Stress and anxiety during pregnancy

Dr Mazvita Machinga Mental Health
Pregnancy is the start of an incredible journey. Pregnancy is a very important life process where we all have come through. Pregnancy impacts women differently, but common challenges that most expectant mothers experience during pregnancy are stress and anxiety. Stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy, produces many adverse effects for both the mother and unborn baby. Stress during pregnancy comes through exposure to various hardships such as domestic ill-treatment, poor working conditions, neglect, grief and bereavement. During pregnancy, every woman goes through several physical and emotional changes.

This means that pregnancy is not only a physical experience. It is also an emotional and psychological experience for many women. Can a pregnant woman ever have a stress-free life experience? NO!

Stress is part of life. When experienced at moderate level, stress can enhance development and growth. Moderate stress, when managed properly, can help women to prepare for the demands of a new baby.

But, my real concern is exposure of pregnant women to extreme levels of stress. While certain women who experience some form of stress during pregnancy may have babies born in perfect health, recent research suggests that chronic and extreme stress during pregnancy affect both the mother and the unborn baby in a negative way.
Excess, stress during pregnancy is a risk factor that may have significant consequences for the developing unborn baby.

Elevated levels of stress hormones are associated with psychological risk or psychological disturbance, when the child grows. In fact, stress during pregnancy may result in lasting effects on the child’s health status, the development and function of their immune system; and their mental development. It is sad and quite disturbing that there are scores of women who have been assaulted and ill-treated when they are pregnant.

In many cases these women have found it hard to protect themselves from violence and have suffered in silence. The next time you ill-treat a pregnant woman or expose her to extreme stressors, you need to know that this results in greater risk of mixed problems to the child and the mother. I urge fathers, that while your biological contribution may be over, when your wife becomes pregnant, you still want to be part of the pregnancy process and not the stressor.

You want to create a conducive environment of love, care and comfort. Be understanding and accommodating. Show moral support wherever possible. All in all you want to make sure that you help her reduce stress levels and not burden your pregnant loved one with unneeded pressure. Fathers, you can help with the development of your baby even before birth by supporting and making your partner happy.

Fathers, relatives and communities, pregnancy may wreak havoc on your wife’s hormones so be patient with her. One day she feels fantastic, the other day she is in another place, morning sickness, nausea and sometimes vomiting. Providing a sense of safety and connectedness helps reduce your wife’s stress and anxiety. As a close ally of your pregnant wife, be willing to let your wife vent or cry if there is something specific that they are worried about or refer to someone who can help. To women when you are pregnant, have adequate sleep, attend to your antenatal visits without fail, eat healthy, exercise, relax and refrain from taking alcohol and smoking.

You need to communicate openly about your anxieties for you to feel better. You need to turn to trustworthy friends and family members for support and share your concerns with your caregiver. Remember other expecting mothers are a source of support as they are probably experiencing the same worries you are, so hang out with them.

Reducing stress during pregnancy stress and anxiety can alter the development of the baby’s brain and could help prevent thousands of children from developing emotional and behavioral problems in adulthood. Remember, healthy mother; healthy babies and healthy nation, so protect all pregnancy mothers by reducing their stress and anxiety.

Dr MazvitaMachinga Ph.D. is a trained and qualified Psychotherapist in Mutare who offers professional counselling and psychotherapy. For more informationcontact [email protected] or call 0771 754 519.