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Chill Out Mama!: Four Tips for
Managing Stress in Pregnancy
Christy Callahan
One of the best gifts you can give your baby and yourself is a calm,
clear mind and a relaxed body and nervous system. Why? Your unborn baby
receives chemical messages through the bloodstream through that amazing
organ we call the placenta. It’s really a neglected little miracle, that
placenta; it provides nourishment for your developing baby for months on
end. Make sure that the hormones you send to your little one are mainly
loving and peaceful ones. This is not meant to give anyone a guilt trip!
Au contraire, this brief article will clue you in on a few small steps
you can take to help manage stress while expecting. For more suggestions
along these lines, just send a blank e-mail to
tips@prenatalcoaching.com.
1. Physical Exercise. Getting
regular exercise is a major stress buster. I know, many of us hate to
work at gyms or jog on the sidewalks. Perhaps there’s even a dusty
exercise contraption lurking in your garage or closet. One way to get
around this is to enlist a friend to join you, to keep each other
accountable. Find something you like to do—maybe it’s swimming or
roller skating (check with your health care provider before beginning any
new exercise regime, just to be sure). You don’t have to join a prenatal
yoga class to be fit; just be creative and have fun.
2. Dietary Supplements. Here in
Southern California, we are blessed to have access to a wide variety of
health food products. And thanks to the Internet, you can find quality
dietary supplements wherever you happen to live. Make sure you’re
getting enough B-complex and C vitamins. (Both are water soluble which
means that you need a fresh supply every day; that also means that it’s
much harder to overdose on them since the excess get secreted when you
pee.) You’ve probably read about the importance of taking enough folic
acid during acid (it’s one of the B vitamins). You may not have heard
that we use up more B-complex vitamins when under stress (as well as
while taking oral contraceptives).
3. Herbs. When correctly used,
herbs can be of great benefit for pregnancy, birth and lactation—and in
any phase of life. First, a word of caution: it is important to check
with a knowledgeable professional if you are unsure about which herbs to
use and how much. Herbs like valerian, for instance, can be quite
potent. Generally speaking, however, store-bought teas are carefully
labeled and packaged in safe doses. Look for a nice, soothing tea with
chamomile, lemon verbena and orange peel. If you find one with
peppermint, that’s a plus since the mint can calm an upset tummy. Be
sure to avoid herbs that have a steroidal effect (like licorice and
ginseng) and anything that causes uterine contractions, especially if
you have had repeat miscarriages or cervical problems.
4. Roomy Scheduling. Does it ever
seem like your day is jam-packed with activities and deadlines? Instead
of rushing from one appointment to the next, try to allow for extra time
in between. That way, if there’s a traffic jam or some other unexpected
foul-up, you still have moments to spare. Sure, we all want to feel
productive, and yet, if you are carrying a baby, you’re indeed
re-productive. Your body is already working hard to bring new life into
the world, so be easy on yourself. Give yourself big gaps in the day to
just BE. Trust me when I say that you are doing a huge service to
yourself and your baby.
Again, YOU are your baby’s greatest asset.
Who else will be there when your child falls and scrapes her knee? Who
else will understand him and feel as close to him as you? Pregnancy is a
time to celebrate new life, to connect with the awesomeness of Creation.
This is also an opportunity to learn new ways to nurture your self.
Reducing stress, using any of the tips above, is one way that you take
care of your own needs, to the benefit of your family’s future.
Christy
Callahan M.A is an educator and life coach. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa
from Carnegie Mellon University before going on to earn an advanced
degree in Intercultural Studies. Contributing Writer for the
award-winning website
Helpguide.org Christy started studying
Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology in 2002 at the Santa Barbara Graduate
Institute. In Spring 2005 she began teaching her Prenatal Bonding Course
for expecting parents. Christy is married and has a son who was born at
home.
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