How does nervous stress affect the expectant mother during pregnancy and what are the consequences for the child? The effect of stress during pregnancy on the fetus and the mother's body

Pregnancy is a special period, accompanied by a firework of emotions that are not always positive. Difficulties at work, problems in the family, bad tests ... This list of reasons for worrying every pregnant woman has her own. And only a few can boast of cold-blooded calmness and absolute "immunity" to stress. Strong nervous strain negatively affects not only the psycho-emotional state of a woman, but can also complicate the course of childbirth or affect the formation of the fetus. Let's figure out what are the causes of stress during pregnancy in order to take control of the situation in time, and why stress during pregnancy is dangerous for a woman and her crumbs.

When a woman says "I'm stressed!", most likely, she is upset, scared, outraged by something. But this is not an accurate description of the term "stress" and is more characteristic of its one variety - neuropsychic stress.

WITH scientific point vision, stress is an emotional disturbance of a negative nature, which can be provoked by a variety of factors, such as hunger, cold, photophobia or other phobias.

During pregnancy, short-term emotional stress is more common, which often resembles a storm of negative emotions. It rarely leads to systemic disorders during pregnancy and is manifested exclusively by a bad mood.

More dangerous constant stress during pregnancy or distress. This condition occurs against the background of prolonged nervous tension. Such "harmful" stress often disrupts the functioning of the whole organism, affecting hormonal background, immune function and well-being of a pregnant woman.

Stress develops gradually. The first phase is to activate female body in response to stress on the nervous system. Then the second phase gradually sets in - active resistance to the situation that has arisen. If the stress drags on, the third phase begins - the global exhaustion of the female body with subsequent complications. As a result, a woman may develop an infectious disease, exacerbate a chronic pathology, and develop a nervous breakdown.

Stress during pregnancy - causes and features of development

In the gestational period, stress proceeds according to a certain scenario. It leads to stimulation of hormonal processes, which leads to pathological synthesis of glucocorticoids and catecholamines. This leads to the fact that in the body of a pregnant woman there is a destruction of glucose and a short-term jump in blood sugar. The body immediately reacts to this by synthesizing excess insulin, which utilizes sugar, which provokes unscheduled heat generation. Then, in order to "rest", the body reduces the production of insulin, which is often called transient functional type diabetes.

But the effect of nervous stress during pregnancy on a woman's health does not end there. In conditions of insulin deficiency, the synthesis of sugars from amino acids starts. But their reserve in a woman's body is limited, so the body begins to break down fats to get energy. The product of their decay is ketones, which cause general intoxication. As a result, the brain, muscle tissue, and heart suffer. Often this condition is accompanied by severe oxygen starvation.

Repeated repetition of such a stressful algorithm leads to a decrease in thyroid function, disruption of the nervous system and immunity. Such disorders can affect the development of the fetus, so ignoring the often recurring stress is unwise.

What can cause severe stress during pregnancy? First of all, stress is triggered as a result of acute excitement, the source of which can be:

• Fear for the baby. While he is quietly developing in the mother's tummy, the woman is unable to somehow influence his well-being, to find out if everything is in order. It is especially difficult for women who have experienced a miscarriage and the loss of a baby in the past.
• Fear of future motherhood. Mild anxiety at the thought of the upcoming meeting with the baby and his future upbringing in women often occurs. But sometimes this excitement develops into a real test for the female nervous system and it is not possible to avoid severe stress.
• Contact with the outside world. Endless tests and queues in medical facilities, nervous passengers on the subway, a rude saleswoman in a supermarket - this is just the tip of the iceberg of possible provocateurs of stress during pregnancy.
• Work misunderstandings. Teachings from a disgruntled boss and unfriendly colleagues are perfect conditions for chronic stress. And if we also take into account toxicosis, frequent delays due to the next examination by a gynecologist and the inability to concentrate on work, then it becomes obvious that stress during pregnancy occurs very often at work.
• shock situations. Pregnancy does not exclude tragic turns in life. Anything can happen: divorce, dismissal, the death of relatives in an accident, an unscheduled move.
• Family environment. If the climate in the family is bad, conflicts often occur and misunderstanding is constantly present, there are uncomfortable living conditions, then emotional discomfort is guaranteed.

