Article by Steven Chang

Even though pregnancy often evokes overwhelming joy, it is also a stressful event for most women. For individuals whose fetus is at high risk of developing malformations and other hereditary diseases, the stress is increased. All through pregnancy, physiological and hormonal changes create a totally unique and often uncomfortable experience to a lot of mothers. Added to that, once pregnancy is nearing term, stress may be appreciably increased as anxiousness builds up regarding the end result of the pregnancy, baby care, and lifestyle changes that come right after delivery. Pregnancy is indeed a major stressor that can produce or even unmask depressive tendencies of some women.

* Depression is a mental disorder wherein the affected person presents with depressed mood, loss of interest to virtually anything including pleasure, feelings of low self-worth, disturbed rest, altered appetite, low energy and poor concentration.

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Article by Mila Kent

You shouldn’t avoid exercising during your pregnancy, even if your are limited from doing all the activities you are used to. Most health experts nowadays, recommend that women who are pregnant should exercise regularly but sensibly as far as the last month of their pregnancy. Weight training and body sculpting also present a slew of benefits, alongside aerobic activities. We will be looking at some of the best techniques you can employ during your pregnancy to maintain your fitness.

Postpartum depression is a common symptom for women following pregnancy, and there is evidence that regular exercise is one of the best ways to not only treat it, but prevent it from occurring or at least reducing its severity. Therefore, there are less chances of you falling to depression later on if you exercise regularly during your pregnancy. While it is not known exactly how it works, researchers have found evidence to suggest that the brain’s chemistry benefits significantly from exercise.

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Anxiety during pregnancy is a very common feeling during the all 9 months. Even when a baby is very much wanted, pregnancy is a time when women experience a whole variety of emotions, one of the most prominent of which is anxiety. Women who have had problems in conceiving a baby may be extremely anxious about whether they will be able to hold on to this pregnancy.

Women who have had previous miscarriages are fearful until they are well beyond the last date at which they previously lost a baby. You may feel frightened all the time because of your previous miscarriage or miscarriages, and you may feel worried about whether you are going to have another miscarriage or not. So previous miscarriages can cause mixed reactions with your current or future pregnancies.

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Stress During Pregnancy

Whenever you learn that you have become pregnant, there could be a wide spectrum of emotions. You might feel: scared, happy, excited, and yes especially stress. So, how does stress during pregnancy affect your term? Truthfully it can have long-standing affects on your baby even after birth.

It can be almost impossible for you to be constantly happy during the entire term of your pregnancy, with hormones battling for your sanity and the feelings of responsibility for a new child. It’s totally fine to have a little case of the baby blues here and there, but always complaining on negative pieces of your life: (for example, finances or your problematic relationships) can only give you more cause for concern during pregnancy.

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Many expectant mothers experience panic attacks. Pregnancy actually tends to make the symptoms more pronounced. The symptoms can be very scary and they tend to cause a lot of unneeded stress. Most future mothers tend to be overly cautious and a little nervous. These two emotions leave them very vulnerable to panic and anxiety.

Women typically start developing panic and anxiety at various stages of pregnancy. The symptoms are most likely to develop either during the initial stages of pregnancy or after their children are born. Then there are the women that have already suffered from panic… the ones with a preexisting condition. These women have a tendency to be negatively affected by panic during pregnancy. Hormonal changes are typically the culprit for these emotions and fears.

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Depression medication during pregnancy is a tough call for doctors and patients alike because in most cases during pregnancy any and all medications should be avoided if possible.  Of course there are always exceptions that require the mother to be on medication.

Depression and anxiety treatment is one such an exception. Lexapro is an anti-depressant drug that has been proven to successfully treat anxiety and depression. It is the newest addition to the family of drugs known as the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Pregnancy medicine has a rating and it must be noted that Lexapro is a category “C” medicine. This means it should be given to pregnant women only if the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the newborn.  This is the deciding factor for doctors when using any depression medication during pregnancy.

Possible risks associated with Lexapro: Studies have shown that babies born to mothers using Lexapro can develop a condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension. This condition is characterized by babies having abnormal blood flow to the lungs and heart and a low overall level of oxygen in the blood. This indicates a higher than normal occurrence of illness and deaths for babies with PPHN vs. those babies not afflicted. Lexapro also poses and increased risk of birth defects in babies. These are usually heart defects that can only be repaired surgically. Other side effects demonstrated by the babies who have been exposed to Lexapro include constant crying, feeding problems and insomnia.

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Question by Mom to Johnny <3: How do I deal with anxiety during a pregnancy following a miscarriage?
I had a miscarriage 4 months ago and am now 6 weeks pregnant. I have a son and that pregnancy went perfectly so I know reasonably that I can and probably will have a healthy pregnancy. However, I can’t stop the anxious feeling that I will lose this baby too. I have been having really traumatic dreams that I am having a miscarriage. I feel like if I can’t get this anxiety out of my head that I may actually cause myself to have a miscarriage. Any help would be appreciated.

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The negative effect of stress on our health is well documented by years of research. Pregnancy can be a time of depression and symptoms, even when the baby is planned and very much wanted. Even though there has not been any perfect proof that normal stress can depressingly affect the baby, a high level of stress for a long-drawn-out period can be hazardous. Severe stress can cause issues like high blood pressure, which can put you and your baby at risk. However there are some fun activities and stress relief games that can relieve stress during pregnancy. Let us have a fast glance.

Swim

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A missed period is the most obvious pregnancy symptoms. A missed period indicates that one is on its second to third week of its pregnancy. Some women might experience abnormal period which is short period or a period which is lighter than normal.

One of the early pregnancy symptoms are fainting or the feeling of dizziness. Women at this time might feel light headed after walking few distance or while climbing stairs. This happens because the uterus walls swells compressing arteries of the legs which ultimately cause the blood sugar level to drop.

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