{"id":1337,"date":"2021-11-23T11:03:46","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T11:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/?p=1337"},"modified":"2022-01-11T11:11:26","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T11:11:26","slug":"how-to-reduce-anxiety-and-stress-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/how-to-reduce-anxiety-and-stress-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Reduce Anxiety and Stress During Pregnancy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pregnancy can be one of the most wonderful times in a woman\u2019s life and one of the most stressful and anxiety-producing. Nearly all women report some level of anxiety during pregnancy, but how can you know pregnancy anxiety is too much?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At <\/span><a href=\"\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">South Miami OB-GYN Associates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, we strive to keep you as worry-free as possible. Whether you\u2019re simply looking for tips on how to reduce stress during pregnancy or wondering can stress cause miscarriage, is anxiety early pregnancy normal, <\/span><a href=\"\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/sureen-chi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dr. Chi<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is here to help you get the answers you need.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is Stress?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stress is your body\u2019s physical response to stimuli, commonly known as stressors. These stressors are conditions that throw us off balance, such as change, pressure, or perceived threat. They can come from either inside or outside of us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stress is necessary for survival. In stressful situations, the amygdala is activated, and our survival instincts kick in. This reaction is popularly called the fight or flight response.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During this stage, our body responds to the stressor. It accelerates our heartbeat, blood pressure, and breathing inhibits digestion and increases blood sugar levels to provide our muscles with energy and our mind with focus. \u200b<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most of the stress we experience comes from within us. These mental stressors are mainly caused by perceived threats and pressures from our daily lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Types of Stress<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload size-full wp-image-1339 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress.jpg\" alt=\"Pregnant Adult Businesswoman Working With Laptop Looking Stressed in Office.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271000%27%20height%3D%27668%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201000%20668%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271000%27%20height%3D%27668%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress-200x134.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress-600x401.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Types-of-Stress.jpg 1000w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Not all stress is a bad thing. As mentioned above, stress is necessary. Most people have been conditioned to think stress is only a bad thing to avoid at all costs. Yet, it can be both negative and positive.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Eustress<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is positive stress. It can be used as motivation to achieve more and persevere through challenges. This form of stress brings positive feelings because the stressor is interpreted as an opportunity or challenge that one can successfully overcome by using coping skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Distress<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is negative stress. When people think of or are stressed, they usually refer to distress. This form brings negative feelings as the stressor is interpreted as a source of harm or a threat that one cannot overcome. As we continue, any future mention of stress is distress.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Distress is:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Anxiety producing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Short- or long-term<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Viewed as outside of our coping abilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unpleasant feelings<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Decreased performance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The cause of mental and physical problems<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Can Stress Cause Miscarriage or Other Complications<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A correlation between stress and miscarriage has not been made. While prolonged stress is generally unhealthy for anyone pregnant or not, the short answer to the question can stress cause miscarriage is no. According to ACOG, around 10% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. Most often, early miscarriage is caused by a chromosomal abnormality that stops the embryo&#8217;s normal development. This means most times, there&#8217;s nothing you can do to prevent a miscarriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Being stressed and anxious in pregnancy can lead to preeclampsia, increase the chances of your baby having a low birth weight, or being premature. However, while prolonged stress is not linked to miscarriage, it can cause other complications during pregnancy. High levels of stress that continue for a long time may cause health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. This is why it\u2019s a good idea to learn how to reduce stress during pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to Reduce Stress During Pregnancy<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our top tips to reduce stress and improve your overall health:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Practice mindfulness and identify your stressors<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rest as much as possible<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Practice self-compassion instead of self-criticism<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eat a well-balanced diet<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Talk it out with someone you trust<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What is Anxiety?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Anxiety is a strong feeling of unease, worry, or fear. It often presents as a side effect to long-term distress and is accompanied by depression. Other times it is situational or a symptom of a more significant condition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While it\u2019s normal to be anxious in pregnancy, some women find it hard to control their worries. Their feelings of pregnancy anxiety are more constant and can often negatively affect their daily lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An anxiety disorder is more than feeling anxious about a specific situation; it occurs when feelings of anxiety and stress don\u2019t go away, can\u2019t be controlled easily, and come on without any particular reason. When this type of anxiety happens, it is time to seek help.