Severe stress during pregnancy: consequences for the baby

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

According to the results of research, it has been proven that severe stress during pregnancy can leave a serious mark on the unborn baby. Women who during this period were constantly in a tense state more often had babies with any defects.

What is stress?

Today, people often diagnose themselves on their own, without even fully understanding this or that concept. But you cannot self-medicate. In common usage, "stress" is interpreted as a negative state of tension.

In medicine, this term means a non-specific response of the body or an adaptation syndrome that develops under the influence of excessive or new influences (for example, emotional or physical stress). There are several types of stress:

• Emotional stress. Psycho-emotional excitement of a person in various life situations, when the fulfillment of social and biological needs stops for a long period.
• Eustress, which is caused by a positive mood.
• Psychological stress. Due to the influence of extreme circumstances, there is a feeling of excessive psychological stress and discord in social behavior.
• Distress. It appears with the periodic impact of some unfavorable situation or a deep shock. It is the most difficult and dangerous, because the body cannot cope with it alone.

As you can see, the understanding of what stress is in our usual meaning and medical meaning is as follows: a stressful state is considered to be the usual nervous excitement or emotional experiences inherent in people with excessive emotionality.

How to identify

Stress during pregnancy has its own specific symptoms and signs that are common to all people, and specific to girls in the situation. In the latter case, it may be difficult to determine the stress state, since the signs of both sometimes converge. Divide signs into physical and behavioral.

Physical symptoms include:

• sudden weight loss (with the exception of morning sickness);
• frequent headaches and pressure drops as a sign of stress;
• redness, itching and rashes, analysis does not reveal any diseases;
• panic attacks with increased heart rate;
• muscle tone (in the last stages, premature birth may begin from it);
• gastric contractions, accompanied in some cases by vomiting (difference from toxicosis in frequency and controllability);
• insomnia;
• breathing difficulties;
• pressure drops.

Behavioral features include:

• irritability, not that slight irritability that is accompanied by all pregnant girls, but frequent "explosions";
• depressive state, again, there may be a divergence of concepts, but it is better to contact a psychologist who will help;
• excessive tearfulness, remember that crying for no reason is not a good sign;
• impaired concentration or suicidal thoughts.

If you notice these symptoms in yourself, try to analyze recent events and your state before and after this situation.

Reflection on baby

Women experiencing constant stress during pregnancy, expose the child to the influence of stress hormones - cortisone. Due to stress, a woman can lose her appetite, and malnutrition or the resulting toxins also negatively affect the development of the baby. Cortisone raises blood sugar and reduces the supply of oxygen to the cells. Together, these two aspects can lead to congenital diseases.

Passivity, lack of initiative, hyperactivity, problems concentrating on one thing, poor self-control - this is what severe stress during pregnancy can lead to. Such a child is more likely to need antidepressant treatment. In addition, due to constant stressful situations, the child may have asymmetry of the fingers, legs, ears, eyes, or lowIQ.

Influence on boys and girls

Girls who are expecting a baby should expect different consequences of severe stress during pregnancy:

• When waiting for a girl, increased fatigue, unhe althy sleep affect the high nervousness of the mother. And this very nervousness can cause premature birth and cause the girl’s “first cry” to be absent.
• While expecting a boy, mommy's unstable emotional state can also cause premature labor and increase the chance of cord entanglement.

Babies have problems

A baby born prematurely under severe stress is more at risk of respiratory disease, blindness and developmental delay. Sleep problems in early childhood and infancy, a high-risk group, are all problems inherent in children born to mothers who are in a depressed state. Psychological comfort and he althy sleep are the best prevention of problems. Good mood, the state of the cardiovascular and immune systems, and metabolism depend on sleep.

Several ways to fight

The effects of stress during pregnancy can be dire. Ideally, of course, throughout the entire period of gestation, be away from stress and deep emotional experiences. But this is unlikely in real life. In case of an unexpected stressful situation, you need to know how to deal with it.

1. Physicalexercises. Sport helps to overcome nervous stress, affects the improvement of the body as a whole, gives a charge of vivacity and energy, improves mood and excellent shape. But the main thing is to remember that physical activity should not be contraindicated by a doctor during pregnancy. Here is the minimum and harmless load for girls in position: walking or slow walking on the simulator, swimming, water aerobics or classes on the stepper.
2. Pregnancy consultant. Who is it? This is a woman who has already given birth or at a term that is a couple of months longer than yours. Especially for the first time, a girl is very worried about situations that she does not understand, which causes great stress during pregnancy, because it is not clear whether what is happening is normal or not. And if you can turn to an experienced woman who has gone through this difficult period, it will significantly reduce the excitement.
3. Meditation. Based on expert research, meditation significantly reduces the negative effects of stress, pain, blood pressure and heart rate, and improves sleep. Before starting meditation, find a comfortable position, set a timer for 5 minutes, place your hands on your stomach, close your eyes, focus on your breathing until the time is up. Of course, this is the most simplified version.
4. The severe effects of severe stress during pregnancy can be prevented by practicing relaxation breathing. But you need to do this regularly, only in this case there will be a result. How it's done? We place our hands on the stomach and breathe, let's say, "belly", feeling the movements of the hand along withbelly. Improve over time, pause before exhaling.
5. Massage. This beneficial procedure helps relieve back pain, leg cramps, head pain and other ailments of pregnant women.

