Preparing for Pregnancy Mentally

Know the best possible ways to manage your physical and mental health during and after pregnancy. Measures needed for effective management of mental health during pregnancy

Preparing for Pregnancy Mentally

You can start preparing for pregnancy by focusing on your physical aspects and needs, taking the required prenatal vitamins, eating healthy foods, and doing the right exercises. Apart from these, you should even prepare yourself mentally for pregnancy. Focusing to keep your psychological health status intact ensures a healthy prenatal period. You can even reduce the risks of potential complications like postpartum depression if you prepare for pregnancy mentally.

There are studies published in 2012 saying that when the mother is mentally and emotionally stable during her pregnancy, there is a lot of good impact on both the birth outcomes and her mental states during her postpartum period. There are steps that can help you to keep mentally healthy even if you have a difficult time through your pregnancy or if you are going through quite annoying situations for getting pregnant.

In this article, let us have a look at some of the different ways that may help in preparing you mentally to have a baby.

Title: Get to Understand your Risk Factors

There are certain serious situations like Postpartum depression or PPD, that can badly affect few mothers during their pregnancy. Depression is found to be the main cause of hospitalization among women having no other Gynecological issues. PPD can show a major negative effect on the health of both the mother and the baby and so it is necessary to find the measures both to prevent and to treat this disorder.

Understanding the PPD risk factors is the first step to be taken before pregnancy, as this can help you to lower the chances of begin affected by postpartum depression. It is not always possible to know whether or not you will be affected but awareness of any of the risk factors might help you to identify any first kind of related signs or symptoms.

There is a criterion under which women who can have more risk of developing PPD can fall into. Such women include:

  1. The ones having a past history of depression and anxiety
  2. Those with past episodes of PPD
  3. Those having conflicts in their marital relationship
  4. Presence of familial history of PPD
  5. A very recent history of stress-filled life moments like facing complications in pregnancy
  6. Those having poor support either financially or mentally

Some of the steps that few kinds of research suggest to prevent or to reduce postpartum depression are to get involved in psychosocial or psychological interventions. Women receiving such interventions have chances to easily handle depression after delivery.

A study in 2015 identified the most effective PPD interventions to be interpersonal therapy, postpartum phone support, postpartum home visits, and postpartum midwife care. Postpartum depression can even be prevented by taking some early cognitive behavior therapy, suggests some evidence.

Anyone having no past experience of depression or anxiety can be prone to develop symptoms of PPD following childbirth. So, awareness of risk factors and signs and symptoms is important for you to take appropriate actions if you doubt yourself of developing PPD.

Symptoms that are seen due to depression following the birth of a baby can vary in terms of severity. But, the most common symptoms that you should be watchful on include:

  1. Facing difficulty to concentrate
  2. Bursting into tears of no reason
  3. The feeling of something is lacking in your life
  4. Increased thoughts of attempting a suicide
  5. Lesser or no interest in baby
  6. Anxious, most of the time
  7. Thoughts that baby is occupying your personal space

Once you have doubts about noticing any of the above symptoms or other symptoms that make you feel that you are having a PPD, make sure to open up with your doctor. As PPD is a serious issue, you may be recommended treatments like psychotherapy, medicines, self-care tips, connecting with support groups, and sometimes a combination of treatments.

Basic knowledge about PPD and its symptoms, and knowing when to reach the doctor if you get overwhelmed with your symptoms of depression or anxiety at any point of time either during or after pregnancy may help to be prepared mentally to have a baby.

Title: Know about the Expected

While being prepared and having a plan about pregnancy is good, some unpredictable situations make these plans go waste. Mentally prepared thing is to make yourself understand about the unforeseen situations that may occur during your prenatal period. You may have to experience a few expected conditions like weight gain, body aches, and pain, and weird wanting of some foods during or after pregnancy. While the unexpected ones can be like going through extreme nausea, and vomiting, and the need to take bed rest.

