As we mentioned in the previous post, in recent years several studies have shown the negative effects of stress during pregnancy. The good part of this is that the emotional health of pregnant women begins to be taken into account and made available to them means to help them prevent and address those situations that they feel are overflowing.
However, How to know if we are stressed? What are the symptoms? For example, it is easy to confuse stress with anxiety when in reality they are two different concepts. Even so, they are often used as synonyms. The difference? Stress is a response that the organism gives to adapt to a situation and can trigger an anxiety reaction, but it can also cause other emotional reactions such as joy, anger or sadness. Another clue: the concept of stress is more associated with tiredness and exhaustion than anxiety. In addition, stress situations include those that are important to us (threat, loss, damage ...), while those that generate anxiety always involve a threat.
Perfect, we know that anxiety and stress are not the same. But how can I know if I suffer stress? In this post we will try to answer this question and examine what can help us prevent it.
Clues to identify stress
Stress does not affect all women equally. Some say they manifest especially headaches, back or neck; others explain that they mainly eat them and others feel like crying at any setback, to give some examples.
However, there are a number of signals that appear repeatedly when stress is evaluated. So it doesn't hurt to know what they are and learn to identify them. We will group them into four categories:
- Physical symptoms. Among the different symptoms that may appear include muscle tension, palpitations, chest tightness, headaches, fatigue, increased or decreased appetite and stomach and / or sexual problems.
- Emotional symptoms. We may experience feelings of aggression or irritability, sudden mood swings, feelings of dissatisfaction or apathy, sadness, anxiety and feelings of guilt.
- Cognitive symptoms. When we are stressed, it is often difficult for us to concentrate and pay attention to our surroundings, which often leads us to forget things. It is also frequent that we worry excessively about everything, going around and filling ourselves with negative thoughts.
- Behavioral symptoms. In situations of stress, it is common for tobacco and alcohol consumption to increase or for us to conduct behaviors such as biting our nails, eating excessively, moving continuously, etc. Social isolation is also frequent, the tendency to react aggressively, cry frequently or stop doing things that were pleasurable before.
How to prevent stress in pregnancy?
Although it is important to know the main symptoms of stress, surely we all agree that it is best to learn guidelines that help us avoid it.
In the case of pregnancy, most women cope well with physical and emotional changes, adapting without problem to the different stages. But sometimes they may encounter situations that they perceive as potentially stressful.
If the future mother has learned in the past to identify which situations stress her the most or what strategies have been helpful, she can keep stress at bay. After all, as always, the experience itself is the best form of learning.
But what if that is not the case or do you feel that what helped you in the past does not help you here? Fortunately, there are a number of healthy practices which have proven to be of great help for prevent stress During pregnancy. Let's see some of them.
Take care of breakAt least everything in our hand. If we put our resources in place to face the day-to-day tasks but do not replenish fuel, there will come a day when we run out of strength. In addition, adequate rest also allows you to better cope with the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy.
Be careful with self demand. It is good that we set goals, both personal and work, but without demanding more from the account. Following the rhythm you had before pregnancy will not always be possible and depends a lot on the circumstances of each woman. Learn to prioritize It is essential to prevent stress, although sometimes it may mean not reaching everything.
Face situations as they arrive. It is important to have information about the changes that will be taking place, but we hope that they arrive to live them. Meanwhile, focusing on experiencing the present moment will prevent us from feeling overwhelmed. Yoga and meditation are useful to achieve it.
Eat Healthy and do physical exercise (with the supervision of the doctor) can help relieve the discomforts typical of pregnancy, which in turn will have a positive impact on our emotional well-being.
Spend time at personal relationships. The support of friends and family during pregnancy has been shown to be an important protection factor against stress. Specifically, its impact on reducing the activity of the immune system has been seen, which in turn favors the onset of stress. For example, in an investigation carried out by the University of Colorado, in Denver, the level of stress and psychosocial support of 24 pregnant women was evaluated and women with greater support network were found to score lower in the levels of stress. The data also showed significant relationships between high levels of stress and a greater amount of proinflammatory cytokines, proteins involved in the development of preeclampsia and other complications in pregnancy.
Cultivate the Relationship. Encourage the privacy with the couple it has also been seen that protects from stress. The same as he sex. The hormones released during sexual intercourse help relaxation and the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. In a recent study carried out at the Institute of Neuroscience at Princeton University (USA), Leuner and his collaborators have shown that multiple daily sexual experiences in mice for two weeks manage to drastically reduce cortisol release.
The techniques of relaxation, meditation Y yoga They have also shown their potential in relieving and preventing stress. Find the one that best suits your needs. There are also studies that emphasize the anti-stress properties of massages, which also help improve blood and lymph circulation.
Allow yourself to perform pleasant activities. A study from the University of Cincinnati (USA) revealed that pleasant activities reduce stress by inhibiting the anxiety response in our brain. Surely in the day to day there are many small (or large) things that you could give yourself the pleasure of doing. Dedicate a part of the day to some leisure activity without regrets, even at home.
At job we must try not overload us. It is important to also adapt working life. For example, learning to set limits or delegating tasks and responsibilities, whenever possible. It is also good to make frequent breaks and take advantage of breaks to numb the muscles and even walk a little.
Consult doubts with the doctor. Having information decreases the feeling of uncertainty and anxiety.
In short, do not hesitate to introduce those changes in your routine that help you have a quieter life and escape stressful situations. It is also gratifying to spend time becoming aware and enjoying your future baby.
Yes, each woman must decide how to recharge the batteriesSo I invite you to reflect, what helps you?
Photos | I went, Schwangerschaft, on Flickr. In Babies and more | The union of the couple during pregnancy benefits the development of the baby, Improve the emotional state of the mother to improve society, Videos of massages for pregnant women.
