How to calm your nerves during pregnancy: useful practical tips

• The dangers of stress for a pregnant woman
• Sedatives
• Phytotherapy
• Vitamin therapy
• Calming activities
• Psychological attitude

Stress can cause irreparable harm to mother and child, but it cannot be avoided. There are many ways to calm your pregnancy nerves.

Lack of stress is an important condition for a successful pregnancy

The easiest way to relieve nervous tension is to take sedatives. It is much more difficult to rebuild your worldview, to learn perseverance and calmness. A positive attitude will help not only to safely bear a child, but also to cope with the role of a mother in the future.

The dangers of stress for a pregnant woman

The body of a pregnant woman is vulnerable to external influences. This is due to hormonal changes and suppression of defense mechanisms.

Pregnant women in the early stages overreact to ordinary everyday troubles. They are frightened by new sensations, they are afraid for the child’s health. Many women have a fear of childbirth.

When stressed, the concentration of glucocorticoid hormones in the blood increases; this is a necessary protective mechanism. If stress is prolonged, the activity of hormones is steadily increased. Why is it dangerous for pregnant women:

1. The synthesis of proteins in growing and dividing fetal cells is inhibited.
2. The load on the liver increases. It activates the synthesis of glucose and glycogen. The liver does not fully cope with filtration, fatigue, pallor or yellowness of the skin are observed, and the symptoms of toxicosis intensify.
3. The excretion of potassium and calcium in the urine increases. The child does not receive enough elements necessary for his healthy development.
4. The activity of immune cells is inhibited. A pregnant woman's body becomes even more vulnerable to infections.

The likelihood of premature birth during a calm pregnancy is significantly reduced. If a woman has been regularly exposed to stress, the child may in the future experience an increased sense of fear, anxiety, hyperactivity, and mental retardation.

How to deal with a pregnant woman’s worries about the baby’s health?

Sometimes a pregnant woman begins with fear to go through all the risk factors that she has been exposed to since the beginning of pregnancy and think about how they will affect the child. Memories of drinking a glass of wine or taking aspirin when you were not yet aware of pregnancy, thoughts about the polluted air of your hometown or radiation exposure from the computer monitor on your desktop are used. You never know what else can affect the baby’s health. There are dangers here and there.

Psychologist's advice.

Do not exaggerate the degree of risk. Congenital defects are very rare. Think that unnecessary worry is much more harmful to your child than the mistakes you made. Don’t indulge in feelings of guilt, it’s better to find a way that can compensate for your “misses” - be it active walks in the park or a balanced diet or listening to classical music. Also, try to imagine more often how healthy, strong and beautiful your baby will be. Such fantasies have a very beneficial effect on the development of the baby.

Sedatives

You can combat stress during pregnancy with the help of certain medications. Plant-based sedatives help relieve nervous tension without harm to health.

What sedatives can pregnant women take:

• valerian (tablets);
• motherwort (tablets);
• "Novo-passit" (for one-time use);
• "Persen."

The remedies help you quickly calm down after experiencing a shock. If you suffer from insomnia, there is a feeling of anxiety, or there is a sudden change in mood, you need to consult a specialist. Taking medications on your own, especially in early pregnancy, is not recommended.

Extracts of valerian, motherwort, passionflower, and mint are safe for pregnant women.

The preparation "Novo-Passit" contains St. John's wort and hops. The first caused miscarriages or the birth of weak offspring in experimental animals, and the second affects hormonal levels, so you should not take sedatives regularly during pregnancy.

Motherwort and valerian are allowed to be taken only in tablet form. Alcohol tinctures are contraindicated during pregnancy. Tranquilizers and barbiturates are strictly prohibited: they have a teratogenic effect on the fetus.

The drug "Novo-Passit" contains St. John's wort and hops

Neurotic state during pregnancy

A neurotic state during pregnancy is quite common. Here a lot depends on the individual characteristics of the psyche of each woman. If the expectant mother herself is impulsive and has problems adapting to the environment, then pregnancy will occur in combination with neuroses.

Many pregnant women experience neurosis

Statistics say that neurosis during a woman’s “interesting” situation is a common occurrence; about a quarter of all pregnant women face this problem. The main reason is changes in hormonal levels.

For most women, the neurotic state occurs in its own way: tearfulness, irritation over small things, aggression.

