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Being pregnant is an unpredictable phase, with many changes affecting your daily life. It is common to see many women feeling apprehensive about regarding their pregnancy. Along with many physical changes, pregnancy also brings with it a number of emotional and mental changes. Here are a few of the most common causes of fears related to pregnancy and tips on overcoming them.
Common Causes of Fears in Pregnancy
The health of the unborn baby is the most common cause of concern for the mother-to-be. This is exaggerated by several triggers which may make it an actual fear. These triggers include:
- Back pain
- Abdominal pain
- Labour pain
- Lack of emotional and physical support from people around the mother-to-be
- Previous case of a difficult pregnancy
- History of miscarriages
- Some depictions of pregnancy on TV
- Reading about difficult pregnancies on the internet
- Women who have overall poor health
- Women who do not have a stable income
Determining the root cause of fear is the first step towards combating it.
8 Common Fears During Pregnancy & Ways to Deal With Them
1. Miscarriage
With one in every four pregnancies resulting in a miscarriage, this is a big fear of pregnant women. In fact, this is one of the most common fears in their first trimester when the most amount of physical changes are occurring in the body along with nausea and morning sickness. The best way to deal with this fear is to talk to your doctor and other experts and discuss your concerns in an open manner. You can also do some research but do remember to refer only to authentic sources, whether they are classes or websites.
2. Lack of Nutrition for the Baby
This fear usually stems from morning sickness. The reasoning behind this fear is that if a pregnant woman is not able to keep food down, then the developing baby is not receiving enough nutrition for its proper growth. If the morning sickness is unmanageable then you must get advice from your doctor. However, rest assured that the baby is getting the required levels of nutrition from your reserves and while you might be feeling hungry, the foetus is most likely doing just fine.
3. Premature Baby
A common concern is the fear of early labour and the complications the baby will have to overcome due to being premature. However, only about 1% of all babies are born prematurely. When you go for your regular check-ups, your doctor will check to see if there are any irregularities and will intervene if there an issue is detected. Most babies born prematurely after the 26th week survive, and babies born after the 30th week suffer no serious complications.
4. Labour Pain
This fear has more to do with the mother than the baby. Usually, this fear stems from hearing horror stories from other friends or even on the internet. If you are very concerned about the pain, then you can discuss your options with your doctor. There are many ways in which the doctor and her team can manage your pain during labour and you can explore each option before you fix a plan for your delivery.
5. Stress Harming the Baby
With pregnancy come not just fears but also stress about a whole host of issues. From being able to accommodate a new member financially to knowing how to eat during pregnancy, there are many things to worry about. However, some mothers worry that their stress will harm their baby. While this is perfectly natural, you must also know that it is just as easy to reduce stress levels. Join a meditation class or engage in some prenatal yoga under the recommendation of your doctor and the guidance of an expert practitioner. You will soon find that your stress levels are more manageable.
6. Unhealthy Baby
Most mothers tend to worry about the health of their baby after they are born. They could be born with a defect or a congenital disease that could affect their quality of life. Do remember that most of these conditions can be detected during your routine check-ups, so you will be prepared in case of such a situation. With the strides being made in modern medicine, there is not much the doctors cannot rectify.
7. Hurting the Foetus
Mothers-to-be worry that they might roll over during their sleep, or have a fall, or be involved in any mishap that could potentially harm the baby. However, you must rest assured knowing that the foetus is enveloped in a fluid known as the amniotic fluid. This fluid not just provides nutrition to the foetus but also acts as a shock-absorber too. A regular fall or mishap is unlikely to affect the foetus and your baby will is sure to be fine.
8. Being a Good Mother
In today’s day and age, one of the biggest worries is about not being a good mother to your baby. Women worry about how they will know how to do things like changing nappies or feeding, or what they will do if their baby falls sick. While these fears are very real and natural, you must know that you will not be alone on your journey as a parent. Even if you do not have a partner, you can rely on family and friends to help and give advice when you need it. You also will have your doctor to ask questions related to the health of your child. Use the time you have during pregnancy to read good books on motherhood, not only to learn what to expect but to also allay any fears you might have about not being a good mother.
While being pregnant can be exhilarating and joyful, it can also bring a lot of fears and concerns to the surface. The best way to deal with these fears and keep yourself stress-free is to surround yourself with a support system that has your and your baby’s best interests in mind. A simple way of overcoming early pregnancy fear is to talk to your doctor about them. Your doctor will be able to reassure or prepare you to deal with some of these fears. Do not read up too much on the horror stories especially the ones circulating around the internet. Remember to surround yourself with positivity and your pregnancy is sure to be a beautiful experience.
