Pregnancy may represent something genuinely happy and exciting, but pregnancy itself can be very stressful. Your body goes through considerable hormonal changes.
You feel aches and pains you never felt before. You have to worry about your own health, worry about the health of the fetus, and worry about how you're going to live your life once you bring a baby into this world.
Pregnancy may also increase your risk of developing anxiety attacks, and when you're pregnant these attacks can be an incredible challenge.
What Causes Anxiety Attacks in Pregnant Women?
Every person is different. What makes pregnancy unique is that there are several different issues that may occur when you go through pregnancy that may bring on anxiety attacks:
- You may have anxiety attacks as a result of hormonal changes during pregnancy.
- You may have anxiety attacks as a result of the stress and worries of pregnancy.
- You may have already suffered from anxiety attacks and they become worse during pregnancy.You may simply be at an age when developing anxiety attacks is more common.
Some doctors have found that those that normally have anxiety attacks actually stop having anxiety attacks while pregnant, only to find that they come back once the child is born. It's amazing the way pregnancy can affect the mind and body both in physical and mental ways.
Treatment for anxiety:
Generalised anxiety disorder and panic attacks are usually treated with using guided self-help techniques based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). If you have mild anxiety you may not need treatment. Your doctor will discuss the options with you.
If you were already on medication for anxiety before you became pregnant, your doctor will discuss any risks that the medication might have for your baby. They will talk to you about potentially stopping the medication and moving to psychological treatment, such as CBT, or moving to another medication that is lower-risk but still works.
About video: Alleviate anxiety symptoms while pregnant with advice from a certified nurse-midwife in this free video on pregnancy.
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