You can identify neurosis while carrying a baby by noticing the following changes:

• constant apathy and indifference to everything
• prolonged lethargy and decreased performance
• insomnia
• stress
• lack of appetite
• causeless anxiety, sadness and nervousness
• cardiopalmus
• tremor (shaking) of the hands or feet
• decreased immunity (manifested by frequent colds)

Taking medications to relieve a neurotic condition is contraindicated. But neurosis cannot be ignored - the disease negatively affects the health of the unborn child.

If neurotic symptoms appear, you should consult a specialist. Relieving symptoms on your own is dangerous for the baby’s health.

Learn about neurotic conditions during pregnancy from this video.

Phytotherapy

You can calm your nerves during pregnancy with the help of herbs. The main thing is to choose the right plants.

Treatment of increased nervous excitability can be carried out using recipes:

1. Mix one tablespoon of hawthorn fruit, oregano herb and motherwort. Pour the mixture with a glass of hot water, leave in a water bath for 15–20 minutes, and strain after cooling. Drink the infusion twice a day, a few sips.
2. In a teapot, mix a teaspoon of green tea, 10 chamomile flowers, 5 mint leaves and lemon balm. Pour boiling water over the mixture and leave for 15 minutes. Drink tea before bed.
3. In a cup, mix a teaspoon of valerian and motherwort, pour boiling water over it, and leave for 20 minutes. Drink the strained tea throughout the day.

Valerian and motherwort have the strongest calming effect. Mint and lemon balm help you fall asleep easily. Chamomile relieves the symptoms of toxicosis and tones the body.

You should not overuse concentrated herbal infusions. You can add a little herb to regular tea.

Motherwort is a great stress reliever

Vitamin therapy

Stress and nervousness in pregnant women are often the result of a lack of vitamins, micro- and macroelements. The problem can be solved with proper nutrition and vitamin-mineral complexes.

The main element is ascorbic acid. All cells and tissues need it for normal functioning. Vitamin C is found in all vegetables and fruits. The leaders are bell pepper, black currant, Brussels sprouts, parsley.

Vitamin E works in tandem with vitamin C: they form an antioxidant complex. It is found in beef liver, spinach leaves, almonds, olive and sunflower oil.

For the normal functioning of the mother’s nervous system and its formation in the child, vitamin B6 and magnesium are needed. The latter is found in bananas, spinach, almonds, cashews, and walnuts. Beans, beef liver, pork, lamb, pistachios, and celery root are rich in vitamin B.

Vitamin and mineral complexes can be taken only after a doctor’s prescription. It is prohibited to drink drugs uncontrollably.

Calming activities

To cope with nervous tension, pregnant women do not have to take pills or herbs; they can change or adjust their lifestyle, or find something they like.

How to calm your nerves during pregnancy without pills:

1. Walks in the open air. You can walk through the forest or park, admire nature, without thinking about problems.
2. Healthy sleep. You need to go to bed and get up at the same time every day (ideal time to fall asleep is 22:00, to wake up 6:00, 7:00). A nap after a light lunch is very beneficial for pregnant women.
3. Physical training. It is best to practice yoga for pregnant women with a professional instructor.

Developing new talents will help you relax and get rid of the blues. You can learn a foreign language, learn how to draw portraits, crochet, embroider with ribbons, etc.

It is useful to start the day by listening to music. She can be calm or cheerful, but not sad or aggressive.

Exercise for relaxation during pregnancy

Sit in a chair, on the floor, cross-legged, or lie down on your left side, placing pillows under your head and bent right leg.
Close your eyes. Step away from problems and surrounding bustle. Listen to the sensations in your body. Breathe easily and calmly, as if allowing air to freely enter and exit your body.

Then take a deep breath and exhale slowly and relaxed. Imagine that you are breathing in soft sunlight that fills you with warmth and peace. The warmth slowly and quietly spreads throughout the body, reaching the tips of the nails and hair. The shoulders are lowered, the mouth is half open, the forehead is smooth. You relax, problems recede, tension goes away, and gloomy thoughts, like clouds, float over the horizon.

Breathe like this for a few minutes.

Then imagine the baby inside you. What is he doing? Thumb sucking? Playing with the umbilical cord? Tumbling? Or does he sleep, making funny faces and flapping his arms in his sleep? Examine his body, mentally stroke his head and cheek, massage his palms and feet. Imagine what he feels now: the touch of warm waves on sensitive skin, a sweet taste in his mouth, a feeling of peace and security. Hear the sounds around your baby: the rhythmic beating of your heart, the rumbling of your stomach, the muffled sounds of the outside world.

Place your hands on your stomach and through them send warmth and tenderness to the baby. Stay a little longer with your baby, wrap him in your love, wish him health and happiness.

