Pregnancy Anxiety: 5 Ways to Stay Healthy and Calm Throughout Pregnancy

A nine-month journey, pregnancy is an experience many women endure at least once in their lifetimes. It usually ends in a bundle of joy that’s celebrated and treasured for many years to come.

The face you make when looking at those delicate, innocent eyes that seem out of this earth is just on another level.

Needless to mention, the prenatal period can also bring with it a fair share of challenges to the expectant mom, and sometimes even to their spouses.

Especially for the first-time mom-to-be, it’s often a time of anxiety and hope, confusion, nausea, vomiting– and sometimes more nausea and vomiting.

Whether you, your spouse, or a loved one is carrying a new bundle of joy inside her, this piece highlights a few tips on how to stay calm and healthy. Combating Anxiety By Staying Calm Throughout Pregnancy

Observing a healthy pregnancy is not only essential for the mother but also for the expected baby. This is why antenatal care is critically important, and should be started as early as possible during pregnancy.

As a mother-to-be, it’s good to avoid stress and anxiety, eat well, and stay active. These can help in safeguarding your health while also supporting the growth of your unborn child.

Without further ado, below are five ways to stay healthy and calm throughout pregnancy.

1. Make Sure To Get a Healthy Diet

While pregnant a woman needs to eat a healthy, nutritious diet at all times. The nutrients you get from your diet are critical in helping your growing fetus to stay healthy and strong throughout the 40-week long accomodation in your womb.

Vegetable, colorful fruits, calcium-rich foods, foods with low saturated fats, and whole grains are especially advised.

While observing your diet as best as possible, the tips below can also help keep you and your baby healthy and worry-free throughout the pregnancy term:

• Keep yourself hydrated

• Avoid alcoholic drinks

• Do not smoke

• Limit your intake of caffeine

2. Stay Active with Regular Mild Exercises

Staying active during your pregnancy can help prevent a host of complications, from back pains to fatigue, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension, to mention but a few.

But as much as regular exercise during pregnancy can be healthy, there’s a giant aspect of safety to be considered. In other words, it largely depends on which exercises you partake in, how you do it, when, and where.

Remember, you do not want to strain yourself more than your body and your growing baby can handle, which actually, would naturally cause anxiety or stress for any mom-to-be. Physically forgiving exercises such as brisk walking or mild stretching can be beneficial, but one thing is for sure.

It’s important to seek your doctor, gynecologist, or antenatal care provider before undertaking any form of exercise throughout your pregnancy.

3. Sleep More, Sleep Better

While you are up and about taking care of minor chores around the house and working out, do not forget to take a nap whenever you feel like you need it. The recommended 7-9 hours of sleep might do you good, but napping during the day can help you relax, fight fatigue, and above all, allow your unborn baby to grow healthy.

While expectant, your sleep patterns play a huge role in the development of the baby, both in terms of physical and psychological development. This makes it important to seek a medical professional’s help if you’re experiencing sleep problems during your nine-month-long journey.

4. Avoid Stress

While it might be considered normal for pregnant women to undergo stress and anxiety during pregnancy, studies show that it could have health risks and adverse implications for both the mother and the baby. This is especially if the stress becomes chronic and unmanageable.

While it might be hard to tell for sure, some signs you could be developing chronic stress during pregnancy might include loss of appetite, if you are having trouble sleeping, and headaches. Also, it’s critically important to determine stress triggers and avoid them or seek appropriate help.

Each person is different when it comes to stress and anxiety triggers or causes. However, some commonly reported causes of stress in pregnant women include:

• The fear of labor and methods of delivery

• Physical changes after childbirth

• The fear of becoming a new mom

• Financial stresses during

If you are undergoing a lot of stress during your pregnancy, consider seeking professional help, getting your partner involved in the whole process, taking nature walks, or talking to a friend.

Take some time for yourself, feel the sun on your face, and get more fresh air whenever you can. Pay attention to your environment, sights, sounds, scents, and other sensational elements around you.

You might be surprised at the healing effects these simple actions can bring your way.

Needless to reiterate, always seek consultation with your doctor if something is weighing you down mentally, physically, or emotionally at any stage of your pregnancy.

Did you know that your unborn baby can detect sounds or even hear your voice while in the womb from as early as 18 weeks? This means that you do not have to wait until the baby is born to start bonding with him or her.

Besides helping to calm your nerves, bonding with your unborn child has been discovered to play a huge role in their development, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. Some tips you could use to bond with the little fellow in your womb include:

• Gently rub and massage your belly often. You can as well have your partner participate

• Sing and talk to them

• Read them a book

• Play them a lullaby

• Take care of yourself by going to a spa, swimming, or investing in birthing balls

5. Stay In Sync with the Father/Dad

Finally, it is also paramount to ensure that the dad-to-be is involved where possible. A man’s role and his participation during pregnancy might greatly help reduce negative maternal behaviors as well as other problems that could arise, including low birth weight or preterm birth.

As a man, your financial, emotional, and logistical support will come in handy in ensuring the well-being of your family.

While there might be certain challenges attached to attaining a healthy and stress-free pregnancy, you need a well-laid-out plan to ensure your safety and that of your unborn child during expectancy.

Keeping your obstetrician’s contacts close by is recommended, as they can advise you more on the important steps to take if you ever feel weighed down during the challenging but ultimately joyous journey.

Note!