Are you feeling anxious as you are waiting to welcome the new member of your family?
It is natural for any would-be mother to feel anxious. Studies have shown than every 1 in 10 pregnant women tend to feel anxious when they are pregnant.
This doesn’t happen only during the first pregnancy but can happen at any time.
Though pregnancy is one of the most beautiful phases in the life of any woman, the joy of motherhood also does come with its share of physical and emotional challenges. This feeling of fear and unease can be anything between mild to severe.
The question is do you have to worry about it?
Should you start looking at treatment options for anxiety relief for pregnancy?
Before we delve into this we must first look at some of the triggers behind your recent bout with anxiety assuming you didn’t suffer from this problem in the past and it has happed in the recent weeks of your pregnancy:
- pregnancy wasn’t planned, and you weren’t ready for motherhood
- lack of support from your spouse or partner
- new restrictions in life due to pregnancy
- hormonal changes that take place in the body during this phase
- the feeling of not having things around you under your control
- constantly worrying about the health and wellbeing of the unborn child
- pregnancy complications that are known to you
- the sense of loss of career and ambitions after motherhood
Likewise, there are several other reasons that might make you feel anxious and depressed in this eventful time in your life.
You’d start noticing one or many of these symptoms if you are suffering from anxiety during pregnancy:
- lack of sleep
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- limbs shaking
- cold sweats
- irritability
These can be frightening as you are aware of the fact that what affects you is also likely to affect your child.
If you are experiencing any of these it is important that you take steps in the right direction to get over this feeling of hopelessness and lack of control in your life.
You may ask what can relieve anxiety during pregnancy. Here are some of the methods of anxiety relief you may try:
- Meditation – This is one of the best ways to relieve your mind from anxiety. When you meditate you will be able to calm down your nerves and focus your mind in the right direction. Fill your mind with positive thoughts and this will work as an antidote for all the anxiety you are dealing with at this time.
- Baby’s Welcome – Start preparing to welcome the baby in the grandest manner. Immediately after the delivery, you’d hardly have any time to spare in terms of decorating the baby’s room, buying the right clothes and accessories, choosing the right crib, or buying other décor items for the room. Turn your attention to these and you will definitely feel better.
- Read, Watch, Listen – Whether you love reading books, watching TV shows, or listening to music engage yourself into these as they will immediately turn your attention away from the negative thoughts. If you stay relaxed it is good for you and the baby.
- Engage In your Hobby – You’d definitely be passionate about something in life and if your hobby doesn’t put you through physical stress or put you at the risk of falls and injuries you can dedicate time towards it. The more you engage yourself the better you will feel about yourself.
Can You Take Anxiety Relief Medication When Pregnant?
Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko from Unsplash
If you are suffering from anxiety while carrying a little angle in your womb this question is likely to bother you the most. As you’d surely know you’d have to be double cautious before popping a pill when you are pregnant.
In fact, through these nine months, you need to be extremely careful about your diet since certain fruits are to be avoided at all costs.
This is the reason doctors around the world exercise due to caution while writing prescriptions for pregnant women. Certain groups of drugs known to expose the fetus to high risks are never prescribed to pregnant women.
Your doctor is likely to avoid prescribing the regular antidepressants as they can affect the fetus due to a change in weight and also lead to premature birth fetal heart defect.
While numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of anxiety relief medications during pregnancy, the level of risk to the fetus still remains unclear.
In fact, this is one of the most hotly debated topics in the world of medical science where we have often come across contradictory studies.
But most medical bodies around the world do acknowledge the fact that doctors should prescribe antidepressants after weighing in the risks and the benefits. In acute cases of anxiety which is leading towards depression, these medications might be the last resort for any doctor.
Anxiety Relief without Side Effects
What can relieve anxiety without any side effects?
If you are suffering from mild anxiety turning your mind towards books, relaxing, and meditation might offer you relief. But there are cases when you will need to look at oral medication and supplements.
In such events, it is necessary that you choose a medication that doesn’t expose you and your baby to the risks associated with prescription drugs.
In fact, medical practitioners do prescribe these supplements to their patients given the benefits and the absence of risk.
Synergistically optimized formula prepared from natural herbs has become one of the most popular ways to deal with anxiety during pregnancy.
These supplements primarily include herbs such as ashwagandha which has been used in Ayurveda for thousands of years.
Other herbs used in these include Chamomile and St. Johns Wort. These are different from the traditional herbal medicines you have heard of which don’t really optimize the level of neurotransmitters the real reason behind your anxiety.
The active ingredients in these supplements are naturally derived and delivered to your body. The amino acids present in these supplements improve the stress response system within your body offering immediate results.
To conclude you can try these anxiety relief supplements during pregnancy without increasing risks for your baby.
About The Author:
Stacey Smith is a freelance health writer. She is passionate to write about women’s health, dental health, diabetes, endocrinology, and nutrition and provides in-depth features on the latest in health news for medical clinics and health magazines.
