Anyone pg and suffer from health anxiety?

[Tranquilitybaby]

How do you cope? I suffer terrible health anxiety and it's got worse since having my last two children. Considering ttc#3 but it worries me that my anxiety will go into overdrive and it's the one thing that puts me off slightly.

I've already googled abnormality stats for being pregnant at 35 and that's worried me.

Any advice please?

Have seen a fair few threads from ladies on the pregnancy boards where I would say they suffer with health anxiety on here (wether they realise that or not!), so you def aren't alone.

I think that looking into things to get on top of it now? GP/therapy etc?

And of course stepping away from Dr Google! ;)

I cope by talking about it, with people who will listen and not rubbish me/my concerns or try to use them to make me feel small or inadequate. Yes Mum, I'm looking at you...

If I get an anxiety 'flare', I talk through my worries with my DH, who ALWAYS listens to me and doesn't even seem to notice if I'm crying so much I've got snot bubbles or what have you. Nice chap. Never sit on it, talk it out. I wouldn't even suggest you refrain from googling, unless the googling behaviour causes the anxiety to flare. I find if I google something, I get instant reassurance from reading countless threads on all kinds of pregnancy forums that I didn't even know existed.

You may also find your GP is a useful resource, or if you get a decent midwife (I haven't) they could be good to talk to, mine's crap, if I ask her anything she just says she isn't medically trained. That confuses me. I'm going to find out afterwards I've been receiving care from the practice receptionist, aren't I?

I'm not pregnant at the moment, but I do suffer from health anxiety, which was crippling but is now quite well under control.

When I was pregnant a couple of years ago, I remember being very panicky in the early stages of my pregnancy, but my GP was aware of my 'issues' and was sympathetic, and one of the community midwives in particular was really helpful. I actually found my anxiety subsided a bit during my pregnancy. I was also over 35 and had other factors that made me higher risk, and as a result I was monitored quite closely, and I think that on some level I found that very reassuring.

I just wanted to post to let you know that I've been where you are now, but at present am feeling a lot better (started medication within a few weeks of the birth) and in control, so I just wanted to let you know you're not alone, and it can get easier.