On a note! Excessive impressionability, suspiciousness and lack of support from loved ones only exacerbate the effect of stress on pregnancy.

How to understand that you have stress during pregnancy - symptoms

You can understand that a woman has stress by her emotional outburst. However, some women experience stress in silence and do not know it themselves.

The first signs of stress in a pregnant woman are considered to be:

• sleep disturbance (insomnia or vice versa, a constant desire to take a nap);
• obvious changes in appetite (refusal to eat or overeating);
• inability to work fully (fatigue, memory loss, lethargy);
• groundless fears or anxieties;
• signs of a depressive mood (apathy, a sense of hopelessness, detachment);
• panic attacks (fear of leaving the house, lack of air);
• deterioration of health (tachycardia, hypertension, dizziness, dyspepsia);
• obvious decrease in immunity.

Important! Such a complex of symptoms in a pregnant woman is a good reason to refer her to a psychologist.

How stress affects pregnancy

Minor physiological stress often occurs during pregnancy due to hormonal changes and pregnancy companions such as vomiting, headache, and weakness. This often makes a woman nervous and emotionally tense, but there is no negative effect on the fetus. In other cases, when stress is caused by external stimuli, and a woman experiences a deep emotional shock, the consequences for her and her baby can be deplorable.

Stress during pregnancy: consequences for the child

The first weeks of pregnancy are crucial, so the best thing that close and dear people can do is to protect the pregnant woman from stress. It can affect pregnancy and the baby in two ways:

• On the one hand, the first few weeks the baby is still microscopically small and is reliably protected from the effects of stress. Hormones of "stress" do not enter the fetal egg even after its implantation, since the placenta does not yet function until the 10th week, and there are no ways for them to enter the baby's blood.
• On the other hand, the first trimester is the time of formation of the inclinations of organs. And the presence of stress during pregnancy in the early stages worsens the functioning of the hormonal system and metabolic processes in a woman. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict how this will affect embryonic development.

Interesting! American scientists who studied the nature of the development of autism made an interesting discovery. It turned out that women who carried a baby in conditions of constant stress, the risk of having an autistic baby is twice as high as women who do not experience this condition.

Stress during pregnancy in the second trimester for a woman is no longer as dangerous as in the first. But in relation to the baby, everything changes exactly the opposite. For him, this period is very responsible, because the development of the organs and systems laid down in the first trimester is in full swing, and any negative factors can disrupt this process. Of course, there will be no serious anomalies in the development of the baby, but the following violations may occur:

1. Hypoxia and complications after it. Under the influence of stress, uteroplacental blood flow is disturbed. If measures are not taken in time, the baby continues to develop in conditions of oxygen deficiency and important substances. As a result, the newborn may experience neurological disorders, it may be too low weight, poor Apgar scores.
2. The birth of a premature baby. Stress is like a catalyst for uterine hypertonicity. If a woman has experienced a strong shock before the 22nd gestational week, she may have a miscarriage, and if after this period, premature birth. A premature baby may lag behind in development or have neurological disorders in the future.

On a note! Babies, whose intrauterine development took place in a stressful environment, are prone to conflict provocations after birth and are often mentally unstable.

After the 28th gestational week, the stress of the mother on the physical development of the baby is not displayed. But the fetus is already able to empathize with the mother and is also experiencing a kind of stress. This condition often provokes such reparable disorders in the newborn as poor sleep, refusal to eat, frequent regurgitation, increased muscle tone.

