Effects of Stress during Pregnancy, should I be worried?

[Hermya321]

Hello,

I was wondering if someone could help me, I've been quite stressed this last few weeks at work. This past week has been particulary bad and I've ended up in tears more than once.

The thing is during my more high tension moments I can feel my tummy tightening around the bottom half of my abdomen. I also seem to have my nausea back (although it's only as I sit here writing this that I think it could be linked). I also have SPD which was diagnosed in the past week as well.

Really what I'm wondering is should I be going off to see my Midwife about the above and if I'm feeling my tummy tightening should I be concerned? Or is this something to do with SPD, does stress make that worse?

Thank you.

How pregnant are you? Is it your first?

Stress generally is not good for you. And it makes it difficult to enjoy a happy and healthy pregnancy if you are under a lot of pressure.

Generally, you can remind yourself that babies are carried and born quite healthily into war, famine, poverty and tragedy.

Are there ways you can reduce your stress levels? Nobody should be reduced to tears at work, pregnant or not.

Yes it's my first and I'm twenty two weeks pregnant, so I'm not really sure whats normal and whats not at the moment. Hence asking here before I go off to the midwife and she tells me 'yeah totally normal'.

I was very stressed in pregnancy no.1, and started getting stomach pains. I went to the doctor, who said (without having any knowledge of my background), 'stress'. I agreed that I was stressed, and explained my situation. He barked at me: 'Of course you're stressed. Just don't get stressed about being stressed.' He sounded like an army officer, but gave me great advice, which helped enormously.

It may be your tummy tightening up is Braxton Hicks. Although everyone seems to say you don't get them till 'later' in the pregnancy or towards the end, actually your uterous practices contracting almost right from the start, you just don't normally notice till a fair way through. I started with them when I was getting very bussy at work, so probably also stressed, at about 26 weeks. I also got my sickness back when I was tired. I've just had a week off on holiday and have had hardly any noticable braxton hicks and no feeling sick!

I found making sure I made myself take a lunch break instead of working through and leaving on time instead of staying late helped. Eating a bit morefrequesntly helped with the sickness too.

I was very stressed during pregnancy - I had a very physically and mentally demanding job and not particularly supportive bosses. I would cry most evenings and I wasn't eating very well as I felt sick all the time (with the stress) was too exhausted to cook.

At about 28 weeks I was told my baby was measuring a little small for dates which I thought might be the stress as apparently stress can reduce growth. Once I went on maternity leave, I really tried to relax and take things easy.

My DD was born at 40+12 weighing 7lbs 15. As all the other babies I knew who were born very late were in the 9lbs area, I am sure dd was only that late as she was catching up on her growth after my stressful mid-pregnancy.

So I think it all evens out in the end, my dd is perfect and is interactive, alert and a healthy weight (she is 20weeks)

Hermya stress definitely makes NVP worse, I know this from bitter experience!

I wonder if you could talk to your boss and see if there is anything you could agree to make your life easier e.g. working from home more, more flexible hours to avoid rush hour travelling, etc?

If you phrase it as "look I don't want to have to go off sick and I'm keen to do my job if I can, so this is for everyone's benefit" they may be inclined to be reasonable about it?

I was extremely stressed during most of my pregnancy with work pressures and family life and was admitted to hospital at 26 weeks in pre-term labour. Thankfully the contractions subsided and I went on to give birth at 39 weeks but I contribute that scare to stress. My dd was also born with an abdominal defect, the cause of which is unknown but I can't help but feel if I had taken better care of myself may not have occurred.

Please take care of yourself and as Jacksmybaby has suggested talk to your boss about reducing your workload etc... You don't have to be a hero and prove a point which is what I did.

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll talk to my boss about whats been going on and see about going up to occupational health as well.

Glad you asked this, OP. I'm having horrible time at moment - FIL has been critically ill for the last week and it's torture watching my OH and MIL go through the horrendous ups and downs of it all.

Everyone keeps saying that I should keep calm and not stress as this will affect the baby - I know the baby feels what I feel thank you very much, but I don't see how I can't worry .
I take deep breaths when I start to feel tense and and have good old sobbing cry when I'm alone to release everything - this helps.

This is our first pregnancy. I worry that my worrying is harming the baby and he/she won't be happy and content and I've 'ruined' him/her.

Neurotic? Me? Never!

I was very stressed about work during my second pregnancy. Had the same tightenings too.

It's not great, but try not to worry yourself MORE. My son, ds2 is fine and you will be too!

Definately go and see your midwife and take a little break from work etc.

Think of the stresses that our parents' generations had to deal with.(WW2 was on when my Mum was born) We are all fine and so too will you and your child.

SPD is shite, had it with both. Be good to yourself, breathe deeply and have faith. It's all good! x

Sorry, my post sounds like I'm trivialising your stress. It's easy to say with hindsight!

Do whatever you need to to get a break. Good luck.

Lellie It doesn't help you sometimes when people say 'oh keep calm, it's not good for the baby' is it. A lot of time I've just needed a good old cry and some alone time to just sort my head out which helps enormously. I know stress can be impactive upon pregnancy, but so can the fact that you talk to your baby and poke your tummy. Your baby will know it's loved and know that your there Mummy as well. I know there isn't that much you can do about your FIL's illness, but the whole breathing thing will help. Just be paitent with yourself and have little things that will help you through the day.

Wowooo I don't think you're trivialising my stress at all, I think at times a reality check is good. I had a good old talk with my boss earlier on today and he gave me one (he was nice) and gave me a bit of perspective on things. It was more the tight feelings that I was concerned about, but it seems that its all part and parcel of the wonderful experience that is pregnancy.

Thank you though.