Then stretch, yawn, open your eyes, stand up slowly and carefully and return to your business.

Never blame yourself for being nervous and giving your baby some stress hormones - guilt is even more destructive than indignation or anger. Just explain the situation to the baby in a nutshell and assure her of your love.

Indulge your little weaknesses , be it the desire to eat something “harmful” or spend time “doing nothing.” Enjoy every little thing - the long-awaited sun, communication with a close friend, an interesting book, your favorite TV show, a beautiful new thing. If there are more bright emotions in your life, life's difficulties will not seem so frightening, and there will be fewer emotional breakdowns.

Be positive : try to think about the good, find positive moments in any situation, and contrast pleasant memories with disappointments. All bad things come to an end, and if not the best days have come in your life, you just have to get through them.

Do something you love, something that brings real pleasure, awakens imagination and interest - be it pleasant music, an exciting computer game, handicrafts or mastering new culinary recipes. By surrendering to these “small joys”, you will not only lift your spirits, but also teach your baby to enjoy life.

Sing . Singing helps get rid of emotional discomfort, and also prepares the internal organs (lungs, heart, diaphragm) for childbirth.

An interesting technique of special singing for expectant mothers is humming. Sit cross-legged, straighten your back, close your eyes, take a deep breath and, as you exhale, slowly, with feeling, sing the low sound “a”. Another option is to “hum” the sound “m” through closed lips: “mmmmmm.” These exercises teach you to use your voice for deep relaxation (which is especially useful during labor during labor), relieve bodily tension and train breathing.

Psychological attitude

If you can’t cope with stress with walks and herbal tea, you need to work on yourself. A positive attitude will help you easily cope with any stressful situation.

It is very difficult to get rid of despair, fear, resentment and irritation with one effort of will. You need to program yourself. You can do this yourself or work with a psychologist.

For independent work, psychologists recommend using a set of simple phrases for different life situations. You need to repeat them to yourself every time there is a reason to be nervous. What are these phrases:

1. “My husband (mom, dad, etc.) is the best, he only wants the best for me. I will not quarrel with him, even if he is wrong today. I am calm, wise and balanced." This does not apply to cases of assault.
2. “I’m happy that I live, that I have a home, that I have freedom. I am strong and I can protect myself, I have nothing to fear.” The verbal form helps to drive away unreasonable fears.
3. “There are no perfect mothers, I have the right to make mistakes. I can handle everything." Suitable for cases when strangers begin to give advice on how a pregnant woman should and should not behave.
4. "I won't react to it, I'll remain calm." Suitable for any unpleasant situation.

You should not try to specifically limit yourself from stress. If the situation requires participation, it must be accepted. Yes, you need to react calmer, but a state of complete detachment is also not beneficial.

A healthy lifestyle, vitamins, an interesting hobby and a positive attitude will help a woman calmly get out of any stressful situation and stop being nervous during pregnancy. These methods have a long-term effect. Sedatives help to cope with nerves for a short period.

Relaxation methods during pregnancy

The ability to relax, clearing your thoughts of negativity, will help you stay healthy throughout your pregnancy and easily cope with childbirth. Relaxation, a method of reducing muscle and nervous tension, will help maintain the health of the nervous system and put thoughts in order.

There are various relaxation methods

There are many ways to relax; the following exercises are perfect for pregnant women:

• breathing relaxation
• meditation
• drawing
• yoga

Read: Instead of pills and surgery - treatment of endometriosis with folk remedies

For breathing relaxation, find a quiet place, take a comfortable position, take your mind off your thoughts and focus on your breathing. Take a slow, deep breath. Feel your lungs filling with air.

Now slowly exhale through your mouth. As you exhale, imagine how all the negativity and anxiety comes out along with the air. Then inhale again. Relax your whole body, feel the tension go away.

How to calm your nerves during pregnancy with meditation? Relaxation is best done with the help of mantras. Sit in the lotus position, remember to be comfortable, concentrate on breathing, relax, turn on a calming mantra, clear your thoughts of all unnecessary things. While listening to the mantra, try to repeat it mentally, focus on it, breathe slowly. Repeat the words of the mantra until they crowd out other thoughts.

If you like to draw, then this activity during pregnancy will perfectly help calm your nerves and cope with stress.

Turn on classical music and draw whatever comes to mind. It is better to paint with bright, multi-colored colors, they will help cope with mild depression and lift your spirits.

If you have been haunted by anxious thoughts throughout your pregnancy, be sure to learn one of the relaxation methods. Learning to calm down will benefit not only you, but also your child.