Fears during pregnancy and methods of dealing with them

Today, every person feels a sense of anxiety and fear. And it is no coincidence that from 30% to 40% of people have experienced these feelings at least once in their lives. But why does anxiety and fear occur during pregnancy and what are they for?

The feeling of anxiety is a signal of unforeseen changes and a lever for timely response to danger. But excessive anxiety interferes with productive life.

If the child is a preschooler

How can an anxious personality manifest itself in preschool children? If on the playground your baby always stands behind you or asks you to accompany him everywhere. If other children are invited to play, they remain on the sidelines. He never approaches children first and never speaks.

Expresses fears about normal activities. Slide down a hill? High or I'll get dirty. Riding something? I won’t succeed, I’ll fall, it will hurt, they’ll laugh. At home, the preschooler tries to play within sight of his mother, or periodically run in and “check for her presence in the kitchen.”

The departure of a mother from home, even for a short time, can be accompanied by prolonged crying, when the child is literally “torn away” from the parent.

Often such children get used to the same clothes and have difficulty trying on something new. They also behave with food, having become accustomed to one diet, they rarely agree to try a new dish. They follow the routine at home and do not tolerate changes in anything. Have difficulty adapting to changes in plans. Often parents are concerned with the sequence of actions, the arrangement of things that children require from all household members. They fixate on things that are unpleasant or uncomfortable for them for a long time.

The child will remember the teacher’s one-time neutral request to come early (spoken to the mother) for several weeks, reminding parents in the evening: “what if we’re late?”, may wake up much earlier than getting up, and rush the mother all morning. A glimpse of an aggressive passage on TV, images of scary creatures, sharp sounds that will not make an impression on other children will remain in the memory of an anxious child for a long time. They will appear in the dark and cause nightmares and crying in your sleep.

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The increased risk of suicide and infanticide requires special attention. Suicide is the cause of 20% of maternal deaths in the postpartum period; most suicides are committed by women with DD. One study found that thoughts of killing a child occurred in 60.7% of women with major depression, compared with 27.6% of women with psychosis or bipolar disorder.

information More frequent use of obstetric forceps, prolonged labor, precipitate labor, fetal distress, spontaneous abortions and premature births Slowing of motor and cognitive development, adaptation disorders in the first 2 years of life

In children of women who suffered from TR during pregnancy , in addition to complications, low body weight and Apgar scores at birth are described; in fetuses, hemodynamic and motor activity disturbances are described. TRs have also been associated with premature rupture of membranes and increased rates of operative delivery. In one study, anxiety symptoms in early pregnancy were associated with a more than threefold increase in the risk of preeclampsia. In addition, children born to mothers with TD had emotional and behavioral problems during preschool age and were at increased risk of developing TD. The risk of suicidal behavior in patients with TD increases 10 times compared to the general population.

Tokophobia is a risk factor for miscarriage, surgical delivery, and the development of PTSD. Depression is both a cause of tokophobia and a common consequence of it.

PR Increased risk of premature birth, polyhydramnios and anemia. Panic attacks can lead to placental rupture, fetal distress, poor maternal nutrition, and self-medication with potentially dangerous drugs. There may be an increased risk of developing congenital anomalies

PTSD Increased risk of ectopic pregnancy , miscarriage, uncontrollable vomiting and premature birth. High comorbidity with other health conditions may contribute to adverse outcomes.

The increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with DR and TR may be associated both with the disease itself and with associated factors - alcohol intake, psychoactive substances, smoking, poor nutrition, lack of medical supervision and adequate care in the prenatal period. It is suggested that affective states during pregnancy, through their effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, leading to increased levels of cortisone in the mother and corticotropin-releasing hormone in the placenta, can influence the programming of the fetus, which causes its increased reactivity to stress factors throughout pregnancy. throughout the rest of my life. Anxiety and depression during pregnancy may disrupt the expression of a number of genes in the placenta, which may be a mechanism through which maternal affective disorders influence fetal programming.

Discontinuing drug therapy during pregnancy or using a suboptimal dose of an antidepressant may worsen symptoms, jeopardize maternal and fetal health, disrupt mother-infant bonding, and have a negative impact on postpartum care.

Junior schoolchildren

With age, concerns can develop into fears, both specific and causeless. The child may feel danger everywhere. He will tell his parents that he doesn’t want to go for walks, go on visits, watch movies, or go to bed. He asks to leave the light on in the room and runs to his parents in the middle of the night. Outwardly, the child may be distracted, uncollected, and tense. The child compares himself with the children around him, finds a lot of “shortcomings” in himself, self-doubt increases, isolation and reluctance to be in a group may appear. Parents note that despite the friendly and comfortable atmosphere in the classroom, the child is reluctant to go to school and may refuse his favorite clubs or sections.

Physical manifestations

Anxiety can also manifest itself in the form of facial tics - repeated involuntary movements of the facial muscles (for example, rapid blinking, movements of the nose, mouth), this also includes vocalisms - tics with sounds (“coughing”, “sniffing” the nose, “clearing the throat”, “ grunting"). Hesitations in speech and stuttering may occur.

