Stress Management During Pregnancy: A Breakdown of Relaxing Ideas

I had a notebook full of to-do lists when I was pregnant. I needed to create a registry, decorate the nursery, make a birth plan, pack a hospital bag, sign up for childbirth classes, and the lists went on and on. Pregnancy is a busy time of preparations that can leave even the most laid back woman totally stressed out. Your body's reaction to stress is compounded by the normal mood swings of pregnancy, and you may start to feel out of control. It is important to learn to handle stress constructively during pregnancy so you will be prepared for the upcoming stress of parenthood. When you start to feel overwhelmed, try these solutions to cut down on the stress of pregnancy.

1. Talk it over.

Don't keep all of your emotions pent up inside or one day, you might explode! Allow your fears and worries to come to the surface once in awhile and confide in your spouse or a friend. Sometimes just saying your worries out loud can relieve them or at least help you find the humor in the situation. If you don't have a spouse or a friend who is available to talk, ask your doctor to recommend a pregnancy support group or a professional counselor. It is important to find someone who will listen and let you talk through your feelings about motherhood.

2. Use the process of elimination.

If your to-do list is out of control, start to eliminate some of the items. Prioritize your goals and try to delegate some of the responsibilities to others. Enlist your husband to paint the nursery and let your mom run some errands for you. It might help to make a calendar and break down your list into weekly or daily tasks to make sure you get everything accomplished before the baby is born. If you only look at the list for one week, it will seem much less daunting than looking at what needs to be done over the next nine months.

3. Step back.

Fight off stress with any activity you find relaxing. Step back from the situation and do something fun. Go to a movie or go for a walk. Meet a friend for lunch or spend an afternoon shopping at the mall. If you can afford it, take a little vacation to get away from the stress. You can actually visit resorts that have "Babymoon" packages for expectant parents. This is a great way to get pampered and unwind before your baby arrives.

4. Sleep it off.

There's not much in life that a good night's sleep won't cure, or at least help. When you're feeling overwhelmed, give your body and mind the chance to regenerate. Tension and anxiety tend to rise when you aren't getting enough rest, so increase your sleep quotient and you might just start to feel a little better about things.

5. Cut it out.

There are some things in life that are not worth the stress they require. If you have a friend that is stressing you out with her high drama lifestyle, then gently back away from the situation. If your job is causing you too much stress and you afford to change jobs or stop working, then write your letter of resignation and move on. There are always areas in our lives that we can cut out to make more room for what really matters.

6. Get some perspective.

If you are stressed about what color to paint your nursery, take a few minutes to watch your ultrasound video or to look at some of the tiny baby clothes you've already bought. Remember what really matters in the situation. Will you baby really care what color the nursery is painted? Babies can't even see colors at first anyway! There are some things that just don't matter as much as we pretend they do. So try to get some perspective and stop putting so much pressure on yourself.

Regardless of what is causing the stress in your life, take some time to enjoy your pregnancy. This is a short time in the big scheme of life and the memory will last for a lifetime. You don't want to remember your pregnancy as a time of panic and stressed-out chaos. You want to be able to look back and think about how it felt to feel your baby kick and move. Try some of these creative approaches to handle your stress and if you're still feeling overwhelmed, talk to your doctor.