Nowadays, it’s hard to find people who don’t experience some kind of stress. Long work days, combined with long commutes to get to and from work, added to the little time left to do the household chores, not to mention resting, would stress anyone out. Stress isn’t good for anybody, but during pregnancy it can bring on additional problems and complications.

Overload

During pregnancy, your body is under unusual physical stress: now, your circulatory system has high levels of hormones that are needed for the progress of your pregnancy, and they affect your emotional and physical well being.  Some experts compare the effort the body of a pregnant woman makes at rest, to that of a climber going up a mountain. This effort manifests itself clearly in the exhaustion most pregnant women feel during the first months of pregnancy and then, to a lesser degree, during the rest of the pregnancy.

If to this physical exhaustion you add the burden of work related stress, or tense emotional situations, this may make many women feel overwhelmed and cause others fall into depression.

Up until now people thought that the mother’s emotional stress had no consequences on the fetus, but the latest studies show that when a person is under a lot of stress, the body releases certain hormones that could increase the odds of preterm labor.  

Necessary changes

If you are stressed during pregnancy because you feel overloaded with work and you are not physically fit to perform as you used to, it’s time to make some decisions. You might think it’s difficult to change your lifestyle, but keep in mind that now there is a little person inside of you that needs you to take it easy.

Take a pencil and paper and write down in one column the activities that are a real priority in your life and in another column jot down everything that is not essential. For example, vacuuming, no matter how much you like to have a clean house, shouldn’t be a priority if when you get back from work you feel you need to rest. Talk to your partner to explain how you feel and set up a new strategy to take care of the house. The same goes for ironing, doing the laundry and even preparing meals. Be creative and find ways for the household to run smoothly, without feeling bad about it. You can use paper plates or even order your weekly groceries online.

Make time for yourself

Plan to devote at least one or two hours a day to yourself. Use this time to read, take a bath, talk to your friends or go for a walk, anything that you feel like doing and isn’t part of your daily routine.

Even more important, allow yourself to relax and enjoy yourself. It’s a waste of time to be reading a novel if you can’t stop thinking about the shirts that need to be ironed. Pregnancy is a very special time and you should enjoy it to the fullest. Don’t worry, because when the baby is born you will have to struggle to find the time to do the household chores.

 
Time with your partner

Your partner’s support during pregnancy is very important. Spending time together and strengthening the relationship is more important than the many obligations you have daily. Reach a compromise between the two of you, signed if need be, to do at least one enjoyable activity together, as small as it may be: watching TV together, cooking a nice dinner, going for a walk. Plan to spend a half day together every weekend, kicking back and having fun. There is no need to plan a Caribbean vacation (although it would be great if you could!); a simple change of scenery, spending the night at a hotel, or a short trip to a local tourist attraction might be enough to break the routine and make you both feel closer to each other.

Above all, remember it’s you who is in control of your life. Protect your well-being and your pregnancy to avoid suffering stress-related consequences.