We have previously been worried and anxious, especially in situations with more risk or stress. Although a joyful experience, becoming pregnant can also raise anxiety levels and cause uncertainty. These are some of the most common queries concerning anxiety before, during, and after pregnancy.
Pregnancy-related anxiety is quite common. Anxiety over your newborn’s health, worries about your ability to be a great parent, and concerns about how the relationship with your significant other may alter are all normal. Pregnancy-related hormone changes can also impact your emotions and temperament, increasing your susceptibility to stress and concern.
It is typical for anxiety to impact both parents. Pregnancy worries or antenatal anxiety might cause you to worry excessively about the well-being of your unborn child and to constantly check in to make sure they are growing and developing as they should.
How Common Is Anxiety In Pregnancy?
Pregnancy-related anxiety disorder is highly typical. Over 10% of expectant mothers have it. Because you’re not coping, don’t let that make you feel inadequate. Some expecting women experience stress or shame when they have anxiety or panic attacks, as everyone assumes they will be happy. Often, even if they try relaxation techniques, they still can experience symptoms. However, anxiety is not an indication of vulnerability or something you can “snap out of,” but rather a mental health problem that has to be treated.
It can be challenging to discern whether your sentiments are normal or indicative of something worse than normal during pregnancy, as it can be an extremely difficult event. Have faith in yourself. You are the best person to determine whether these emotions are typical for you. It’s crucial to seek assistance if you experience frequent panic disorder episodes or high levels of anxiety while pregnant.
Anxiety can range from minor discomfort to intense anxiety or panic. While anxiety is a common emotion for everyone, certain individuals struggle to manage their extreme worries. Anxiety disorders and panic attacks can be extremely terrifying for some individuals who suffer from anxiety.
But there’s a distinction between everyday concerns and prenatal anxiety, which is a more severe form of worry that occurs during pregnancy. You should see a healthcare provider in search of more effective methods to manage your generalized anxiety disorder if it starts to consume you, is hard to manage anxiety on your own, and frequently interferes with your day-to-day functioning. Prolonged and intense worry can raise your chances of having a low birth weight baby or going into preterm labor. It can also raise the likelihood that your child will experience emotional or behavioral problems later in life.
Signs Of Anxiety During Pregnancy
Severe anxiety is only one of the numerous emotions that pregnant women encounter during this sensitive time of their lives. It’s natural and anticipated to have a fair degree of new anxiety and worry throughout this period of transition. Understanding greater detail about anxiety and how it can manifest during pregnancy can be beneficial if you are feeling worried and with a lot of anxiety.
Experiencing A Frequent Sense Of Panic, Restlessness Or Fear
Usually, when you’re in a constant fear or panic that lasts a couple of days, you will know that it is not a common occurrence anymore. Especially, when you are constantly feel restless. Yes, being in this state may seem normal during pregnancy. But the prolonged occurrences and emotional strain accompanied by it can be alarming.
Pregnancy-related anxiety hurts fetal neurodevelopment and the health of the unborn baby and is linked to a shorter gestation period. Particularly strong anxiety is felt while one is pregnant. Because they may negatively affect the fetus, anxiety or panic attacks during pregnancy can be concerning. Preterm birth (PTB) and limited fetal growth are two of the more common adverse consequences for pregnant women, even if their subclinical physical symptoms of anxiety and depression throughout pregnancy do not lead to a diagnosis.
An Inability To Concentrate On Your Day-To-Day Life
Feeling a little tired and mentally unstable during the day may be completely normal. But when you are pregnant, a lack of concentration that affects your daily tasks is something that you should be concerned about. Though this might not be an urgent situation, you should at least figure out why you’re having problems working on what you need to do, especially when caring for yourself, your home, and your family members.
When a pregnant woman experiences anxiety, her body releases a barrage of hormones that change throughout the day. It affects every kind of neurotransmitter in the brain, like various tastes and sizes. You may suffer from memory issues, lack of focus, and absentmindedness due to the physiological alterations in the central nervous system. Anxiety can lead to a variety of common symptoms, including headaches, difficulty sleeping or insomnia, appetite loss, and an inclination to overeat, all of which can be detrimental to both you and your unborn child.