As you can see, the ways to deal with stress are quite simple, and the effect of them is amazing: not only calming the nervous system, but also healing the body, relieving tension of the whole body.

Reasons

Strain of the nervous system can occur for various reasons. Here the main role is given to the mark, which is considered the norm for a girl. Great importance is given to the psychological state at the moment. After all, even the worst in a good mood is accepted many times easier. Here are the most common causes of stress during pregnancy:

• Fear of pre-birth. The most common fear. Limited knowledge in this area and fueled by rumors about the unbearable pain of this process and no less danger.
• Experience about position. Everyone is afraid of miscarriage. Even with the planned birth of a child, it takes a certain period of time to get used to the idea of a new role. But the woman has 9 months to do so.
• Volume increase. Yes, yes, all girls are afraid of extra pounds, as a result of loss of attractiveness. Here we must remember that the form can be put in order.
• Household and family troubles. It's hard to insure against this, but you need to be prepared for worries about adding tofamily. This is very true if this is the first child.
• Unrest at work. Alas, until the 30th week, a woman in position is obliged to work as a full member of the team with all the problems and worries.
• Experience for the child. First trimester - fear of miscarriage, second - fetal activity, third - premature birth.

All of the above signs are an integral part of pregnancy. But despite them, this is a great time, and the time of motherhood is even more wonderful.

Missed Pregnancy

There is no reliable information that even the strongest stress for the body during pregnancy leads to fetal fading. In general, this phenomenon has not been fully studied. The main causes of miscarriage, experts include genetic, autoimmune or gynecological diseases in women. But among some doctors, there is still an opinion that stress affects the negative outcome for the child.

Solve the problem

You need to understand the specific cause of stress and try to eliminate it. Solving the problem in this situation will lead to satisfaction and an increase in mood. If negative emotions are caused by fears, then you need to quickly make up for the ignorance, because of which fears arise. After all, the unknown is scary. To date, many programs and trainings have been developed for expectant mothers, in which they clearly explain how the body changes during this period, and advise how to alleviate the condition as much as possible. Waiting time for babycompletely natural, so it should not cause much discomfort. With uncertainty and some chaos in the head, the right decision would be to contact a psychologist.

Nerves under control

During the second trimester, the girl becomes happier: toxicosis, hormonal boom and the first tests have already been completed, just the time to enjoy her new status. In the second trimester, stress during pregnancy, as a rule, does not depend on the woman, strong shocks and small experiences have a big influence here. It is during this period that the formation and development of the child, or rather its organs, takes place, and injuries have the most severe harm. Of course, this will not cause any special mutations, but there will be negative consequences:

• Due to disturbances in the functioning of the uteroplacental blood flow, the child cannot receive nutrients and oxygen to the full extent.
• Hypertonicity of the uterus: up to the 22nd week can cause a missed pregnancy, after that it can affect the premature birth of a premature baby.
• After birth, a child who was in constant stress during the period of development in the womb, strives more for stressful situations, as they are the norm for him.

If you still had to get nervous, then consult a doctor for a prescription of light sedatives. It is better to take action in time to avoid consequences.

First trimester

Stress during early pregnancy is all-or-nothing. fruit wellprotected from any physical injury, as the small size of the uterus is hidden in the pelvic area. And there is no reason to worry about uteroplacental blood flow. But, if you look from a different angle, then all the organs and systems of the developing fetus are just being formed, so even the most minor injuries can lead to interruption in the development and death of the fetus.

How stress during pregnancy affects the baby is already clear, but what effect does it have on the mother? A nervous state during this period can cause severe toxicosis in a woman. Because of the experience, mild nausea in the morning can become very difficult and around the clock.

He althy food

The good mood of a pregnant girl may depend on the absence of unpleasant sensations of heartburn and toxicosis. To avoid these irritants, you need to control your diet. And statements about the fact that you can consume whatever you want are wrong, because not always a pregnant woman wants he althy products.

Calories

The consequences of stress during pregnancy can be severe for a baby, so the smallest details, even the number of calories consumed, are important to avoid it. Until 14-15 weeks, you should not change your usual diet, 16-28 you need to consume 25-30 kcal per kg of weight, then 29-35 kcal per kg of weight. At the same time, it is not recommended to eat sweet, starchy foods or fast food.