“Bad habits” are often noticeable in the form of biting nails, twirling hair on fingers, and sucking items of clothing. In some cases, daytime or nighttime enuresis.

Against the background of constant stress, autonomic response mechanisms are activated: various pain sensations, nausea, vomiting, intestinal upset, headaches, and fluctuations in blood pressure appear. According to the results of medical examinations, as a rule, no reasons for the appearance of such symptoms are found.

Teenagers

In pre- and, in fact, puberty, against the backdrop of growing up, a serious psychological and hormonal crisis, children’s experiences intensify significantly. The depth of the emotional crisis can affect the mood area and lead to depression. It can be difficult to see depression from common teenage reactions, but they always require special attention:

• isolation,
• depression,
• the emergence of previously unusual habits,
• changing the day-night routine,
• avoidance of communication with one’s circle,
• refusals to attend school under various pretexts.

Also characteristic are manifestations of the type of panic attacks with a sudden strong feeling of fear, reaching the point of panic, rising blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, darkening of the eyes, spasm in the larynx, difficulty breathing.

Interestingly, children with an anxious radical character are often socially successful, because they are responsible, neat, hardworking, and caring. These are diligent children who, with support, achieve great success.

Boy and his dinosaur

Causes of fears during pregnancy

Throughout the entire period of bearing a child, a woman needs to be in a calm environment, in a good mood, to feel protected and the friendly attitude of others. Even if all these conditions are met, some of them are overcome by various concerns:

• The unreasonable fear of losing a child during pregnancy quite often haunts women. To overcome it, you need to be more attentive and responsible about your health. First, you need to establish nutrition. Secondly, build a daily routine in such a way that you spend enough time walking, getting enough sleep, and leading an active lifestyle without exposing yourself to unnecessary physical activity. How else to get rid of fears? During pregnancy, a very important component is the psychological factor. Reading good books, watching good or comedy films and other “soulful” activities that evoke positive emotions will certainly have a beneficial effect.
• Fear of death is not that uncommon among pregnant women. It frightens not only as something inevitable. Mixed with it is a feeling of bitterness and annoyance that, in the event of death, you will never be able to see how the baby grows and gets stronger. These thoughts should not be allowed to develop. Such fears during pregnancy can have dire consequences for both the mother and her baby. Therefore, you should not think about sad events. It is better to pay attention to the stories of amazing rescues of pregnant women. There are such people too, and there are many of them.
• The fear of having a child with a pathology haunts many women. This is how a person is designed that he tends to focus his attention on negative information. After all, the vast majority of babies are born absolutely healthy. But some pregnant women stubbornly continue to think that exactly that rare event will happen to them, as a result of which a “special” child will be born. Here you need to understand and realize that everything has already happened, and a person is not able to influence the situation in any way. If the question arises whether a baby will be born healthy or not, then worries and worries will definitely have a detrimental effect on his well-being.

• Fear of motherhood during pregnancy arises due to lack of self-confidence and self-confidence. A woman wants to become the best mother in the world, but doubts that she has enough knowledge and skills for this. Here it is important to realize that the very fact of the appearance of this fear indicates a high degree of responsibility for the expectant mother. Therefore, this fear is pointless.
• The fear of agony and pain increases as the due date approaches. Curiosity prompts you to ask questions to “experienced” friends, consult good neighbors, and look for other sources of information, which only increase the degree of fear. How to deal with these fears during pregnancy? It is important to understand that everyone has their own pain threshold. And that not every woman endures terrible pain and unbearable suffering during childbirth. And nature is so cunning and prudent that it has endowed a woman with a unique property - to quickly forget the sensation of labor pain. Over time, the memory that the pain was there is, and about its incredible strength or degree - this is more in the realm of entertaining stories. Otherwise, it is unlikely that the woman would give birth for the second, third or fifth time.
• The fear of medical malpractice is spreading quickly. Of course, they happen, but these cases are rare. You shouldn't get hung up on them. In this case, attending special courses for expectant mothers will help you achieve peace of mind. They will expertly tell you all the details of the period of bearing a child, the nuances of childbirth and the features of postpartum recovery. Such courses are conducted by practicing doctors and will answer any questions with knowledge.
• The fear of losing their figure and attractiveness in the eyes of their spouse worries some women. Of course, it is difficult for a woman to overcome such fears during pregnancy without male support. It is from her beloved that she constantly needs to hear that she is still irresistible and desirable. In addition, healthy, low-fat food and regular exercise for pregnant women will not allow you to gain outrageously excess weight. And taking care of the child after his birth will contribute to the rapid restoration of the figure.
• The fear of losing skills at work and missing out on career growth actually prevents some from even getting pregnant. This is great stupidity. There are many examples in the world of quite successful women raising more than one child. And the time of pregnancy can be used to improve skills. Fortunately, now there is the Internet and online learning. It is unlikely that colleagues will allow themselves such luxury while at work.
• Unreasonable fears during pregnancy arise, as it may seem to many, out of nowhere, but this is the result of a change in physiological state. A woman may experience greater stress on her heart and a lack of oxygen. Hence the appearance of dizziness and weakness. All this contributes to increased anxiety, and she begins to worry about things that she would not normally notice.

