Being pregnant can be the most exciting time of your life, but it can be the most stressful too.
You are under strain due to the hormone imbalance as well as under perpetual worry about the pregnancy, the childbirth, the health of your baby, and everything else that comes your way.
When you are pregnant you need to take good care of yourself and your unborn baby. This includes trying to reduce the stress in your life.
But how do you reduce stress? Here are a few tips to help you reduce the stress levels and keep in better condition, as well as your baby.
The first step to take is to take a long look at your life. How many activities are you involved in? How many hours a week do you work? What are you expected to do around the home?
Once you have worked out your workload you can start decreasing the hours you spend dedicated to other people and start looking after yourself.
Decide which activities you can drop and try to cut back at work if possible. Learn to say no. Do not feel you should have to say yes to every request that someone makes of you. The most important thing right now is to take care of yourself and your baby.
If you are the type of person who must feel in control at all times, get ready to give up some control.
When you are pregnant you have to realize that things may happen that are not in your control. Morning sickness may be severe.
You may have a high-risk pregnancy that requires bed-rest. Learn to expect the unexpected while pregnant. It will be good practice for when the baby comes.
Avoid listening to other bad pregnancy stories that other people feel they should tell you about, especially now that you are pregnant, these will only contribute to make you unnecessarily anxious.
Every woman has their own pregnancy story and she tends to embellish it with each telling, and anyway not pregnancy is the same.
If you take every story to heart and worry about it happening to you, your stress level will go through the roof, which can be very bad for you and the baby. Only listen to the advice of your health care provider.
Now is a good time to learn relaxation techniques and meditation. A light exercise program under the supervision of your doctor can help with stress also.
Make sure you give yourself permission to relax. Read a book, go to a movie, and take a nap when you feel tired. You have a tiny life depending on you, so pamper yourself a little.
Do not fret if the house does not look as good as it usually does, and do not feel guilty, if it is not spotless.
Avoid cooking too many special meals; keep them simple, as the smell of food can put you off eating at all. Let others help you out.
Being pregnant will be an experience you will never forget. For some women, it will happen only once. Reduce the stress in your life, slow down, and enjoy being pregnant.
