There is lots to worry and feel nervous about when you are pregnant as a new parent, from attending scans and the need to know all is OK, the thought of the birth and what that will involve, meeting your baby for the first time to ensuring your baby is the right temperature and is feeding well. Preparation and gathering information, such as attending antenatal education can alleviate these feelings.
However, anxiety on a day to day, hour by hour basis can be very distressing and disturbing. Anxiety can cast doubt, make you feel insecure and question trust in others.
Perinatal Anxiety can happen any time from being pregnant to around a year after birth. Emotional feelings include feeling tense or nervous, needing lots of reassurance, feeling that people are annoyed with you, fearing the worst, fearing the future, feeling disconnected. When our minds are consumed with this kind of worry our bodies sense that something is wrong. Therefore, physical feelings include fast breathing, raised heart rate, feeling light headed, nausea, stomach ache, finding it hard to sleep or teeth grinding.
If any of this sounds familiar I would encourage you to seek help, whether that is by talking to your GP, Midwife, Health Visitor and of course contacting Taking Baby Steps.
The following self – help methods will be a great first step:
Learning breathing exercises
Practising meditation
Taking physical exercise
Spending time outdoors
Specialist charities: