Pregnancy anxiety

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Hi, I'm currently 14 weeks pregnant and I'm suffering really badly with anxiety. I'm at the midwife next Thursday so I will tell her straight away but it's just ruining the whole experience for me. I feel anxious about everything, miscarriage, stillbirth and at the moment we're looking after a friends dog and she's nuts I'm scared of her hitting my stomach or getting too stressed over her because she's quite badly behaved. Has anyone else had extreme anxiety in pregnancy and their babies have been ok? Thank you in advance

I had this. I had acupuncture for it which for me helped. Baby was absolutely fine! A terrorsome 2 year old now. Be kind to yourself. I look back on my anxiety now and think what the fuck was I thinking....! But reach out and get help. Good luck

Thank you. 🙂

Here for a hand hold OP

Currently 16+4 here and never been so anxious in my life, but I think it's quite a natural part of being pg. Remember the odds are in your favour

You aren't alone, I had this too and an internet search will show you that lots of women feel the same. It's just not talked about much. I always thought once I got to 12 weeks, 20 weeks, could feel movement etc then I'd feel better but in reality, the further in to my pregnancy I got, the worse I felt and it was really quite debilitating at points. In all honesty, I really wish I'd dealt with it all before I had my son - I have such sad memories of his first months because by then I was completely crippled with anxiety and trying to deal with sleep deprivation etc. The turning point came when I received support from a specialist HV who found me support groups and just listened. I really really wish I'd asked for help earlier instead of listening to everyone who told me it was normal to worry. It is, but not to the extent it spoils what should be a special time. Please do talk to your midwife and ask what support is available. xx

Oh and my son is now a very bouncy 10 month old. He's brilliant!

Thank you, I feel exactly like that, I thought once I had my scan I'd be ok, then as soon as I got my blood tests I'd be ok but now I'm worrying and panicking about the next thing, it never stops. Xx

I feel exactly the same. I'm 18 weeks with dc2 and keep thinking it's gone wrong.
I'm hoping I'll chill out after 20 week scan and hopefully feeling proper movement.

I had this! My little boy is 15 weeks tomorrow and it hasn't got better, just worrying about different things!:(
I used to google everything and then even though I had absolutely no symptoms etc, I would have that specific problem. The amount of times I had shoulder pain (from carrying a bag with a load of shit in it) and phoned my dad or sister crying my eyes out thinking I had pre eclampsia. I had an anterior placenta too so I felt next to no movement and was in hospital every week - sometimes twice a week - from 24 weeks until he was born at 39 weeks. I had really bad stretch marks when I was pregnant and one specific one above my belly button was so painful but i couldn't see it so I googled painful patch on stomach when pregnant..i all of a sudden had placental abruption. From that moment onwards I had placental abruption every time I got a twinge. (I'm obviously being sarcastic, I didn't have a placental abruption but I did in my head.) please get someone to talk too, even if it's a friend or relative. You and baby will be fine x

I'm the same - almost 20 weeks with baby 2 and it's awful. I thought I would be more chilled this time but no

harleysmammy I just sound exactly like you. Thank you for all your replies it makes me feel better I'm not alone. X

Hi OP I'm so sorry you feel like this. I'm 20 weeks with first and suffering extreme anxiety also. I'm struggling more so because I have quite a stressful job and my work colleagues aren't very sympathetic at all. All I can advise is speak to the midwife? Maybe ask if you can have a more regular appointments...I find the wait between appointments and scans awfully long and ended up in the GPs office instead just getting him to check the heartbeat because I'm that anxious x

Every scan I have I think "I'll feel better after this one" but I never really do, I just start worrying about the next thing! It's very debilitating.

Does your maternity unit offer specialised counselling? Mine has a midwife trained in counselling pregnant women who are experiencing anxiety or depression and apparently it's really helpful. You could give that a go?

I was so anxious all the way through my pregnancy, I'd had two miscarriages (both before 12 weeks) in the year before and was convinced basically up until I was holding him in my arms that I was going to miscarry or he'd be stillborn.

He's now five months old and such a happy, relaxed baby.

Some things that helped me:

• extra scans: private scans are expensive but if you can afford one then especially before the stage I could feel him moving, seeing him and hearing his heartbeat helped me a lot
• hypnobirthing: I didn't have an hypnobirth by any stretch (induction, epidural, forceps) but taking a course calmed me down massively, I felt like I understood pregnancy and birth better afterwards and that I was more in tune with my pregnant body. You can get a book and the relaxation MP3s pretty cheaply if you don't want to do the course.
• pregnancy yoga: the classes I went to were lovely, again made me feel more at ease in my changing body and they were a great space to talk to other pregnant people about how I was feeling. If you can't make it to a class there are lots of YouTube videos, I think just carving out a bit of time to breathe and stretch really helps.
• talking about it! Admitting to my husband how anxious I felt helped, but the thing that helped most was talking to other pregnant women - if you do try yoga or antenatal classes, or even on the pregnancy board here.

As others have said, definitely be honest with your midwife and see if there is any support available for you. Good luck - I know it seems like forever now but you'll be holding your baby before you know it.

Thank you so much everyone. I was given the option of a specialist midwife at my first appointment and I thinks it's something I definitely need to do. I find it really hard to talk to people, I don't want to sound like I'm whining when other mums just get on with it but I do need help before it gets worse.

Any of you lovely ladies still using this site? Would you mind telling me how your kids are getting on now they are older? I’m 18 weeks struggling with anxiety but my anxiety is mainly about my anxiety causing harm to baby and can’t break the cycle 💔💔💔 woukd love to hear from any of you xxxx

Me! Mine is now a healthy, happy 5 year old (although she’s definitely inherited a bit of her mum’s anxiety). I had very bad PND unfortunately BUT once I went onto fluoxetine my life was changed and now I have a completely normal
level of anxiety! Feel like a different person and find life so much easier to cope with despite the fact that DH died suddenly when DD was 2 which was obviously horrendous. Having my anxiety treated and under control changed everything.