Trouble Functioning At Work
Consider an anxiety condition if you somehow realize that your work performance suffered or that you had to take sick time because of work overload. Pregnancy is negatively impacted by mentally, physically, or both strenuous jobs. Therefore, please pay close attention to your level of performance because, despite your belief that it is temporary, it may result from a chronic medical condition that can affect your physical activity, such as causing chest pain, trouble sleeping, tense muscles, and more.
The chances of pregnancy termination or miscarriage, preterm labor, premature delivery, low birth weight, and preeclampsia are increased in the workplace. Keep in mind that the chances of pregnancy issues increase with stress. Particularly if you are accustomed to performing multiple tasks, it would be better to take a minute to consider your circumstances and avoid drawing hasty conclusions.
Having Obsessive Thoughts
It’s not uncommon for pregnant women to have all sorts of thoughts. These things in your head can vary from your excitement of becoming a mother to your “what ifs” when it comes to your unborn child’s health. It is best to recognize the impact of your thoughts on your emotions and behavior so you can rule out the superstitious beliefs and focus on your reality.
According to Harvard medical school experts, stress, anxiety, sadness, and other undesirable feelings experienced by pregnant women can have an impact on the developing baby’s growth and development. The purpose of the study was to look into how bad experiences and emotions affected women’s missed miscarriages. The nature of intrusive thoughts or “obsessions” throughout the early stages of pregnancy is frequently associated with the possibility of accidental or deliberate harm to the unborn child. So think about getting professional help if you suspect you may be struggling with troubling thoughts and are continuously overanalyzing unimportant things.
Not Enjoying Things That You Used To Love
You could feel numb or lose interest in activities you used to enjoy when you’re struggling with a psychological problem. It’s a typical sign of a lot of mental health issues, such as despair and anxiety. Feeling as though you have no purpose in life is a typical emotion. A lack of motivation can frequently bring on these kinds of moods. Losing interest in all the people in your life, though, might be concerning in other situations. Therefore, you might already be going through your emotional and mental struggles in silence if you find yourself pondering all the time, not wanting to do anything, and not having sufficient reasons to enjoy the things you used to love.
Heart Palpitations
Your heart rate rises as a result of the fight-or-flight reaction triggered by anxiety. An anxiety attack makes your heart feel like hammering or racing. Palpitations in the heart often accompany anxiety. A medical condition, post traumatic stress disorder, stress, obsessive compulsive disorder, perinatal anxiety, exercise, or medicine can occasionally bring these on. Heart palpitations or rapid heartbeat are normally not dangerous, although they might be concerning. In rare cases, heart palpitations may indicate a more serious cardiac disease that may need medical attention, such as an arrhythmia. Thus, be careful to periodically check your blood pressure and heart rate. Don’t ignore slight modifications to them.
Why Seek Help For Pregnancy Anxiety?
Researchers themselves are not completely aware of the complexity of pregnant anxiety, which can have multiple underlying causes. Since anxiety tends to run in families, it may be inherited or the result of an underlying medical condition like diabetes, problems with the thyroid, or persistent pain.
It’s a common misconception among women that trying to fight through anxiety is the best course of action. However, there are a few explanations for why it’s advisable to get help if your anxiety is severe. Despite your belief that “I’ll just feel happier and better once the baby is here,” studies have revealed that pregnant women who experience anxiety are more likely to experience postpartum depression following the birth of their child.
Therefore, even if depression and anxiety don’t always coexist, they are strongly related. By learning coping mechanisms for anxiety before your new baby is born, you’ll raise the likelihood that you’ll be able to relish those happy first few months with them. Long-term, serious anxiety throughout pregnancy might impact the development of your unborn child, which is another reason to look into therapy.
Research has indicated that experiencing depression or anxiousness during pregnancy can heighten the likelihood of preterm birth, low birth weight, and even a higher probability of behavioral or emotional challenges in the offspring later in life.
Final Thoughts
Telling your doctor about anxiety symptoms is crucial, even if they are minimal. They can advise you on the most effective ways to deal with such indications, and they can keep an eye out for any signs of anxiety getting worse while you’re pregnant. You should contact a medical professional immediately if your anxiety is interfering with your everyday activities or if you are experiencing recurrent panic episodes. They are the only ones who can identify your anxiety problem and suggest the most appropriate course of action for your care. They may prescribe medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Speak with your healthcare provider or midwife if you are experiencing severe sensations of fear or anxiety about anything related to your pregnancy or that could impact it. A mental health professional must handle this. The best thing you can do to keep yourself and the little one healthy and secure is to ask for help.