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your chances of developing an anxiety disorder are greater when you\u2019re pregnant. If you already have an anxiety disorder or you are someone who worries a lot, you may be at an even greater risk of developing anxiety during pregnancy. It\u2019s essential to seek treatment for anxiety early in pregnancy to make sure you and your baby receive proper care.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Common Symptoms of Pregnancy Anxiety:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Feeling an uncontrollable sense of anxiousness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Excessive worry, especially about your health or baby<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Butterflies in your stomach<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Inability to concentrate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Feeling irritable or restless<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Muscle tension<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Insomnia or trouble sleeping<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Racing heartbeat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A feeling of overwhelming dread<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fear of dying<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chest pain or difficulty breathing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shaky or weak limbs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A tingling sensation\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Causes of Anxiety During Pregnancy<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s quite common to feel a bit anxious in pregnancy about giving birth. It is rare, but some women are so afraid of giving birth that they don\u2019t want to go through with it, even if they want to have the baby. Severe fear of childbirth or pregnancy may develop because of a past traumatic experience such as miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death. This is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder and needs to be treated immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Other Risk Factors Include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Current or past anxiety disorder diagnosis<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Family members with anxiety disorders<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Past health challenges during pregnancy or labor and delivery<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Other personal health challenges, including other mental health conditions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An older baby or child with health challenges<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Trauma from your childhood, such as violence, abuse, or neglect<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Use of certain illegal drugs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Excessive long-term stress in everyday life<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Does Anxiety Affect Your Baby?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Luckily, anxiety in early pregnancy or at any stage of pregnancy doesn\u2019t cause miscarriage or directly affect your baby&#8217;s development. It can, however, affect your overall health, much like prolonged excessive stress. Therefore, it\u2019s a good idea to get your anxiety under control as it has been linked to stress conditions like preeclampsia, premature birth, and low birth weight.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Coping With Pregnancy Anxiety<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload size-full wp-image-1340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety.jpg\" alt=\"Pleasant Pregnant Woman Posing in Profile and Trying Yoga\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271000%27%20height%3D%27667%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201000%20667%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271000%27%20height%3D%27667%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2022\/01\/Coping-With-Pregnancy-Anxiety.jpg 1000w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dealing with anxious feelings during pregnancy can usually be managed without medications. There are lots of medicines deemed safe for use during pregnancy. Yet, if symptoms become moderate to severe or you were on medication before becoming pregnant, your doctor may want to discuss the benefits of beginning or continuing medication to you and your baby.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our Top Tips for Managing Anxiety:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Talk to someone you trust<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Practice self-compassion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Exercise (if cleared by your doctor), walking, and yoga are great options<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid caffeine and other stimulants<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eat well<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid smoking, alcohol, and illegal drug use<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Learn to use progressive relaxation\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Attend counseling using CBT (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/ptsd-guideline\/patients-and-families\/cognitive-behavioral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">cognitive behavioral therapy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Practice meditation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get a massage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Take up journaling<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Remember, you are allowed to feel stressed, anxious, or even depressed during pregnancy. Feeling guilty for having these feelings will only make them worse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s okay to need help managing these feelings, and we invite you to feel free to schedule an appointment with us. We at South Miami OB-GYN Associates offer care for every stage of pregnancy. We will be supportive and non-judgmental in helping you deal with your anxiety and restore your mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pregnancy can be one of the most wonderful times in a woman\u2019s life and one of the most stressful and anxiety-producing. Nearly all women report some level of anxiety during pregnancy, but how can you know pregnancy anxiety is too much? At South Miami OB-GYN Associates, we strive to keep you as worry-free as possible.  [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[133,135,136,132,137,134],"class_list":["post-1337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pregnancy","tag-anxiety-during-pregnancy","tag-anxiety-early-pregnancy","tag-anxious-in-pregnancy","tag-can-stress-cause-miscarriage","tag-how-to-reduce-stress-during-pregnancy","tag-pregnancy-anxiety"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/south-miami-obgyn-associates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}