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Yes, there were billowy dresses (thanks, Old Navy Maternity!
), but instead of feeling serene and strong, I felt overwhelmed with worry.
Every twinge or pain and there are a ton of those in pregnancy sent me into a panic.
It was a rough time, and I struggled to find ways to cope.
I knew I needed to make staying calm an active, positive project.
Instead of trying to be less anxious, I focused on being calmer.
I cut back on caffeine, even beyond what my doctor recommended.
Each stage of pregnancy brought new challenges, and my anxiety improved and worsened at various times.
I didn’t want to be annoying or overwhelm my doctor with silly queries.
I tried to keep my questions to my appointment.
I always came with a short list on my phone to verify I didn’t forget anything.
Some of my friends have even had doctors who would reply to emailed questions.
Yoga in particular helped tame my anxiety because it calmed my body and mind.
Taking just five minutes a day to take a break from everything can be beneficial.
Slowing your breath helps an out-of-control heart rate to regulate.
In meditation, I practiced noticing my thoughts and feelings without judgment and letting them go.
This technique was very helpful for managing my anxious thought patterns (and still is!).
it’s possible for you to find lots ofguided meditationsand timers online.
I practiced picturing my happy baby cozily curled up in the womb.
I envisioned a healthy, easy pregnancy and safe labor and delivery.
Sure, it felt a little goofy sometimes, but hey, it worked.
It felt like I had to pee every five seconds.
Plus, I missed my carefree non-pregnant days of drinking wine and eating as much brie as humanly possible.
Pampering myself helped me stay positive and made my pregnancy more fun.
And speaking with those who did experience anxiety in pregnancy made me feel so much better.
Slowly, that perspective helped me learn to let my fears go.
Take a break from pregnancy message boards
Talking to people you know is great.
Talking to people you don’t know?
Not necessarily so great.
Instead, it sent me down a rabbit hole full of new things to be anxious about.
My doctor ordered tests that indicated I might be going into early labor.
It was a few days before more tests confirmed everything was fine.
At that point, I realized that I didn’t need to know everything.
As an anxious pregnant lady, too much information wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Everything was “baby baby baby” all the time.
TV helped, too.
Binge-watchingGame of Throneswith my husband provided many anxiety-free hours.
Because who can worry about kick counts when Ned Stark’s life in jeopardy?
I’d laugh when a pain I’d been stressing over in my belly turned out to be gas.
I won’t make the same mistake if my next pregnancy brings the same issues.
I even beat myself up for feeling anxious when I was having a perfectly healthy pregnancy.
But at the end of the day, I really just needed to cut myself some slack.
Policing my emotional response to pregnancy was making me feel worse, not better.
Anxiety about being anxious was definitely counterproductive.
And then the anxiety of motherhood set in.
Was he eating enough?
Was he breathing weirdly?
Were those sniffles the beginning of a cold or something worse?
At those times, the tricks and techniques for managing anxiety that I learned during pregnancy come in handy.
