How stress affects pregnancy - dangers and consequences

Author Igor Bukker

06/04/2017 17:24 (Updated: 04/17/2020 03:56)

Health » Obstetrics and gynecology » Mother and child

Stress is a threat to any living organism. It has long been no secret that it is also harmful for the child in the mother’s womb. However, research on how stress during pregnancy affects fetal development has only now been published. Of course, this is far from a definitive conclusion and much remains to be seen.

What is stress?

This term usually refers to the body’s reaction to excessive excitement, surprise, and fear. But from a medical point of view, there are six types of stress:

• emotional;
• physiological;
• light;
• temperature;
• hungry;
• neuropsychic.

Phenomena that occur to the expectant mother during pregnancy fall into the latter category.

There are also two categories of stress based on their duration:

• acute condition - occurs quickly and ends just as quickly;
• chronic – lasts constantly.

Stress during pregnancy provokes increased production of adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine. As a result, the tone of the uterine muscles increases, blood vessels narrow, and blood pressure levels rise. A woman may experience an increased heart rate and tightness in her chest.

It is important to prevent this condition from becoming chronic. Otherwise, breathing problems, pale skin, and dilated pupils are possible. Later, due to chronic stress, headaches develop, memory weakens, appetite disappears, and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is destabilized.

Causes of stress during pregnancy

Many factors can cause stress:

• environment;
• regular family quarrels;
• lack of support from loved ones;
• constant disturbances in sleep patterns;
• nervous situations at work or at university;
• excessive fatigue;
• limited freedom of action;
• regular concern for the baby's condition.

If the expectant mother experiences constant stress over a long period, stress accumulates, and the body is no longer able to fully resist it.

One of the services that our clinic provides is pregnancy management, including monitoring the patient’s emotional state. A professional approach can minimize the harm caused to the unborn child and ensure its healthy development.

Stress you don't need to avoid

The concept of “stress” was first introduced by the Canadian physiologist G. Selye in 1936. Stress is a state of mental tension that arises in a person in the process of activity in the most complex, difficult conditions, both in everyday life and under special circumstances. These circumstances are not always bad for a person. Getting an apartment, a promotion, a wedding and, of course, pregnancy and the birth of a child also provoke stress. But there are situations that bring negative experiences to a woman during pregnancy. Such situations are called stressors; they provoke the occurrence of so-called negative stress. These potentially stressful situations are quite specific. The peculiarity is that not all situations can be avoided, and that is why if it was not possible to avoid tension, then you need to learn to cope with it as quickly as possible.

Communication with family

Every expectant mother is surrounded by close people: parents and relatives, both her own and her husband’s. And sometimes situations of misunderstanding may arise between the “parties of communication”. There are many possible options, and the conflict situation can be either related to pregnancy (for example, whether to buy a dowry for the baby in advance, what name to choose, whether the expectant mother should do something or not), or not related to the expectation of the baby. In any case, the expectant mother needs to try to learn to react as calmly as possible to what happens both in her direct communication with one of her relatives, and to what happens between them.

How not to provoke conflict...

• Be friendly. Perhaps the proverb “A bad peace is better than a good quarrel” is not always true, but for an expectant mother it is quite correct. Even if your relationship with someone in your family leaves much to be desired, be polite and try to maintain a constructive attitude in communication.
• If you are given too much advice, try to remain calm and don't explode. Remember that you can listen, but act as you see fit.
• If your relatives are not very ethical and ask for details of the development of pregnancy, and you do not want to talk about it, try to answer in monosyllables , that is, so that your answer does not make you want to ask you the next question. Then the interlocutor will quickly understand that you do not want to discuss such topics. Remember that you have the right to keep in your personal space what you believe should not be disclosed.
• Avoid unpleasant interactions. If you are sure that communicating with someone from your family brings you negative emotions over and over again, try to avoid it. Even if you live together, you are quite capable of minimizing communication. For example, when you feel like you are boiling, go to another room, citing the fact that you need to rest.

If you find yourself in a conflict situation, you need to resolve it...

• Talk and negotiate! Remember that adults have not found any other way to resolve conflicts than to talk to each other. Silencing the problem only leads to its strengthening, as does the scandal with accusations and breaking dishes. Therefore, make every effort to maintain a constructive attitude of communication.
• Avoid being a judge. Even if you are not directly involved in the conflict, your family may be tempted to make you the “judge” or bring you to their side. One of the most difficult situations is when a conflict occurs, for example, between your mother and husband. And you need to remain neutral in this conflict: make it clear that both of them are dear to you, and you will not choose “who is better.” And do not pass negative information from one to another. Remember that in this case, negativity from both sides is poured out on you. Give them the right and opportunity to talk and negotiate for themselves.
• You have the right to expect that you will be protected from unrest. If your family forgets that you shouldn't worry, don't hesitate to remind them about it. But this recommendation is only for the “extreme” case, when attempts to achieve mutual understanding during discussions have not been successful. There is no need to use this technique too often, otherwise it will look like an attempt to manipulate relatives, taking advantage of the fact of pregnancy.

