Beneath the pregnancy glow and the excitement can lay a whole host of emotions you may not have been expecting to experience. Anxiety, stress,
worry, fear.
Whether you’re a first-time mum who doesn’t quite know what to expect, or are already a parent who has faced a tough past pregnancy or birth, feeling apprehensive is completely natural and normal.
We all feel anxious from time to time, but did you know that anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we experience? Around one in four of us will experience a mental health problem each year, and for expectant mothers (and fathers), that’s no different.
We ask the burning questions every mum-to-be needs the answers to, and Malin Ghavami, lead midwife at Nightingale Health Services, is only to happy to answer and to help put pregnant minds at rest.
Is pregnancy anxiety normal?
Yes, it is perfectly normal, although it is actually something that we have seen becoming more common over the years, especially for primigravidas – first time mothers – and multiparas – mothers who have already had a child or children and who have had previous traumatic birth-experiences.
When does anxiety become a problem?
When the anxiety and stress levels are affecting your quality of life then it is an issue, and suffering with high levels of anxiety is something that can lead to a number of other problems.
Will worrying affect my baby?
No, you don’t need to be concerned about your anxiety affecting your baby. The human body is strong, resilient and does not easily get upset by emotions such as anxiety and stress. That said, anxiety during pregnancy is something that should be treated with a multi-professional team and is certainly something that should be taken seriously.
How can I manage pregnancy anxiety?
If you are feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, it’s important to seek help. Speak openly about your feelings with your consultant and midwife because they will be able to outline a plan helping you to cope during pregnancy. Talk to your partner as well – explain to him how you are feeling and what worries you have as it will make it easier for him to understand when his wife suddenly starts to act and behave in a different way and therefore he will be more understandable.
What can I do to feel calmer and more in control?
Attempt to organise your feelings. Aim to try and sort out and understand what particular things trigger your anxiety, fear and stress. Plus, be mindful of how you react to stress and anxiety. For example focus on how your body react to stress physically. Do you get headache, feel nauseous, get muscle tightness or experience gastronomical symptoms? Sometimes it is easier to treat the physical body first with a view to the anxiety issues improving off the back of that.
What support is available?
There is plenty of help available for mums-to-be dealing with anxiety and worry, They can contact consultants, such as general practitioners, who are often a good starting point. Gynecologists, psychologists, specialised midwifes, such as aurora-midwifes, personal trainers and nutritionists should also be able to help.
