stress and pregnancy means understanding and embracing the changes, being prepared, taking good care of herself (inside and out), feeling energised rather than drained, not being afraid to ask for help and making the necessary adjustments, in order to continue functioning well at home and at work.

A healthy diet can keep stress under control by suppressing stress hormones. For example foods rich in vitamin B, whole grain breads etc help produce more of anti-stress hormones such as serotonin. Also, having a well balanced diet during pregnancy helps to keep up energy and rule out stress.

One of the most common reasons for stressful behaviors and feelings is as a result of lack of sleep. You should follow a definite sleeping pattern to get a proper amount of sleep, so that your body will have time to recover from the day activities and enable you to feel better. Don’t wait until you get too much exhausted before you go to sleep.

Stress is capable of disrupting the normal ovulation pattern in women. It can suppress the hormones which are needed for ovulation to happen. As a result ovulation may be delayed or missed during a cycle. In men stress can lead to a lower sperm count.

It’s easy to sit on the couch when you’re pregnant. Most likely, you feel more like taking a nap, but the truth is that taking a short walk around the block will help reduce your stress levels. Even riding an exercise bike for a few minutes in early pregnancy will soothe your nerves and give you an extra boost of energy.

Even if you typically do all the cooking and cleaning, your hubby needs to realize you need help now. You will definitely need it after the baby comes, so he might as well get used to lending a helping hand around the house.