Stress during pregnancy: consequences for women

If stress is not dangerous for a baby in the early stages, then for a woman it can be a serious cause for grief:

1. worsening toxicity. Even moderate stress can turn mild nausea into uncontrollable vomiting. Also there is drowsiness, dehydration, worsening blood counts. Often this leads to hospitalization.
2. Hormonal imbalance. Hormones are the first to respond to stress. Depending on the state of the female body, this can cause unsuccessful embryo implantation or improper fixation. gestational sac in the uterus. Often, the fertilized cell, not attached to the endometrium, leaves the uterus along with menstrual blood.
3. Hypertension of the uterus. The connection between an increase in uterine tone and experiences has long been established. Therefore, stress often causes the development of a threat of miscarriage.
4. Freezing fetus. Very often, a missed pregnancy happens due to stress.

Advice! If, after a nervous shock, you notice bloody issues or abdominal pain, contact your doctor immediately.

The second trimester of pregnancy is the most comfortable period for a woman. Toxicosis is already over, and the delights of the third trimester in the form of sluggishness have not yet arrived. Therefore, there are no external reasons for stress. Because the emotional condition in this period, the sublime, minor stimuli are unlikely to provoke strong feelings. But if something really serious happens, the stress will flow very actively.

On a note! For women, stress in this period is not dangerous, which cannot be said about the baby. So if you can't handle your nerves, ask your doctor to prescribe you some mild sedatives.

Stress in the third trimester of pregnancy is not dangerous for a baby, but a woman may experience one of the following complications:

1. premature delivery. The female body is designed in such a way that if sharp fluctuations in hormones begin at this time and the tone of the uterus increases, it may decide that it is time to give birth.
2. Weakness of labor activity. The natural birth process is complex and involves many mechanisms of the hormonal system. If a woman was under stressful conditions during pregnancy, the likelihood of insufficient labor activity increases. Often you have to resort to stimulation and even caesarean section.
3. Incorrect position of the baby. The tone of the uterus caused by stress does not allow the fetus to take the correct position before childbirth. In such a situation, the birth process takes place with complications, which increases the risk of birth injuries in the child. Sometimes natural childbirth becomes impossible.

How to deal with stress during pregnancy

If you realize that you have a lot of stress - calm down. Concentrate on the thought that the most important thing at the moment is not the problem that has arisen, but the health of your baby. Think about someone close to you who can help you pull yourself together and ask for help. If there is no one to rely on, contact a psychologist.

If you are able to curb your feelings on your own, you can use the tips:

1. Conquer your fears. If the cause of stress is fear for the baby, tell the doctor about it and, if necessary, undergo an additional examination. If the reason is something else, try to solve it in a similar way.
2. Find a hobby. A hobby will distract from bad thoughts and give a lot of positive.
3. Learn to pamper yourself. If you're craving something sweet, indulge in one of the most delicious desserts. If you want to ride a swing - do not stop, because a baby lives in you.
4. Release the fear of labor pain. Although women hide, absolutely everyone is afraid of this pain. You need to come to terms with this, you don’t need to wind yourself up and undermine the baby’s health with your stress.
5. Don't hide your pregnancy. Often, women in the early stages do not advertise their position, and silently endure the frequent reprimands of the boss for being late or poor performance. Tell him that you are pregnant and he will enter into your position. So at least one stress in the first trimester of pregnancy will be less.
6. Voice all your desires. Pregnancy is a time of whims and strange desires, so take advantage of this moment.

Take care of your pregnancy and don't let stress harm your beloved baby. Tune in to positive and get maximum pleasure, because pregnancy ends very quickly. And remember that the process of childbirth, the health of your baby, and future lactation depend on your calmness.

Video "Stress and nerves during pregnancy"

Stress, even in the normal state of a person, is a very serious test for any organism. What can we say about how hard it is tolerated during pregnancy. At this time, external factors (cold and heat, hunger and thirst, physical exercise etc.), as well as emotional, psychological (resentment, fatigue, fear of childbirth, death loved one, nervous tension, etc.). Any nervous stress during pregnancy is dangerous both for the health of the woman herself and for the condition of the child she is carrying.

