Stress & Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant, you’re probably feeling some stress. It just seems to come with the territory. After all, there’s a new life joining you soon and there’s a lot to think about.
A certain amount of stress is good but the problem with stress and pregnancy is that high stress levels in the mother can transfer to the baby.
Here’s what happens…
When we become stressed, our bodies release a stress home called Cortisol. This is the hormone that gives us that ‘fight or flight‘ reaction in stressful situations and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body. Small increases of cortisol also help give us quick bursts of energy in survival situations as well as increased immunity, heightened memory and even lowers sensitivity to pain.
While Cortisol helps the body deal with stressful situations, prolonged cortisol exposure can have a negative affect on pregnant women and their babies. For example studies have indicated that babies with high levels of cortisol exposure while in utero had increases risk of developing ADHD and had lower IQ levels. Further studies also showed that elevated cortisol levels could even be linked to high blood pressure, immune suppression and mood swings in both pregnant mothers and their children.
This is not to say that all stress is bad, not at all, but if you are pregnant you’ll want to diminish as much stress as possible, especially prolonged stress.
Keeping your Stress Levels at Bay During Pregnancy
There are a number of ways to keep stress levels at bay while pregnant. Exercise and good nutrition are a great start but also taking short breaks from your stressful day works wonders. As soon as you feel your stress levels getting the better of you take a simple short break. Try listening to soothing music or take a few minutes to read a good book. Doing this can considerably control any maternal cortisol levels and reduce stress hormone exposure to your baby.
It’s an excellent daily practice to get into for pregnant moms.
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