It is common knowledge that stress can predispose an individual to illnesses. During pregnancy, stress needs to be greatly avoided by providing emotional support. As per the World Health Organization, women need emotional support especially as the time of pregnancy as it is as important with the physical requirements. Our emotions have an influence on our hormones which can affect the growing fetus. Most often during that time, the woman experiences imbalance in hormones which can often lead to stress and depression. These conditions are usually managed with medications like antidepressants but there are certain things to consider before prescribing the pregnant woman with one. The antidepressant Zoloft has been linked with Autism when taken during pregnancy which prompted doctors to be careful when giving the medication to their patients.
Is She Suffering from Psychological Stress?
Having one or a couple of these symptoms does not automatically qualify you to be psychologically stressed as some of these can be due to hormones brought about by pregnancy. Some of the symptoms are listed below.
• Irritability
• Frequent mood swings
• Marked anxiety and tension
• Prolonged sadness
• Loss of interest in usual activities (hobbies, interests and etc.)
• Energy is unusually low and easily gets fatigued
• Unreasonable feelings of longing and desires
• Suddenly tearful and overly sensitive
• Extreme fear of having a miscarriage
• Gets easily depressed over trivial issues
• Has difficulty concentrating and/or focusing attention
• Sleeps too much or lacks sleep
• Has delusions and hallucinations
The signs listed above can also be recognized in people with major depression as well as with other mood disorders so it is encouraged to go to a medical professional if the pregnant woman manifested some.
Avoiding Stress for the Pregnant Woman
The best thing to do in dealing with psychological stress is for the woman and her family to avoid it.
When a woman is pregnant, we have to understand that she has a lot of physical changes going on and that can affect her mood and emotions. To provide her with emotional support, we should understand what she’s going through. Avoid things that can trigger any emotional outbursts from her. Often times, there’s a fear of losing the baby and being inadequate. Make the woman feel that you are there to support her in her journey especially for those first time mothers. Others with pre-existing conditions like depression and were prescribed with Zoloft might be fearful that problems raised in Zoloft birth defect lawsuits may be experienced by them. Pregnancy is life-changing not just for the woman but for her partner as well. They must take on the journey together as they will do with parenthood.