As I’m sure everyone knows by now, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced on Monday that they are expecting their second child. What exciting news for them, and for us! Of course, I send my most heartfelt congratulations to them both.
After hearing the news, I read many different blog entries and newspaper articles about the toll that pregnancy takes on the body – especially, in Kate’s case, as she is again suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. I did not see much mention the mental changes that can take place during pregnancy and, as this is equally as important, I thought I’d spend some time talking about the different effects pregnancy can have on the mind and emotions.
Lastly, pregnancy can be a stressful time. Your body is going through enormous change, and your life will soon go through intense changes as well. It is completely normal to experience some worry during a pregnancy. However, too much worry about these changes and worry about your new growing baby can be reflective of a prenatal anxiety disorder. Symptoms of such heightened anxiety include feeling overwhelmed/anxious/worried for most of the day everyday, feelings of panic or having panic attacks, and obsessive (repetitive) thoughts of stress or worry. Similar to prenatal depression, prenatal anxiety can have negative effects on the baby, so again please tell your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
Having a good support system, taking care of yourself, and getting the rest you need all help to ensure a positive, joyous, and healthy pregnancy.
Really great post, and such an important topic. Mental health is so easily forgotten about, and this was written in such a supportive way 🙂
Jennifer x
http://www.ginevrella.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you! I completely agree that mental health is regrettably ignored in pregnancy, which leads to so many women suffering needlessly.