It often happens that a pregnant woman does not even notice that she is under constant stress. She gets used to it so much that she takes all her fears and worries for granted. In the meantime, constant stress during pregnancy is doing its destructive work from the inside. Therefore, every expectant mother should be able to analyze her condition and pay attention to the main symptoms of stress:

• apathy, indifference to everything, lethargy;
• decrease in working capacity;
• lack and loss of appetite;
• periods of inexplicable anxiety, nervousness;
• frequent heartbeat;
• dizziness;
• tremor of the limbs (their trembling);
• lowered immunity - frequent colds.

If all this is the case, most likely, your condition is serious enough and requires prompt correction. Scientists have found that in the female body in a state of stress during pregnancy, the amount of special hormones, glucocorticoids, increases significantly. And they affect not only genes, but also have a close relationship with the work of the placenta. Accordingly, their consequences can be the most serious.

Why is stress dangerous during pregnancy?

There are women who talk about the strongest stresses they endured during pregnancy, which had absolutely no effect on the condition of their baby and childbirth. These are very controversial situations, since the consequences can manifest themselves much later - problems can begin in a child at school or transitional age when major mental changes occur. Doctors have long explained how stress affects pregnancy and the future health of the baby. It can lead to the following consequences:

• small ;
• premature birth;
• stress on later dates pregnancy provokes anomalies in the formation of the nervous system of the child;
• problems of adaptation in the team;
• autism or hyperactivity;
• fears and phobias;
• stress in early pregnancy can lead to severe fetal hypoxia.
• enuresis;
• terrible birth anomalies - such as "cleft lip" or "cleft palate";
• allergic and asthmatic reactions in the newborn;
• the development of diabetes;
• cardiovascular diseases;

As you can see, being strong is a very serious test for both the baby and the expectant mother. That is why it is so important to try to avoid it by all means. And this should be understood not only by the woman herself, but first of all by those who surround her during this period of life.

How to avoid stress during pregnancy?

To help a pregnant woman avoid the terrible consequences of a stressful state should be the doctor observing her, and her relatives and friends. After all, it is on the latter that her psycho-emotional state depends. Pregnancy is not a time for quarrels, tantrums, and even more so divorces. To avoid nervous tension, the expectant mother needs to know methods that quickly and effectively restore peace of mind.

1. Learn to control your thoughts: stop thinking about the bad, wait only for the negative. Tune in to the positive and think about a safe birth and your baby, whom you will soon be hugging. If you feel that you are not able to do this yourself, be sure to sign up for special trainings or go to a psychologist.
2. Don't be alone with your fears. Find someone you can tell everything to. Do not leave negativity in yourself, get rid of it by any means.
3. Walk more on fresh air Don't forget to ventilate your room.
4. Eat well, especially fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
5. Sleep as much as you want.
6. Do physical education for pregnant women: special, swimming, even yoga.
7. Communicate only with those people who are pleasant to you. Eliminate from your social circle those who often offend you or just annoy you.
8. Get plenty of rest, especially in the first few months. While you are working, your lunch break is a must. Do not work in the evenings: before going to bed, you need to learn how to relax and get pleasant emotions from some favorite thing that gives you pleasure.
9. There are many ways to relax: discover the world of aromatherapy, book a massage or acupuncture, meditate.

Every woman who is preparing to become a mother should be very clear about the dangers of stress during pregnancy and why it is so important to avoid it by any means. To protect your baby from negative consequences, you need to be able to concentrate on the main thing - on your position, and try to ignore annoying little things and failures.

Pregnancy is a time of change. The body of a woman, her emotions, the life of the whole family are changing. These changes can be joyful, or they can add stress to life. Everyone experiences excitement during pregnancy, but too much stress can cause inconvenience:

• provoke sleep disturbances;
• cause headache;
• cause loss of appetite or overeating.

