Prenatal Parenting: The Impact of Stress

Aahhh...breathe in the peace...

Stress.

You can’t avoid it.  Some stress is actually good for us.

Your baby experiences the world through your emotions and will develop a nervous system that is equipped to deal with the stress they experience through you.  This is a developmental necessity.

However, some stress is unhelpful and if your cortisol level is raised too high for too long, it can have a negative impact on you and your baby.  Don’t worry if you are stressed out for a day or two; (who hasn’t been?)  it’s unrelenting, chronic stress that can be a problem.

So how can you minimize excessive stress so that you can relax & enjoy your Pregnancy?

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As I wrote in Part 1, “Feeding the Baby”: “Your body feels better and bounces back quicker when you aren’t depleted.”  A great diet is essential, but is only one part of making sure you aren’t depleted.  You also need to ensure you get enough Sleep.

Sleep is the time when our bodies’ repair themselves and our nervous system gets to recalibrate.  Without sufficient sleep, we can set ourselves up for increased inflammation, an impaired immune system and of course, foggy heads that don’t always make the best decisions.  Generally speaking, 7-9 hours per night is ideal for adults and it’s OK to do it biphasicly, if that works better for you.

Here are some great tips for getting a good night’s sleep.

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Lack of exercise can be stressful during pregnancy.  We all need to move our bodies, but pregnancy nausea, fatigue or busyness can conspire to make it challenging for the mother to get out for a walk.   Sitting and driving all the time may be contributing to the increased frequency of malposition we are seeing with babies, so it’s essential to find postures and ways to move  that can support us in pregnancy and birth.  I will talk more about exercise in Pregnancy in a future post.  For now, here are some tips!

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Pregnancy fears can also add to your unhelpful stress.

Some anxiety is normal, however too much anxiety during pregnancy can interfere with bonding, so it is important to have support to help ease your fears. Traumas that happen during pregnancy can have a long-term impact, but fortunately we have tools like EFT to release traumas for both mother and baby.

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Family and friends can be a wonderful support during pregnancy–but what if they aren’t?  Explaining or defending your birth choices can send your cortisol sky high!  Not good for you or your baby on a regular basis.  Also, dealing with caregivers who are not on the same page with you can be extremely stressful.

In my new e-book you will learn many different ways to deal with pregnancy stress.

It’s difficult to think clearly when we are stressed.  At a time in your life when you want to make the best possible decisions for you and your baby, the ability to release stress & relax will  you to make wise, love-based choices.

How do you like to relieve stress?