Dealing with Perinatal Anxiety
During pregnancy, it is normal to develop anxious thoughts! You may find yourself constantly worrying about the health of your baby or your parenting skills. While anxious thoughts are normal, they can impact your daily life if they are constant and persistent. Here’s some strategies for managing your anxious during pregnancy.
Be mindful of your thoughts – start to become more mindful of your thoughts. You can do so by journaling or labelling your thoughts as positive, negative, or neutral! By becoming more about of your thoughts you can start to identify common negative patterns in your thinking such as self-blaming or overgeneralizing and begin to address them.
Practice your coping skills – Coping skills are not only beneficial for managing anxiety during pregnancy but are also shown to help with pain during labor and delivery! You can start by just taking a few deep breaths throughout your day to help reduce stress and cultivate a sense of calm. Daily practice is key!
Join a support group – You are not alone! Many women experience anxiety during pregnancy. Joining a support group can help you to feel less isolated. During these groups you may be able to benefit from the advice and support of other pregnant women who have similar experiences to you!
Seek professional support – this might be a great time to get connected to a mental health profession who can support you during your pregnancy and beyond! There are therapist who are experts in perinatal mental health conditions that are just a phone call away. It’s okay to ask for help, especially during this huge life transition.
Congratulations on this beautiful journey! Check back soon for more information and resources that may be helpful during the perinatal period. Be sure to speak with your OB/GYN about any concerns you may have!
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