by Annette Young

Pregnancy concerns are much more common than many new expectant mothers might think but even so, it’s important to treat these concerns with real empathy so that they do not escalate out of control. For any new mother-to-be, pregnancy is a time of extreme emotional change as well as a significant physiological transformation. For many, it’s an exciting time of a deepening love and wonderment but for others, the pregnancy can be fraught with fears.

Many pregnancy concerns occur for those first time mums as they experience unexplained aches and pains, extreme tiredness through lack of sleep or morning sickness but may generally feel that all is not as it should be.  They start to worry that these are symptoms are indicators that something is wrong. Most of these aches and pains however are a natural part of the baby developing and the woman’s body adapting but having a strong support system is vital throughout the pregnancy as it can be a daunting time and life can suddenly seem to spiral rapidly out of control. Mass hormonal changes can start to cause irrational thought processes and irritability but whilst these can cause additional feelings of anxiety and distress, they are normal.

Stress and anxieties should be avoided at all costs as this can impact the pregnancy and mar what should be a wonderful event and quite often the crux of the anxieties can simply be a sudden flurry of self-doubts that arise as the new mother to be begins to doubt her own ability to be able to cope with a baby that will be totally dependent on her. These fears are far from irrational because the realisation of such sheer dependency can be overwhelming but they are commonly experienced and actually should be viewed as a positive sign that the mother to be is beginning to adapt to the pregnancy and that those all-important bonds between a mother and her child are starting to develop.

Pregnancy concerns however should always be taken seriously and if there are any doubts about the mother or baby’s health, then medical advice should be taken immediately. For most pregnant women, some gentle relaxation techniques or perhaps a pre-recorded guided meditation CD can alleviate some of the anxieties and help her to feel more relaxed and in touch with her inner- self. Finding a sense of inner peace and tranquillity will help soothe the way forward and to calm any fraught tensions, it can certainly alleviate any negative self-doubts and reinforce family bonds. Some quality pamper time is important to help the new mother to be able to face these incredible transformations throughout the nine months and to stop any pregnancy concerns in their tracks.

Image:© Dana Bartekoske Heinemann | Dreamstime.com