Pregnancy Stress Busters
Each time I found out that I was expecting I was not only filled with an amazing feeling of excitement but also at times felt a little scared. My whole life had changed holding just a blue stick in my hand; nothing would be the same again.
At times I felt anxious and stressed about what the future held for me and my growing baby, often common for any expectant mother and indeed fathers too.
So what can you do to help reduce anxious thoughts and feelings during your pregnancy?
Whether it’s your first or subsequent pregnancy we want everything to be perfect, this can provoke feelings of worries and fears about everything that could possibly go wrong. We go online, talk to friends and family yet we can still end up feeling anxious and stressed.
Fortunately, although anxiety is certainly not uncommon during pregnancy there are some things you can do to help alleviate anxious thoughts and feelings helping you to feel calmer and more relaxed?
Avoid Scary Stories and Images
When you are pregnant it is advisable to avoid reading scary stories online or watching birthing programmes such as ‘One born every minute’
Filling your mind with negative stories and images will only increase your anxiety especially if it is just before you go to bed.
You will sleep a lot better take a warm bath, listen to some soft music or a pregnancy relaxation cd is particularly powerful.
DISMISS the “What Ifs”
Almost every expectant mother will at sometime during her pregnancy think about the ‘What If’s’ For example, what if there is something wrong with the baby, what if something goes wrong in labour and what if I don’t cope as a mother and so on.
These feelings can be torture so speaking to someone such as your midwife can really help put things into perspective
Remember the majority of ‘What If’s’ don’t happen, and if one does have the confidence to know that you will deal with it.
Take a Breath
When you’re feeling anxious, you will find that your breathing typically becomes faster and shallower. Take just five minutes a day to find somewhere quiet and allow yourself to close your eyes and just focus only on your breathing. When you take a slow breath in think of a colour of calm. When you breathe slowly out imagine releasing a colour of tension. With practice you will find that this really reduces stress and anxiety.
For more advice contact us at enquiries@www.hypnobambinos.dev