It is always good to remember that reading books, websites, blogs, and some essential parenting magazines can help you in giving knowledge of unpredictable pregnancy conditions. While it is impossible to predict what happens at the time of delivery or after delivery, educating yourself about ins and outs of pregnancy can still be of help. Prepare your mind to accept the fact that you cannot predict or control everything about your pregnancy.

Title: Getting a Social Support

You need strong bonding and social support from your spouse, parents, friends, and other members of the family when you are in the prenatal period. Research of the year 1976 show that one can feel protected against the negative health issues when there is good social support and overcome stress in life. Another study says that when you get social support before and following the birth of the baby it shows a very much positive impact on your postpartum mental health.

Do you know that having social support during pregnancy time is said to improve birth outcomes by reducing the risk of preterm birth? With adequate social support, you can manage to reduce anxiety and stress and also can improve stress managing techniques. In a 2015 study, it was published that even though social support has no direct effect on reducing preterm birth, it was believed that this support can act as a buffering mechanism to balance prenatal stress and premature delivery.

So, all that you can do to get emotional and physical support before, during, and after pregnancy are:

  1. Keep your concerns in front of your partner: You should make your spouse who is part of your life as well as your baby’s, to understand your concerns, and to be available whenever you are in need of them.
  2. Be informed to family and friends: Your pregnancy may be challenging if you have severe morning sickness or other medical issues. Let your other family member and friends know what kind of issues you have and ask them to lend a helping hand when you are in need.
  3. Be the part of the same group: Involve yourself in getting communicated with people who are going through the same situation. You can reach to pregnancy, breastfeeding, parenting classes where you may get informational support about your pregnancy.

Title: Emotional Health Too is Important

Mental well-being should not be neglected while taking care of physical health during pregnancy. Overlooking mental health and taking care of physical health concerns alone may sometimes happen during pregnancy. As pregnancy creates a lifetime changes in a mother, her psychological adjustments can show an effect on her emotional health too.

When you are emotionally stressed during your pregnancy it shows a prominent negative impact on you as well as your baby. A baby born to a mother who has undergone significant stress and anxiety during her pregnancy has an increased risk of birth complications like low birth weight, poor intrauterine growth, premature birth.

If you already have a history of anxiety or depression it is recommended to talk to the doctor about your concerns before you conceive. This would really help to sort out any kind of emotional concerns that you may have during pregnancy and gives the opportunity to treat them for the better mental wellness of you and your baby.

You can take care of your mental health during pregnancy in the following ways:

  1. Prioritize your psychological health
  2. Avoid talks or gossips that give negative inputs
  3. Give time for yourself
  4. Attend parenting classes
  5. Speak and share to your partner about your plans on parenting
  6. Discuss with your partner about your plans to deal with the challenges that may arise
  7. Following stress management techniques to overcome stress and anxiety.

Title: Preparing your Older Children for the arrival of New One

There is always a need to even prepare your older children mentally for the arrival of a newborn. While some kids show an eagerness for the arrival of their sibling some may show emotional responses like fear, jealousy, and anxiety. Spend time to talk to your kids and make them understand that they play an important role during your pregnancy and that they can even help you in preparing for a newborn. Include your older kids in shopping for new baby items, and selection of the name.

Take care not to put pressure on your older kids even if their emotional responses toward the newborn are wrong or negative. Help them to create a positive feeling and acceptance toward the newborn and this can even help to make your older kids excited.

Conclusion

You should get prepared for pregnancy both physically and mentally. It is good to have awareness of the challenges that you may have to face during and after pregnancy. Understand the fact that predicting the outcomes of pregnancy are not always fruitful. 

Know your needs and situations before you plan to conceive. Take measures to handle stress and anxiety, get social support from family, and spouse, and prioritize the importance of your mental health. Focusing on your physical as well as mental health and taking good care of yourself at times can assure a healthy and happy pregnancy. 


Sunaina Sinha

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