A little stress during pregnancy is to be expected, but too much can increase your risk of complications – and affect your growing baby. Here’s how to keep a healthy balance.
By Lynne Roberts
Eat a balanced diet
Studies have shown that stress during pregnancy can affect your baby’s brain and development from as early as 17 weeks. Eating well will giv
Take control
Pregnancy can bring up a whole range of weird and wonderful feelings, and not all of them positive. You may feel overwhelmed by responsibility, wor
Regular exercise
A little stress is unlikely to harm you or your baby in the short term – in fact it could have a positive affect if it gets you motivated. Howe
Talk it through
Bottling up your feelings is a recipe for anxiety and stress, so if you do have worries, don’t keep them to yourself. A good support network is
Relax
Pregnancy is one time you can indulge in a little relaxation without feeling guilty, so make it non-negotiable and schedule regular rest breaks into your diary.
Be prepared
When it comes to giving birth it’s natural to have fears about how much it will hurt, or what you’ll do if something goes wrong.
Treat yourself
If you’re not feeling good about yourself a little pampering can go a long way. A bit of me-time will soon feel like a thing of the past - so mak
Try natural remedies
Studies have shown that stress in pregnancy could make children more susceptible to behavioural problems as well as affecting their language ability an
Know your limits
Life doesn’t stop just because you’re pregnant, but you’re not Superwoman so don’t feel pressured to steam ahead at your usual pace
Get plenty of sleep
Too much stress during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications like preterm labour, low birthweight and pre-eclampsia, but the more rested you