Pregnancy is a life-changing and vulnerable time for women while their bodies do the hard (amazing) work of growing a new life. During this time, it’s common for anxiety to pop up.
Many women have struggled with the thoughts and feelings of anxiety for a long time without recognizing it as “anxiety”. I hear this all the time in my practice! Labeling it can bring some validation to your experience and reassure you that you are not alone.
Anxiety can manifest itself through thoughts, emotions, and even physical body symptoms. Here are some of the common ways that anxiety shows up for women:
- overthinking, spiraling worries (hormones often don’t help you here—making worries feel universal— think PMS “everything is awful” vibes x1000)
- catastrophizing— playing out worst-case scenarios in your mind on repeat
- dreading prenatal appointments
- worrying “will I be a good mother to this child?”
- worries about baby’s safety in utero, labor & delivery, caring for a newborn
- physical symptoms like nausea, headaches, feeling like you can’t catch your breath (although, admittedly these just sound like pregnancy, right?!)
Now, I need a moment to talk to my mamas who have been waiting and wanting this baby for so, so long. If you’ve gone through infertility, previously lost a baby, or this pregnancy is a miracle that’s been a long-time-coming for any reason, it’s likely that this anxiety is going to hit you HARD. This is normal. In fact, 80% of women who have had a miscarriage report anxiety in subsequent pregnancies. Hang in there mama, you’ve got this.
If you find yourself in the grip of anxiety, here are a few tried-and-true ways to cope:
- talk to a trusted friend, professional counselor, doula, or expectant moms group
- stay present in the moment (try repeating a mantra like “Today my baby and I are healthy, it’s a good day.”)
- meditate to connect with your baby and yourself. You can find guided meditations specific to pregnancy through the Expectful app, Headspace, or check out the variety of free options on YouTube!
Side note: I can’t in good faith write this without mentioning postpartum anxiety. Postpartum deserves its own post— but experiencing anxiety symptoms during the postpartum period is also very common. You can find resources locally and online at Postpartum Support International.