How Prenatal Stress Affects Babies in Utero.
Understanding prenatal stress is the first step in helping to alleviate it. We have all heard that stress is bad for us, but there are 2 different types of stress. Good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress). Examples of eustress in pregnancy can be planning your baby shower or putting together the baby’s nursey. Things that you are excited about, but do take up your time and have deadlines. Distress can be things like: financial stress, anxiety about delivery (especially during these times with COVID19) or fights with your significant other. Distress can lead to physiological changes to your health like high blood pressure, which can lead to pre-eclampsia, premature birth and low birth weight. Research has shown that the stress that you go through during the prenatal period and baby’s first 2 years of life is the foundation of their health, both physical and mental. This is why we always recommend pregnant Mom’s have as little stress as possible during pregnancy and beyond.
Things you can do to improve your health and adapt to the stress of pregnancy include:
Chiropractic care – Having a nervous system free of interference helps your body adapt to stress more easily and helps it function at its best! The nervous system controls every system in the body, from the immune system to your hormones and digestion to elimination. When your brain is communicating with the rest of your body effectively you will not only feel better, but you feel more relaxed. The cortisol your body produces passes through the placenta into the amniotic fluid which surrounds the baby, so when you feel stress they do too. This is why I love what I do, since chiropractic restores the body to homeostasis and is a natural way to calm the nervous system and support a natural birth with less need for intervention.
Eat whole foods and reduce your sugar intake
Stay active (Prenatal yoga, meditation or walk outside)
Get enough sleep (At least 6-8 hours)
Stay hydrated (At least half your body weight in ounces a day)
Take your prenatal vitamins, Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, Omega 3’s and Probiotics