What should you do if you suspect your child has an anxiety disorder?

Contact a child psychologist. Generally, the prognosis for people with anxiety disorders is good. With timely support, these children do not experience any psychological discomfort and adapt well to the changing realities of life.

How to support an anxious child? Medical psychologist Olga Evsteshina explains:

To support an anxious child, try to create a stable and predictable environment. Warn in advance about news or surprises. Give enough time to prepare for something, don’t rush it. Coordinate your actions with other family members and loved ones.

Methods of dealing with fears

While waiting for the baby to arrive, the feeling of anxiety greatly interferes with enjoying life and preparing for such a joyful event. It is necessary to try to maintain peace of mind as much as possible without succumbing to panic attacks. If the pregnancy is planned, there is much less reason to worry.

Future parents have the opportunity to undergo all examinations in advance and consult with doctors in order to prevent any surprises. In the case of spontaneous pregnancy, it is necessary to undergo more careful monitoring by doctors. Courses for expectant mothers will significantly help a woman in overcoming her fears of childbirth.

If doctors are unable to help a woman overcome her fears, you can turn to specialized specialists. These include psychotherapists and medical psychologists.

Basically, the most difficult thing in overcoming fears is recognizing that there is a problem. The upcoming changes cannot but worry a pregnant woman. But if a woman tries to adequately perceive a particular situation that leads to anxiety and fear, then this will be a big plus for her mental health and the health of the unborn baby.

What should you not say to your child?

If you are in the habit of telling your son or daughter, “Don't worry! Don't be afraid! Everything will be fine,” then your child most likely will not stop worrying and will think that in the world, and especially now, there are a lot of reasons to worry and no one can promise that nothing unexpected will happen.

If you say these words before the child shows signs of anxiety, then you can be sure that his anxiety will increase, since perhaps he was not thinking about the danger right now.

What can you do in a worrying situation?

• Sit next to him and hold his hand.
• Remember how good it was when he: went to the sea, visited his grandmother in the village, visited relatives, etc.; at the same time, you can offer to close your eyes and imagine your memory, this way you will immerse him in a resourceful emotional state and help him switch to other thoughts.
• Offer to wait until he's ready to check something he's worried about, such as counting to 10 or waiting for the timer to ring if he wants to check that a notebook or phone is there, or do something that becomes habitual but unreasonable. ;
• Set external guidelines for waiting in the form of an hourglass, a calendar, events (when it gets dark, when dad returns from work, etc.);
• Make a “worry box” where you can put notes or drawings with “worries”, so you will show that it is we who control them, and not they control us, you can hide them or even tear them up;
• Make a “box of useful tips” where you can put notes or drawings with successful experiences in overcoming anxiety, taking these resources out of the “box” or revising them at the right time;
• Come up with a name for his experiences, it can be very personal, only yours, as an example it can sound like “anxious monster”, etc., in any case, this is a common language between you and your child, by calling his experiences that way, you separate the problem from the child himself and you can talk about it as an external surmountable circumstance.

Remember that there are a lot of techniques on how to help an anxious child! The main thing is to act!

Source

Causes of anxiety and fear during pregnancy

1. Changes in the central nervous system give rise to fatigue, decreased physical activity, and increased anxiety, which are the causes of increased anxiety.
2. During pregnancy, a woman has excessively increased demands on herself, which also leads to increased anxiety.
3. Inevitable changes in a woman’s life disrupt her routine even before the birth of a child, and this fact is also a source of anxiety.

An indicator of the transformation of increased anxiety into an anxiety disorder is its intensification and more frequent manifestation. This condition needs to be corrected.

Physiological signs of an anxiety disorder: tension that reaches trembling; discomfort; cardiopalmus; increased sweating, feeling of weakness, dizziness.

Fears of expectant mothers

There are a number of factors that provoke fear in a pregnant woman:

• unplanned spontaneous pregnancy;
• possible complications during pregnancy;
• fear of childbirth.

Genetic fears can also arise against the background of something that is quite difficult for a pregnant woman to control: the birth of a child with various types of abnormalities. Not least of all are fears of an aesthetic nature. These are, of course, the changes that occur to the figure of a pregnant woman. Most often, a woman is not ready for this.

Responsibility for the life of an unborn child is another powerful factor in refraction in a woman’s consciousness, which does not pass without a trace.

The appearance of fear is not a negative factor. This suggests that the protective mechanisms of the psyche are triggered. The consequence of the emergence of fear is adaptation to new living conditions. When a woman recognizes the causes of fear, her psyche takes steps towards coping with anxiety. Next, it is necessary to expand the understanding of the danger and take action to eliminate it.

Sometimes it happens that obsessive fear develops. It's called a phobia. In the presence of such a state, a person understands the essence of the absurdity of his fear, but does not find a way to eliminate it. In this case, it is necessary to take measures so that the situation does not lead to the development of depression.