Ways To Avoid Stress During Pregnancy

Stress is an emotion, which means it’s an inevitable part of life.

During pregnancy, with so many changes happening with your body every day, both stress and anxiety are common.

Whenever you have fear (such as pregnancy loss) or uncertainty (such as not knowing what to do), pregnancy stress can creep up.

Because of how delicate the early stage of pregnancy is, it’s so important to avoid going into the “fight, flight, or freeze” mode that your nervous system goes into when it’s under negative stress.

High levels of stress during early pregnancy can result in increased blood pressure, nausea, and even premature births or miscarriages in extreme cases.

11 Ways To Avoid Stress During Early Pregnancy

There are many practical ways you can avoid stress early on in pregnancy.

During my first trimester, I used all of the ways below to avoid too much stress.

Below is a list of 11 ways that can help you avoid stress during early pregnancy in a healthy way.

Way #1: Practice 10 minutes of silence

Sitting in 10 minutes of silence is a great way to calm down your nervous system every day and avoid going into stress and anxiety.

I started this practice over a year ago, and I just love it’s simplicity. There are now hundreds of my clients doing it, too.

All you need is 10 minutes per day of dedicated silence, where you sit and close your eyes. Set the timer. Then continue to do this daily and notice the shift.

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Way #2: Take deeper breaths

Breathing deeply is another way to calm down that “fight, flight, or freeze” part of your nervous system that can get activated early in pregnancy.

Practice taking deep breaths to manage stress by simply slowing down your breaths and paying attention to how your breath feels in your body.

When you focus on your breath and slow it way down, you can avoid the onset of the bad type of stress.

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Way #3: Start a meditation practice

Starting a meditation practice can be an effective way to reduce stress.

This is particularly true after the stress is present.

Meditating can help you allow the stress to move through your body.

Way #4: Get a life coach

There’s nothing more valuable to your mental and emotional health than having a life coach.

I like to say, “if you have a brain, you need a coach.”

It’s sort of like cell phones. There was a time before they existed and in fact, when they were created, people didn’t really feel like they needed them all that much. Now, we can’t live without them.

The same is true for life coaching.

Not everyone realizes they need one (yet) but it’s true—if you have a brain, you need a coach to be able to show you what you’re thinking and feeling so that you can become more mindful and design your dream life.

This is the inner work we do in Grow You, my virtual life coaching membership for moms.

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Way #5: Move your body

Many health problems are solved simply by moving your body more.

For pregnant women, in particular, it’s important to move your body in a healthy, safe way.

For me, this meant 30 minutes walks on an incline 4-5 days per week. For you, it could be attending a yoga class.

For you, it may be different.

When you move your body you not only avoid stress but you optimize your physical health. It’s a win all around.

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Way #6: Find support groups

Having a support network is so important when you’re pregnant.

Today, it can be easier than ever to find support groups, if you’re willing to put yourself out there a bit.

There’s everything from local Facebook groups to the Peanut App (like Bumble but for moms to connect with each other) and more.

I met a few local friends in Charleston this way and found it so helpful to connect with them as we were all on the same pregnancy journey together.

Way #7: Talk to a friend

Support groups are helpful in many ways, and likely some of those people will become your friends, but remembering to reach out to your established friends is also going to be so good for your mental health.

Connection is a natural human desire and when you stay connected during the challenging parts of your pregnancy, it can be a tremendous stress reducer.

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Way #8: Schedule a pregnancy massage

Getting a prenatal massage is a really good way to give more love and care to your body.

Your body is going through a lot during pregnancy and making sure its needs are met is so very important.

Pregnancy massages don’t just feel good, but they’re a way to manage stress during your pregnancy.

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Way #9: Have clearly defined work hours

Having clearly defined daytime work hours is so important for managing stress.

If you have high levels of stress at work, this is even more important.

Even if you’re a stay at home mom it’s best to prioritize breaking up the day into “work” and before/after work. This way you have a defined period where you can share roles with your spouse as well as give yourself a break (even if it’s small).

Having a daytime “work hat” that you put on and off with set timeframes will help you manage stress levels more effectively.

Way #10: Prioritize rest every day

Prioritizing rest every day is hands down one of the best ways to avoid stress early during pregnancy.

I went from being a 6am-er to waking up at 7:30 and taking 1-2 naps during the day.

Everyone has different circumstances, and yet, it’s so important that you find a way for you to prioritize rest. It’s one of the ways you can take care of yourself the most.

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Way #11: Coach yourself

When you feel stressed, coach yourself.

Even if it’s just 5-10 minutes every day, it will make the world of difference.

When you feel stressed, it’s because of a thought you’re having that’s causing the stress. Coaching shows you how to find the thought and process the feeling. This is the inner work I do with my clients inside Grow You. It’s how you can learn to effectively feel your feelings, not act out on them, and live more mindfully each and every day.

A Final Note!

When you’re in the early stages of pregnancy, paying attention to how your body feels will help you be on to any stress that’s on its way.

In a fast-paced, modern mom world, this is hard to do, but with practice it’s oh-so-very-doable. You got this, mama.