Medical service

Medicine is the field that should help the expectant mother bear and give birth to a healthy child. But, unfortunately, it happens that interaction with doctors is not stressful for a pregnant woman. Often, a reason that can cause stress is a situation when a woman does not receive sufficient explanations about the prescription of medications and test results, as well as comprehensive information about the health status of the unborn baby. Such situations may include the inattentive attitude of the doctor towards the expectant mother. Of course, you can ask to change doctors as a last resort, but you can try to improve the relationship. For this…

• Show interest. Ask yourself about the terms your doctor mentions and the medications you are prescribed. Do not hesitate to take your own initiative, because sometimes doctors themselves do not tell anything, not only because of lack of time, but also because they are not sure whether the patient is interested in it.
• Be careful when following your doctor's instructions and prescriptions. If you ignore what your doctor prescribes or miss mandatory deadlines for tests and studies, this not only worsens your relationship with your doctor, but can also provoke undesirable consequences for a woman’s health.
• Talk to the doctor. If you are dissatisfied with the inattentive, in your opinion, attitude of the doctor, you need to express your opinion politely, but directly. If you only occasionally experience some kind of negative attitude from the doctor, then you should not worry about it. Each of us can have a bad mood and personal problems. And if in general you are satisfied with your relationship with the doctor, you can simply forgive small episodes of negativity without concentrating on them.
• Let there be a backup option. For personal peace of mind, you need to meet a specialist whom you can contact if the opinion of the doctor managing the pregnancy seems controversial to you. This is not distrust of your doctor - this is caring for your own nerves.

At work

It’s great when colleagues and bosses at work are ready to treat the expectant mother with understanding, not keeping her late after work, treating her sick leave tolerantly and, if necessary, easing her workload. In this case, stress does not arise. But, unfortunately, this attitude is not always observed. What to do if you expect a different development of the situation or have already found yourself in it?

• Keep it secret. If you expect an unkind reaction, do not share your personal joy with anyone yet. Even if you share one thing with someone and in great confidence, most likely it will not be possible to avoid publicity. If you overlap with colleagues when communicating on the same sites, try not to give such information there too. After a few months, your situation will become obvious, but during this time you will work calmly. An exception is possible if, for medical reasons, you need to change your work schedule or make it easier. Then you will have to bring management up to date, because by law they must create the recommended conditions for you.
• Arm yourself with knowledge. You will need to find out about the legal side of the issue. Search for information on the Internet, or better yet, consult a lawyer and learn about your rights. An expectant mother who has information and is ready to act is shown more respect, at least formally.
• Try to fulfill your duties as conscientiously as possible, do not give yourself “discounts” due to pregnancy and do not expect this from your colleagues and superiors. If your previous responsibilities have become really difficult for you, ask management to transfer you to an easier job.

How to cope with stress

Our experts recommend that expectant mothers cope with excessive anxiety in the following ways:

1. Strengthen the body by taking vitamin and mineral complexes. Particular attention should be paid to ascorbic acid and tocopherol. Scientific research confirms that these vitamins protect the nervous system and improve immunity. They reduce the impact of provocateurs that cause a feeling of panic. No less important are B vitamins, which help stabilize the emotional state.
2. Practice specially designed perinatal yoga complexes - breathing exercises (pranayama), physical (asanas) and meditative (nidra). They calm the mind, make consciousness clear and help distract from any problems.
3. Listen to romantic and calm music. Experts assure that classic music not only relaxes the expectant mother, but also has a positive effect on the development of the baby. Combine business with pleasure!

How mother's stress affects baby

The influence of maternal emotions on the baby’s condition varies depending on the current trimester:

• in the early stages they can provoke a miscarriage;
• in the middle of pregnancy, stress leads to overstrain of vital organs, increased blood pressure, and the appearance of swelling.

Starting from the second trimester, a nervous condition contributes to a deterioration in the blood supply to the placenta, therefore the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus is disrupted. You should not reproach yourself for being overly emotional, but turn to specialists. Professional pregnancy management in Nizhny Novgorod will help you get rid of problems.

Sometimes the effects of maternal stress do not appear immediately. But in the future they can turn into all sorts of problems with the baby’s health:

• impaired concentration and attention;
• hyperactivity;
• neuroses;
• weak immune system;
• urinary incontinence;
• defects in appearance;
• speech problems;
• autism and other mental development disorders.

In some cases, we prescribe special psychotropic complexes to the patient. In this case, consultation with your doctor is required, since some medications are contraindicated during pregnancy. Don't get carried away with self-medication! It’s better to seek help from our specialists - they will conduct psychological tests, help you understand the reasons for your worries, and cope with them in the best possible way.

You and those around you

During pregnancy, a woman gains new experience of communicating with others: strangers or unfamiliar people in transport, shops, in queues of clinics and pharmacies. Expectant mothers say that part of this experience is positive: they are given a seat, skipped in lines, and given compliments. But there are situations that upset a woman: the outright rudeness of others during this period is experienced much more intensely.

Some expectant mothers listen to such “speeches” and become so upset that they cannot immediately respond, then ponder the insult for a long time. Others take an aggressive-offensive position, apparently using the slogan “Attack is the best defense.” But the expectant mother is quite capable of behaving in such a way as to reduce the likelihood of a negative attitude from others or cope with it if necessary.

• Try to stay positive. If you exude a good mood and warmth, then those around you will respond to this reaction. Friendly people show more willingness to help and even notorious boors restrain themselves.
• Choose friendly people if you need to ask for something. Not all people are able to take your situation into account, but some are quite capable of this. You can see such people, you just have to look closely: they have a calm and friendly look.
• Avoid disputes. If others (for example, in a queue) begin to grumble and do not let you pass, even if you have every right to do so, do not argue with them. Calmly tell them that you are pregnant and have the right to skip the line. Next, go into the office and do not stop when leaving it after the appointment. These people are strangers to you, and you may well not take their opinion into account.
• Be ready. If you need to “answer” in a situation, prepare a few sarcastic statements at home and practice saying them with a smile. In a critical situation, you will not be confused and will feel like a winner.