Pregnancy can be a very exciting time and at times it can also be very stressful.  There are so many changes going on with your body and your lifestyle.  It all can be overwhelming.  Not to stress you out even more, but dealing with severe stress levels may affect your pregnancy.  Being in a severe state of stress can produce certain hormones that could cause you to go into preterm labor or even trigger a miscarriage.  Understand we are not talking about everyday stressors, like running late and being stuck in traffic – that can be stressful, however, it is not considered to be severe. Let’s concentrate on things we can do to control our stress.

Create Balance 

With so many changes going on in your life.  Make sure you are eating a balanced diet, getting some exercise, and taking some “me” time.  Plus, take time to spend with your family and friends.

Tips to reduce stress and create some balance 

• Exercise – You can find fun ways to exercise.  Take walks with family or friends.  See if your local yoga studio offers a class for expecting mothers.  
• Eating – Make sure you are taking your prenatal vitamins.  Limit your caffeine intake.  Eating fish can promote your baby’s brain development.  Be sure to avoid fish that have higher levels of mercury.  Of course, be sure to eat your fruits and vegetables.
• Ways to have a happy pregnancy – Treat yourself to massages – it does help you to decompress, relieves pain, plus you deserve it.  With pregnancy comes many different kinds of emotions and talking to a therapist can help.  You may also find it beneficial to make friends with other expecting parents.  When we have others to bounce feelings off of or share stories that each other can relate to, that can also be very therapeutic. 
• Sleep – Sleeping is beneficial in so many ways.  It gives your brain the opportunity to restore neurotransmitters that have become depleted during the day.  Get those pillows positioned just right and sleep.  
• Relax in the tub – Draw a warm bath and soak.  You will relieve your muscle aches and reduce stress at the same time. Make sure the water isn’t too hot.  For safety tips learn more here.
• Accept help – Accepting help is not always easy.  Asking for help can be even more difficult.  Allowing people to help you can help to bring down your stress levels.  Plus, your family and friends more than likely want to help and be a part of this experience.
• Acupuncture – Find an acupuncturist that is certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.  Be sure they have experience with working with pregnant women.  Not only can acupuncture help to reduce stress, it can also help with other pregnancy symptoms that cause discomfort.
• Read for fun – Settling down with a great book is a great way to escape.  Getting lost in a book and forgetting about everything else for a while is one of the best ways to relax.  
• Make a list – There are so many things you want to do.  Take time to organize your thoughts and put it to paper.  You will be so excited to check things off your list.  Plus, rewarding yourself for completed tasks is also fun.  
• Meditate – Like many things in life there is an app for meditation during pregnancy and it is tailored to correlate with each trimester.  Not only will this be a great tool to combat stress, it also helps you to achieve better sleep.  See if Expectful piques your interest.

Learning more about your pregnancy does help to bring you some peace of mind.  The book What To Expect When You’re Expecting helps many pregnant women through every stage of their pregnancy.  Oftentimes during pregnancy you are asking yourself “Is this normal?”  Guaranteed you will find the answers in the book.  If not, always consult with your doctor.  Websites like TheBump can help you along the way as well.  There are so many great resources at your fingertips.  Do a simple Google search and you will find the ones that are the most intriguing to you and informative.  Ultimately the more you learn about your pregnancy you have a better chance of eliminating fears and therefore decreasing your stress and anxiety levels.  At times you may feel like you have been pregnant forever.  Embrace the good that your pregnancy brings.  Because once the baby is born, you may find that it all went by so fast.  Enjoy it!