WeMoms
2 Apr 2024

Releasing Control to Ease Pregnancy Stress

Pregnancy
Mental wellness during pregnancy
Releasing Control to Ease Pregnancy Stress
The Illusion of Control: Let's Get Real 🎭
Pregnancy is an adventure, one you might sometimes wish came with a roadmap and a guarantee. The truth? Much of this journey is out of your control, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Holding onto the illusion of control can increase cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress.
Yep, that’s right. Stressing about stress can actually make you more stressed!
  1. Expectation vs. Reality: You may have a vision for how your pregnancy should go, from the baby shower to labor, but reality might have different plans. Learning to separate your ideals from the outcomes can help alleviate stress.
  2. Focus on What You Can Control: Instead of fixating on every possible scenario, channel your energy into productive actions like proper nutrition, rest, and regular check-ups.
  3. Mindfulness: Remember, most of the things you worry about never actually happen. Practice being in the present moment to ease anxiety.
Benefits:
  • Lowers cortisol levels
  • Enhances emotional well-being
  • Fosters realistic expectations
The Art of Letting Go: Detachment with Love 💓
The art of detachment doesn’t mean you stop caring; it means you stop letting the things you can’t control drive you up the wall.
Psychologically speaking, detachment can reduce emotional volatility, which is often exacerbated by hormonal changes during pregnancy.
  1. Know Your Boundaries: Understand what is within your sphere of control and what isn't. This awareness helps you detach emotionally from uncontrollable events.
  2. Be Kind to Yourself: It’s okay to have concerns. What’s not okay is turning these concerns into constant stressors that affect your health. Treat yourself with the same compassion you'd offer to a friend in a similar situation.
  3. Seek Support: Sometimes, letting go requires an external perspective. Don't hesitate to lean on a trusted friend or even consider consulting a healthcare provider for stress management techniques.
Benefits:
  • Reduces emotional volatility
  • Increases self-compassion
  • Promotes psychological resilience
Surrendering Control: A Mind-Body Connection 🧘‍♀️
Your body and mind are connected in more ways than you might think.
Releasing control mentally can have beneficial physiological effects, including reducing muscular tension and improving blood circulation—both particularly helpful during pregnancy.
  1. Physical Relaxation: Techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation can help you identify and release physical tension. This relaxation method involves tensing and relaxing muscle groups, aiding in mental relaxation as well.
  2. Breathing Exercises: Controlled breathing methods like the 4-7-8 technique can also reduce stress by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the "rest and digest" system.
  3. Consult Experts: If letting go is proving difficult, you may want to consider seeking help from professionals trained in mind-body therapies, like certified yoga instructors specialized in prenatal care or therapists skilled in cognitive-behavioral techniques.
Benefits:
  • Eases muscular tension
  • Improves blood circulation
  • Activates parasympathetic nervous system
The Joy in Surrender: Embrace the Uncertainties 🌈
Uncertainty doesn’t have to be a dark cloud looming over your pregnancy.
Believe it or not, there’s a lot of joy to be found in the unexpected.
Scientifically, embracing uncertainties can foster neuroplasticity, which is your brain’s amazing ability to adapt and learn new things.
  1. Be Open to Surprises: Instead of fearing what you don't know, think of the uncertainties as pleasant surprises waiting to unfold. This attitude activates positive neural pathways in your brain.
  2. Celebrate Small Wins: Life is made up of moments. Cherishing small wins can build a positive feedback loop in your brain, making you more resilient to stress.
  3. Adopt a Growth Mindset: Remember, you're evolving through this journey, not just enduring it. Adopting a growth mindset can make you more adaptive and less stressed about uncertainties.
Benefits:
  • Enhances neuroplasticity
  • Builds resilience
  • Fosters adaptive behaviors
All you need to know
Mental Health Toolkit
1 min read
B
Baby girl’s mommy
15 Oct 2023

Definitely ovulating, the test line is darker then the control line. I baby danced this morning. I do feel slight pain in my left side of my abdomen. So I’m most likely releasing my egg now. Hoping to get pregnant. I added my test results in to my app and my app updated my predicted ovulation day. The app says I ovulate today. The other app says I ovulate tmr. Hoping this is my month.

Pregnancy Mental wellness during pregnancy
8 comments
A
Annalise
I been having pains in my ovaries too
27 Mar 2024

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B
Brittany
10 May 2022

Trying to get pregnant since I been off my birth control getting a little stress

Pregnancy Mental wellness during pregnancy
2 comments
B
Bridget
Try to reduce stress. I went off my birth control and we had been trying for months. I had a very stressful job and was constantly overwhelmed. The day I quit is when I got pregnant with my son. Idk if that's just a coincidence or what.
27 Mar 2024

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J
Jasmyn
Stress never helps! Try taking an all natural vitamin too! So your body isn't depleted of what it needs to function. And more meditation!💕
27 Mar 2024

Answer

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