I’m stressed! Will this affect my baby With the pressured lifestyle that many of us are living, an important question that comes to mind is how a pregnant woman’s psychological state might affect her baby’s temperament. If you ask your gynecologist, he’ll probably tell you to relax and minimize stress in your life. But gynecologists don’t usually get into psychological details. Unless you are used to consulting a counselor or psychiatrist, or read a lot about psychology, you are probably like most women who put that consideration at the very end of their pregnancy list. Most pregnant women are more concerned about the physical health of the baby and the preparations they need to make for his arrival. They worry about the things they have to buy, from the baby cot to the stroller, down to the best pacifier brand. In the chaos of all of these preparations, commitments and worries mothers-to-be tend to ignore the importance of their mood and psychological state which automatically affects that of her unborn baby. More and more research nowadays is finding that not only genetics determines the temperament of the baby, but more importantly, the environment that the mother provides her baby in the uterus strongly affects him. In addition to a balanced diet including all of the nutrients and vitamins that both her and her baby need, and the importance of some sort of exercise which can range from walking or yoga to prenatal exercises, a pregnant woman also needs to monitor her emotional state. Too much pressure releases stress hormones that pass through the placenta to the baby, and the last thing any mother wants is for her baby to feel anxiety and stress. Stress and anxiety can be the result of many things, especially with the speed and momentum that our lives reach nowadays. Stress can come from light and noise pollution, a job, other children at home, divorce, sickness, or death of a close friend or relative. However, research finds that it’s not the sporadic stressful events that harm the baby, but rather continuous day-to-day stress. The effect of stress on the baby If a baby is under continuous stress in the uterus, he will most likely turn out to be irritable and hard to console, have difficulty sleeping, and possibly be hyperactive. The baby may also suffer from colic. An article by WebMDHealth clarifies that colic is due to the baby’s temperament and an inability to regulate crying. The baby becomes extremely sensitive to the environment, and reacts to the environment or any changes in it by crying. Dr. Karima Khattab, child psychologist, states that when a mother is under stress, anxious or depressed, the baby’s movements become more active and unsettled. The more the stress, the more unsettled movements the baby will have because instead of having peaceful, quiet sleep, the baby is disturbed by the stress hormones that enter the uterus. According to Dr. Janet Dipietro, developmental psychologist, the fetus responds to his mother’s negative emotional state which in turn negatively affects his temperament. Dr. Dipietro explains, “We tend to think of personality as genetic, but I think a big part of it is determined by what’s called the ‘uterine environment’ – the environment that the mother gives to the fetus.” As one study shows, mothers with competitive, hard-driving lifestyles, an impatience to get things done quickly and strong determination to master problems are more likely to have babies with similar temperaments; babies who are intense, highly reactive to their environments and alert, yet are not necessarily cranky or hard to console. Peaceful Pregnancy Tips Living in Cairo is quite a challenge. However, despite the fact that there are too many people, too many cars, too many errands to run and such little time, you can have a peaceful pregnancy. Take these tips into consideration: 1) Being worried about your pregnancy and baby will only add to your stress, so ask your doctor all the questions that you have. 2) Read as much as you can, it’ll help you relax. 3) Exercise. Working out not only improves your circulation and strengthens your muscles (especially the pelvic area which needs to be strong to ease the delivery), but also uplifts your mood. Yoga is great, it not only relaxes you, it also eases back pain, and helps you bond with your unborn baby. 4) Share your feelings, especially those of frustration, with your husband and close family or friends. This kind of support will always make you feel better. 5) Keep a journal. It helps to jot down your daily activities and feelings especially if you are the type of person who finds difficulty opening up to those around you. 6) If people around you offer to help and pamper you, let them! You deserve it. 7) Most importantly, be happy! The happier you are, the stronger your immune system will be for yourself and for the baby. Seize every happy opportunity you can and live it to the end. Don’t forget, you are an active player in the making of a miracle – your beautiful and hopefully healthy and calm baby.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Mar 2014 22:51:28 +0000
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