Written by Pradeep
When we talk about stress, just count the number of things stress brings along. Sleepless nights, low patience levels, anger, anguish, either you lose your appetite or tend to overeat, headache, a blocked thought process, depression, or the list goes on.
Now that you have a responsibility of nurturing your bundle of joy, you can relate the adversity that can be done in baby’s growth and development due to stress. If mothers are exposed to stress, then it affects the development of baby’s brain and also baby’s memory and learning ability in later life.
In This Article
A womb is a very busy place. Where earlier doctors used to think that stress has very little or no impact on the development of a fetus, research now has enough proof to claim that babies born to mothers who have been stressed during their pregnancy have been preterm and with low birth weight.
This claim is supported by the fact that when stressed, your body releases the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones contract the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the developing fetus, thus causing low birth weight and premature delivery.
Increased levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) are also produced due to high levels of stress and anxiety. CRH regulates the tenure of the pregnancy, and as such can cause premature birth.
Stress during the first trimester of pregnancy is also known to cause miscarriages and an increased risk of motor disorders. Neural problems may develop if the mother is under stress when the baby’s brain is developing, sometime around 19-26 weeks in the pregnancy.
[Read : 9 Most Common Causes Of Miscarriage]
Pregnancy itself is a challenging time which brings out many emotional and physical strains, after all you are creating a new life. But if this anxiety and stress has started to interrupt your daily life and day to day activities, it’s time that you take charge and find out a way to deal effectively with it.
It is better for the expecting mother to throw away the stress and rest as much as she can. During pregnancy, the immune system of the expecting mother is weak and Stress releases stress hormones that weakens the immune system further which can deteriorate mother’s health and also affect the baby’s growth. Stress can also increase the risk of miscarriage, premature delivery or low birth weight infant.
[Read : Over Anxiety During Pregnancy : Are You Worrying Too Much?]
Apart from getting regular check ups and monitoring the baby’s growth and heartbeat, it is important that you are leading a stress free life. Now, if this seems unlikely, make sure that you deal with all that life is throwing at you at this time effectively – because now it’s not only about you but
Stress can also lead to long term problems like blood pressure, anxiety or depression. So fight away your stress for your baby’s sake and enjoy every moment of this wonderful journey of pregnancy. Have a positive approach towards life and remove all the negative thoughts that scare you. Always stay happy and keep yourself engaged in things that gives you immense joy and delight.
Read Also: Depression During Pregnancy: What Is It?
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