Chronic stress can lead to health problems, high blood pressure and heart disease. In pregnant women, a life of stress increases the chances of having a premature baby (delivery before 37 weeks), a baby with low birth weight. Prematurity and low birth weight are common causes of poor health in children.

The reasons are different for every woman, but there are some common factors:

• many are nervous due to physical discomfort - nausea, constipation, fatigue, backache in the later stages;
• disturbing thoughts about the upcoming birth and child care;
• working women think about the upcoming maternity leave and talk about it with the employer.

Hormonal changes in the early stages provoke mood swings, so stress is more difficult to cope with.

How stress can hurt

Not all stress can lead to problems during pregnancy. The usual dissatisfaction experienced in a traffic jam will not complicate the state of health. However, severe stress can lead to preterm delivery.

Most pregnant women who have experienced a major shock have healthy children. But you should be careful under such circumstances:

• serious illness or death of relatives;
• loss of a job or home;
• catastrophes like an earthquake, hurricane or terrorist attack.

Prolonged stress is usually associated with financial problems, poor health, significant changes in everyday life. This is a medical condition where a strong feeling of sadness lasts for a long period and interferes with a normal life.

Pregnancy is a cause for nervous tension. For some women, pregnancy itself is a major stressor. They are worried about the possibility of a miscarriage, the health of the unborn child, how they will cope with childbirth and parental responsibilities. Those who suffer from such fears should tell their doctor about the disease.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This type of disorder occurs in those who have experienced a terrible event - rape, natural disaster, terrorist attack, death of a loved one. People with PTSD experience:

• severe anxiety;
• memories of events;
• nightmares.

Physical manifestations: palpitations, sweating from memory.

Statistics show the presence of post-traumatic disorder in 8% of pregnant women. They are more likely to have a miscarriage, premature birth, and have a low birth weight baby. In addition, they are more likely to resort to health-threatening behavior: smoking, alcohol abuse, drugs.

How Stress Causes Pregnancy Problems

Bringing a new person into the world is not an easy task. You can worry about everything: is the diet healthy enough, is the environment safe, how to combine parenthood with work. Therefore, stress for pregnant women is the same norm as at any other stage. But if it is chronic, it can affect negatively. As you know, the fight or flight regime - the consequences of stress - is the release of cortisol and other hormones. They mobilize the body, prepare the muscles and heart for physical effort.

If the situation has been dealt with, the tension will recede and the body will regain its former balance. And chronic stress can cause inflammation, premature birth. A woman should not feel guilty about stress, but should try to control her emotions. The mechanism of the influence of stress on the course of pregnancy is not yet fully understood. But some stress-related hormones can make you feel worse. Chronic anxiety weakens the defense system, which can lead to infection of the uterus and premature birth. Under the influence of stress, women cannot cope with various difficult situations, some resort to smoking and alcohol.

Can high levels of stress during pregnancy harm the baby later on?

Many are interested in whether stress can harm a child. Some studies show that high levels during pregnancy can cause problems for the newborn and growing child, affect his sociability and fears, brain development and immune system.

At each stage of development, the organism analyzes environmental signals in order to optimize genetic parameters. Mother's stress is an irritant to which the child reacts, tries to adapt to it. When a mother's levels of stress hormones rise, the baby may be susceptible to a number of stress-related pathologies after birth.

Preterm birth and low weight are recognized consequences of stress, established over many years of animal and human studies. Recent research suggests that children who experience stress in the womb are at risk for chronic health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The most recent results suggest the effect of prolonged stress experienced by the mother on the child's temperament and neurobehavioral development. In infants whose mothers experienced high level stress, especially in the early stages, showed signs of depression and irritability.

Doctors say that the baby bathes in all the substances produced by the mother's body, so the level of anxiety and stress affects the temperament of children. If nervous system women stimulates the production of adrenaline and norepinephrine, blood vessels, feeding the fetus, narrow, limit the access of oxygen to the uterus. And the placenta increases the production of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which regulates the duration of pregnancy and fetal maturation.

