Stress

[endlesslove]

Good afternoon, hope all your days are going well.

I posted on here about a week to two weeks ago regarding my anxieties over the 12 week scan I have on Thursday.

I am still absolutely petrified that either a) there will be no heartbeat (have already seen heartbeat at 8 weeks btw) or b) there will be something wrong. I am feeling so depressed by it all and the last fews weeks have dragged and Thursday just couldn't come round quick enough for me. I have had no bleeding and just hope that everything is ok and not a missed miscarriage.

Now I am worried that all the stress may have caused the baby to have suffered or even died. I have had numerous arguements with DH this last week just down to me being an overparanoid wreak!

Can stress cause any problems with baby?

I know I am freaking out, its just me being a complete worrier and I just yet again need my mind put at ease with the truth.

Thanks for your support. xxx

Hi Endless,

I can't answer 'medically' but most pregnant women suffer stress in pregnancy (some a lot more than others) for one thing or another (relationships, work, health etc) so I doubt you've harmed your baby in any way by worrying.

I am totally in the same boat as you (except its my 20 wk scan I'm fretting about) - I'm convinced there will be a problem idetintified and I can't really think of anything else. I also have no basis for the worry with this pregnancy and I know its my own paranoia but I can't help it!

The only reason I tell you all this is because what you are feeling is totally natural and normal. Its not your body trying to tell you something or warn you of a problem and as you've said, there is no real basis for you to worry about this pregnancy.

I too have been sounding out my worries to my DH who is reaching the end of his tether in re-assuring me - There is only so much he can say and I dont belive his re-assurance anyway! Poor bugger...

Try to relax if you can - you only have a couple more days and I'm sure the relief you feel when you come out from the scan will be immense.

i have no real words of wisdom for you endless but i know how you feel, i am 11+ 3 and so worried. I have had scans at 6,8,10 weeks but am still so worried, i have bad belly che today but it really high uo ( i think it streching) but i still cant help but worry, my next scan is not for anthore 2 weeks, these have all been private NHS havent even called me for my 12 weeik with them!!

I know its hard but you only have 2 days to go, try and stay calm and see if you can do some stuff to take your mind of it.

In all honesty, I don't think stress in pg can be good for either the mother or the baby. Just focus on getting through the next couple of days and being positive. On Thursday, you will get to see your baby for the first time - so exciting!!! - and get some photos which will make it all seem so much more real...

I completely understand - I am somewhere between six and eight weeks and feel very worried that something will o wrong because I want this baby so much. Every woman I speak to says she felt the same in early pregnancy, that it wouldn't work out or something bad would happen.

But the large majority of women go on to have perfectly healthy babies. You have to accept that you will probably be in that large majority. What will be will be and you will never make yourself feel better by worrying.

Try to put things in perspective - there are people out there with much worse problem than ours. We are worrying about whether our babies (who we have no reason to believe there is anything wrong with) are going to be OK. Some people have real problems. Like the mother of the soldier killed in Iraq this week. Not nice to think of, but please try to realise that in all probability your baby is going to be OK, and even if it isn't, you will be fine. Just look at all the amazing women on this site who have suffered miscarriage after miscarriage - they are still here and still fighting.

You will be fine!