Recognizing anxiety during pregnancy
Pregnancy is an emotional time, and anxiety is just one of many feelings that pregnant women experience. A moderate amount of new fears and worries is normal and expected during this time of change, but sometimes anxiety can become so intense that it gets in the way of daily functioning. It can negatively impact our sleep, relationships, parenting or work performance.
Factors that could increase the chances of experiencing high anxiety during pregnancy include:
- history of high anxiety and/or depression
- perfectionism (believing you should not make any mistakes and do everything just right)
- history of miscarriage(s)
- high-risk pregnancy
- major life stressors (such as marital or financial problems)
If you think your anxiety may be interfering with your life, consider discussing it with your maternity care provider. At St. Charles Center for Women’s Health, our maternity providers partner with integrated behavioral health specialists who can offer skills to help you regulate your emotions and anxiety during pregnancy and beyond.
Christopher L. Hunter, Jeffrey L. Goodie, PhD Abpp, Mark S. Oordt, Anne C. Dobmeyer. Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care - Step by Step Guidance for Assessment and Intervention
American Psychological Association (APA); 1 edition, 2009.
