Tips for managing early pregnancy anxiety

Have you had a positive pregnancy test? Are you feeling overwhelmed with a million thoughts? Are you anxious about what might be next?

Then this blog post is for you. I’m going to share some tips for calming the mind when it feels like it’s racing with questions and thoughts after you’ve had that positive pregnancy test. These tips can also be used in the gap between your positive test and your first scan when you’re thinking, am I even pregnant? Am I ok? Is this normal?

First things first. You are not alone. 1 in 10 pregnant women experience early pregnancy anxiety, so it’s much more common than you think!

💭When is my baby due?

💭Will they be okay? Will I be okay?

💭Will I be a good parent?

💭Am I prepared enough?

💭How will the birth experience be?

Share Your Thoughts

Reach out to trusted people around you and share your thoughts! If you feel able to, you could even consider reaching out to people in the same boat, connecting through your shared experience- there may be forums online or groups of other people in the same position you are!

– If talking to people isn’t your thing, or you don’t quite feel ready to share your feelings, then self compassion is an excellent place to start!

Try not to feel guilty or embarrassed

Your thoughts are valid and you are allowed to feel however it is you’re feeling, reaching out for support and reassurance is not a bad thing! Our Private Midwives will be around to not only provide you with options and support but also have a listening ear!

Ask yourself questions about your pregnancy

You may benefit from having a conversation with yourself and “checking in” with your body. Take some time to sit down and ask yourself these questions – How does my body feel right now, in this moment? What are my thoughts about pregnancy in general? How do you feel about being pregnant? Was this a planned pregnancy? What was the journey like to get to this point? Was this an unexpected pregnancy? Do you know that you have options and what those options are?

Is your pregnancy high risk?

There are certain factors and pre-existing health conditions that might make your pregnancy high risk. At your booking appointment we will discuss these factors in depth, risk assess your pregnancy and create a plan to help minimise any potential risks. It may be that you wish to speak to a consultant who specialises in your condition and pregnancy to get more information to inform your choices. We can support you to do this! It is also important if you take any regular medications, that we check- are they safe to take in pregnancy? You can search on the website BUMP’s (Best Use of Medications in Pregnancy) to give you the evidence to make an informed decision regarding these medications – never stop taking any medications without speaking to your doctor or midwife first as some are not safe to just stop and need to be weaned to ensure you remain safe and well.

What are your pregnancy symptoms?

Your body is going through lots of changes in these early stages of pregnancy to help grow and develop your baby and a whole new organ (the placenta). You might be feeling some symptoms of these changes- you also might not be feeling any different, both are very normal! However, it is often these 2 extremes which can add to anxiety in the early part of the pregnancy.

“I have very strong symptoms – is something wrong?” 

Or  

“I have no symptoms – is something wrong?” 

Trusting your body at this time can be difficult, particularly if you have experienced a loss in the past. Try incorporating self care into your daily routine – a cosy candlelit bath or good podcast on a walk!

• Hypnobirthing isn’t just for your birth and working on your mindset in these early stages, can be really powerful! Surround yourself with positive affirmations, such as:

“I trust my body is perfectly designed to carry and grow my baby” 

 “I listen to my body and respect when it needs me to rest and move”  

 “I am safe. My baby is safe”  

 “My body knows exactly what to do” 

Find out more about Hypnobirthing Here

Keeping active through your pregnancy

We know through research that active women are less likely to develop complications later in pregnancy and labour. For as long as you feel able – try to keep to your normal daily pattern of physical activity or exercise. This might be a sport, running, yoga, dancing or even walking to the shops and back! If you weren’t a marathon runner before you were pregnant – now isn’t the time to become one BUT your later pregnant body and your mental health will thank you for staying active while you can!

Proper nutrition is essential

Your body uses lots of nutrients to help grow your baby and your blood volume is increasing! You need nutrients to help make those new red blood cells! Taking a good pregnancy specific multivitamin can be a good way to ensure you get the nutrients you need! Remember there are certain foods that aren’t recommended in pregnancy so you may need to adjust your diet slightly! Caffeine can often heighten anxiety. However you may find cutting out the caffeine completely helps to reduce some anxiety symptoms!

Try some complimentary therapies

There are so many options which not only offer a distraction from the anxiety but also self care for the body and mind!

– Massage may help reduce anxiety, aches, and pains that come along with pregnancy. Massage may also help with body awareness. Understanding your body better can increase your ability to relax during the early stages of labour, so it’s great practice for later on too!

– Reflexology and Acupressure involves applying pressure and massaging specific areas of the feet, hands, and ears. These areas (reflexes) are thought to be linked to other areas of your body through your nervous system. Stimulating these reflexes, can stimulate the energy flow around your body to target areas of tension and stress.

– Pregnancy Yoga encourages gentle movement and staying active helps with the release of feel good endorphins and oxytocin! Here is an example of prenatal exercisee on the NHS website for you to try!

– Mindfulness can help you to reconnect with your body and become more attuned with your emotions. This may help you to feel more aware, connected, and present (mentally and physically). There are lots of apps that can help with this. Headspace is a great place to start.

Ultrasound Scans

You may wish to book an early reassurance ultrasound scan and we at Private Midwives can help arrange this for you at a clinic close by to your home.

Recognise when some extra help may be needed

No matter what your journey to becoming pregnant may have involved, pregnancy itself is a huge, life-changing event – it’s only natural to feel anxious, unsure, or scared at times. Hormonal changes can play havoc with your emotions, which can lead to you feeling even more worried.

Hearing second-hand ‘horror stories’ from friends, family, or even the media can also exacerbate how worried and apprehensive you are feeling. Almost all of us have that one family member, friend, or friend of a friend, who had a tough pregnancy or traumatic labour. Or perhaps you’ve been watching shows about pregnancy and labour to help you know what to expect. Either way, by surrounding ourselves with these dramatic or traumatic retellings of negative birth or pregnancy experiences, it can cause us to become more worried about what is to come. There’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ level of anxiety because we all feel and experience worries in different ways. It is completely natural and healthy to feel some level of anxiety and worry. If you want to know more about antenatal care take a look at our article here

If you start to feel anxious all of the time, your worrying thoughts outweigh your everyday thoughts, or you find your anxiety is interfering with your day-to-day life, you may benefit from seeking support to help you manage these feelings.

• Some symptoms of perinatal anxiety may be:

• Rapid heartbeat or Palpitations
• Difficulty concentrating
• Extreme irritability or rage outbursts
• Nausea
• Panic attacks
• Shortness of breath or irregular breathing
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Loss of appetite
• Intrusive thoughts

Reach out to us at Private Midwives for further support, you don’t have to go through this alone! If you would like to know how we can support you in your pregnancy feel free to call us on 0800 3800 579 or book an antenatal appointment here