Emotional & Mental Balance in Pregnancy – Sophrology

May 19, 2017

Why it’s essential to combat pregnancy anxiety

On a daily basis I encounter varying degrees of anxiety in women relating to some aspect of their pregnancy. A mother’s concern for her own and her baby’s (born or unborn) well-being is normal, primal, protective, healthy. Anxiety affecting work, relationships, enjoyment, sleep is not.

Aside from the fact that anxiety impacts on the woman’s daily life, it is also well known to impact on her current pregnancy and unborn baby. Anxiety upsets the emotional and mental balance of the woman, although the exact dynamics of the interactions with the fetus are not known, however have been measured in terms of preterm birth and low birth weight. One study shows the Maternal cortisol levels correlating with the cortisol levels in the amniotic fluid and this was linked to lower birth weight. ⁴ Specifically, anxiety and stress are risk factors for preterm birth and low birth weight. 1,2
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