CRH is one of the most interesting recent scientific discoveries, called the "placental clock". Its high level from 16 to 20 weeks may portend preterm labor. It turns out that stressful events occurring in the first trimester of pregnancy are crucial. It used to be thought the other way around: women are the most vulnerable when approaching their due date. Modern data show that in the later stages of women become psychologically stronger.

Doctors emphasize the link between stress and problem pregnancy. They also say that different women deal with stress differently and do not want to add guilt to someone who is already stressed.

Those most at risk are not those who have experienced a tragic event during pregnancy, but generally anxious people whose stress lasts for weeks and months.

How to reduce stress during pregnancy

Here are some ways to deal with stress:

• find out the cause of anxiety, talk about the disease with a partner, the attending physician; having thought everything over, it is easier for a woman to assess her strength and accept the upcoming tasks;
• realize that the discomfort associated with pregnancy is temporary;
• monitor health and appearance - eat healthy food, sleep enough and move;
• perform a simple set of exercises, take walks;
• temporarily abandon tiring activities;
• enlist the support of family, friends, relatives;
• accepting help when offered (for example, cleaning the house or organizing leisure activities);
• relaxation, yoga, meditation;
• visiting the school of expectant mothers.

Music and singing help control cortisol levels. Relaxation will help a warm bath, herbal tea, reading. Stress is initially an asymptomatic disease. Pregnant women should be able to recognize that they are experiencing nervous tension, to do simple things to relieve stress.

Optimism, a sense of humor and self-esteem, control over one's own life help to cope with fear. Medicine today is increasingly focused on controlling not only the test results and pressure of the expectant mother, but also awareness of her lifestyle, mood and home atmosphere in order to reduce the number of premature births and complicated pregnancies.

Severe stress negatively affects the mental and physical state of a person. An acute shock affects the functioning of the immune system, health and performance deteriorate. Therefore, during the bearing of a child, it is extremely unfavorable. Not only the mother's body suffers, but also the fetus.

Of course, within nine months it is impossible to completely isolate oneself from exciting situations, but it is an acute and protracted stress factor that is dangerous. Powerful emotional trauma can cause the development of various pathologies, for example, missed pregnancy. But not everything is so scary. Scientists believe that small worries are even beneficial for the female body and the nervous system of the baby. Serious damage is caused only by constant stress and deep feelings. What consequences, in addition to a missed pregnancy, can be with a prolonged stress factor?

The effect of stress on the female body

Long-term chronic stress affects the condition of a pregnant woman as follows:

1. Increased blood pressure, palpitations, breathing problems, tachycardia, dizziness. Some women complain of pain in the chest and abdomen, incessant migraines.
2. In the first trimester, many women are haunted by toxicosis, and constant stress enhances its manifestations.
3. A pregnant woman is unable to cope with emotions, she can often cry, she is haunted by apathy and fatigue. does not allow the woman to relax, she is tense and in a state of anxiety.
4. Decreased overall tone and strength. A woman constantly wants to sleep during the day, and at night she cannot sleep. This behavior will subsequently be in the baby.

Exposure to prolonged stress during gestation leads to depression, irritability, and dissatisfaction with one's position.

Mental stress and pregnancy

Regular ones also affect the bearing of the fetus. What is the danger of a stress factor?

1. Traumatic circumstances can provoke such an undesirable phenomenon as a miscarriage. It has been proven that constant worrying increases the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester.
2. Due to prolonged emotional experiences, an outpouring may begin ahead of time amniotic fluid, and this is an unfavorable development of events for the baby.
3. In the first trimester, the most dangerous periods include the eighth week of gestation. At this time, the fetus is sensitive to stressful circumstances and a strong traumatic factor can lead to a miscarriage. In this case, the embryo stops developing. Additional causes of missed pregnancy include alcohol abuse, infectious diseases, hormonal imbalance, weight lifting, previous abortions. But in some cases, doctors do not see any other reason for the appearance of a missed pregnancy, except for nervous stress. Signs of a missed pregnancy may also appear in the second trimester, especially at 16 and 18 weeks.

Any deviation from the normal course of pregnancy exacerbates the emotional state of the woman. And some pathologies, for example, the occurrence of a missed pregnancy or miscarriage, greatly affect the overall well-being.

Effects of stress on the baby

The mother's fetus is most susceptible. Stress during pregnancy negatively affects the baby for the following reasons:

1. Medical experts say that during a period of strong excitement, the nervous system of the baby suffers greatly. If the expectant mother experienced stress during pregnancy, then after birth the child may suffer from hyperactivity. Such children are prone to various phobias, their adaptive threshold is lowered.
2. Stress during pregnancy has a negative impact on the health of the baby. The fetus suffers from intrauterine hypoxia, and after birth, the child is prone to allergic and asthmatic reactions.
3. According to some reports, in the early stages of pregnancy, namely in the first trimester, it can provoke the development of schizophrenia in a child. Researchers talk about a seventy percent chance.
4. The child needs calm emotions of the mother. If a woman is subject to negative thoughts, then the consequences of negative experiences affect the psyche of the child. A balanced mother can give her child health, both mental and physical. Some scientists believe that the manifestation of a missed pregnancy should be sought in the nervous excitability of the mother.
5. The cause of enuresis, diabetes, autism also lies in the stressful state of the expectant mother. Severe trauma is a factor in many adversities in the baby, for example, prematurity, or the unviability of the baby.

Stress during pregnancy affects not only the woman, but also her unborn child. The baby suffers from the anxieties and worries of the mother. The cause of many problems lies behind the stress of pregnancy. You should be wary of strong unrest, not only in the first trimester, but throughout the entire period of bearing a child. In this case, many negative aspects can be avoided, for example, the occurrence of a missed pregnancy or the outflow of amniotic fluid.

During pregnancy, this is a protective reaction to the changes taking place in the woman's body. This process takes place naturally, helping the expectant mother to adapt to her new position. Such stress is the norm, as the body is rebuilt to carry the fetus. First of all, the hormonal and psycho-emotional background changes, which makes a woman more susceptible to various external influences. Pregnancy and stress are related concepts. The danger arises when such a protective reaction of the body becomes pathological and accompanies the entire pregnancy. Severe stress at this time is especially dangerous, as it can cause irreversible consequences for the child.

Causes of stress during pregnancy

Stress is a common phenomenon, as there are a lot of reasons for a woman. Often this reaction is caused by fears:

In this case, the main thing is to calm down, not to succumb to emotions and tune in to a positive outcome.

Stress during pregnancy can be caused not only by fears. There are other reasons too:

• unpleasant conditions that often accompany pregnancy (toxicosis, joint or back pain, constipation, fatigue);
• sudden mood swings, which are the result of hormonal changes;
• stress can be caused by negative events in life (death or illness of a loved one, a major quarrel, etc.).

Sometimes a pregnant woman can develop, which usually occurs against the background of a strong shock. The cause of this condition may be a terrible event, a witness or participant of which was a woman. This can be, for example, a natural disaster, rape, a terrorist attack, military operations, etc. Subsequently, such severe stress during pregnancy can cause premature birth, health problems for the baby or mother.

stress symptoms

Sometimes a woman can be under stress without even knowing it. She gets so used to her fears that she takes them for granted. This situation is not normal and may cause fear in the doctor. Prolonged exposure to stress will not benefit either the mother or her child. To prevent possible negative consequences of such a situation, every pregnant woman needs to be responsible for her health and pay attention to the following symptoms of a pathological condition:

• sleep disturbance;
• apathetic state;
• lethargy and indifference to any action;
• reduced performance;
• appetite problems;
• bouts of spontaneous anxiety;
• nervousness;
• cardiopalmus;
• pressure problems;
• dizziness;
• tremor of the lower or upper limbs;
• reduced immunity, which is manifested by frequent colds.

The presence of already several symptoms from the list may be a reason to suspect a severe form of stress in a pregnant woman. Scientists have found that stress in the body increases the amount of glucocorticoid hormones that affect genes and the placenta. This hormonal imbalance can lead to undesirable consequences. To reduce Negative influence stress on pregnancy in general and on the child specifically, appropriate therapy will be required.

Dangers associated with stress

Why is stress dangerous? Can a stressful situation cause any serious disturbances in the development of the fetus? Short stresses during this period are unlikely to harm a woman or a baby. Such conditions are even useful, as they prepare the body before childbirth and strengthen the nervous system of the child. But prolonged and deep stress is a completely different matter. Such conditions must be treated. Severe stress is especially dangerous in the early stages of pregnancy.

If the pregnant woman suffered from stress, the results may not appear immediately. Parents may notice some mental abnormalities in a child only in adolescence.

If a woman experienced stress during pregnancy, the consequences can be identified both for herself and for the baby:

• babies can be born with low birth weight;
• problems with adaptation in society at an older age;
• if a stressful situation occurred in the late stages of pregnancy, then it can provoke anomalies in the formation of the fetal nervous system;
• autism;
• hyperactivity;
• over time, the mother or child may develop;
• urinary incontinence;
• the newborn may have a congenital external defect (eg, cleft palate);
• stresses in the early stages affect the normal supply of oxygen to the fetus (they can cause intrafetal hypoxia - this is one of the reasons for the fading of pregnancy);
• allergic or asthmatic manifestations in a newborn;
• diabetes;
• disruption of the cardiovascular system.

Stress during pregnancy has consequences for the health of the mother:

• premature birth;
• weak labor activity (contractions do not increase, which may require drug induction of labor);
• development of a nervous breakdown;
• miscarriage.

The consequences of stress during pregnancy can be a very serious test for both the mother and her child. To avoid this, it is important for a woman to learn to control her emotions, and for the people around her to try to create anti-stress conditions around her.

The effect of stress on the child

After suffering a severe psychological trauma, a woman may feel stressed. This situation in itself is very dangerous, but if a woman is in a position, it is doubly dangerous.

What stress can lead to a pregnant woman has already been figured out, but how exactly does this happen? What causes fetal developmental disorders?

The impact of pregnant stress on the health of her baby can be schematically expressed as follows:

• during a stressful situation, the hormone cortisone is produced in the woman's body, which causes a jump in blood sugar and reduces the oxygen supply of cells (both of these conditions are not normal and can cause disturbances in the development of the fetus);
• at the moment of stress, the body removes toxins worse, which can lead to its poisoning, which means that the fetus will be subject to toxic effects;
• the mother’s frustrations and worries can contribute to a decrease in her appetite, which means that the child will receive less nutrients, which can also cause disturbances in its development.

The most unfavorable time for a stressful situation is the 24-28th week of pregnancy. During these periods, the development of the fetal brain occurs. In addition, a missed pregnancy can become a consequence of severe depression. A strong mental impact in the 1st-3rd months of pregnancy increases the likelihood of a child developing schizophrenia. The chances of getting sick with such an ailment are about 70%. With strong prolonged stress, the central nervous system of the fetus is especially affected.

Strong fears often lead to miscarriages, and basically this situation affects only male children. Interestingly, premature birth of girls for this reason is very rare. But boys whose mothers experienced severe stress during pregnancy live much longer than those who were born under favorable conditions.

How to reduce the manifestation of stress

Since stress affects pregnancy predominantly negatively, the question arises as to whether. There are several ways to deal with stressful situations:

How to deal with stress during pregnancy? In such a situation, you need to consult a doctor who will talk or prescribe medication, while only relatives and friends will be able to surround the pregnant woman with the necessary care and love. The psycho-emotional state of a woman largely depends on the situation in the family.