You are about to bring a child into this world and it requires great physical and mental strength to be positive in such a situation. This is the moment you have been waiting for long. Are you ready for this? Will you be able to take care of all the needs of the baby? Will you be able to bear the labor pain? Will you be able to handle the responsibilities that follow with the baby's birth? These are some of the questions that might occupy your mind during your pregnancy, especially just before labor.
In such a situation, your mind can travel in thousand directions as you are afraid as well as hopeful for a good future. The stress just before the labor is inexplicable. For a woman, it is one of the most precious times in her life, but at the same time, it causes a lot of stress. Delivering a child is an overwhelming experience. However, you can easily be victim to fear and worry in this situation. Here are some tips that can help you to deal with stress before labor:
#1. Exercise For Easy Labor
There are a lot of exercises you can undertake to dispel your fear and worry. Some people live by this myth that it is unsafe to exercise during pregnancy. However, this is not the case. Even doctors recommend that for the birth of a healthy child, a woman should exercise for some time. Start with walking daily for at least 15 minutes and make sure whenever you sit, you sit in a posture that strengthens your core and pelvic muscles. Prenatal yoga is known to build endurance and kegel exercises are good for the muscles of the pelvic floor. Forward exercises like stretching and leaning help you deliver your child with no pain at all. (Click here to read: Is it Safe to Exercise during Pregnancy?)
#2. Book A Great Birthing Center
No, we are not asking you to book a great birthing center because you need luxurious things around you to feel special and heavily pampered during childbirth. The reason why we want you to do this is that it will keep your mind busy from the vilification that your head can generate and stress it can cause when left all alone. Plan for the birthing center and go through brochures and pamphlets, so that you make sure everything you need is by your side and organized. This will bring positive vibes and help you see your pregnancy as a source of happiness instead of a source of stress.
#3. Download An App
There are a lot of applications out there which show you the baby’s progress week by week and draws a lot of parallels from daily life supplying you with examples that you can easily associate with. This will reduce a lot of your stress as you will be able to take the experience more progressively in a positive manner. Ignorance is your worst enemy when you are in labor as your imagination can cook up things and cause the panic that is harmful to both you and your child. Tracking daily progress with the help of an app and eating appropriate food which you are informed about by a daily update is a sure way to go about your pregnancy in an unperturbed fashion.
#4. Get A Massage
One of the greatest perks of being pregnant is that you get care and kindness by everyone. Enjoy these moments. Get a massage, go to the spa and don’t worry about spending money as you deserve to treat yourself lavishly since you are going to go through the pain of childbirth. A good massage releases endorphins which is the chemical that makes you feel good and blocks the stress causing cortisol. (Click Here to Read: Simple Method to Make your own Massage Oil at Home)
#5. Put Your Feet In Warm Water
Putting your feet in warm water is advisable whenever you think stress is getting to you as it eases the tension as it soothes the muscles, hydrates the skin and relieves the aches. It also helps to feel better in situations where you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health.
Recommended Read: Is it Okay to have Sex during Pregnancy?
#6. Stop Dramatizing Birth
There are several prejudices and stereotypes associated with pregnancy. They leave people speculating what all can go wrong and complicate matters a lot. A woman who keeps visualizing negative things about her birth will always be close to panic and will not be able to enjoy her pregnancy. Therefore, go with the flow and don't overthink. There is no good in dramatizing birth. It will cause further stress.
#7. Share Your Feelings
Don’t keep your feelings to yourself because if you do, then you will always find that you are talking to yourself and this exacerbates your mental attitude instead of improving it. How long can you keep talking to yourself in a positive way? The answer is not for long. Confiding in your loved ones is always a good idea because they will say something positive that calms you and tells you that you can do this without getting harmed.
Also Read: How to Mentally & Emotionally Prepare yourself for Pregnancy?
#8. Stop Thinking About Dying Of Pain
One of the biggest sources of worries for a woman is that they think they will die of pain. When we don’t know how much pain a certain thing will cause, we give wind to our imagination and sooner or later blow it out of proportion. The doctors know what they are doing as they have a lot of practice doing this and know what to administer after taking into consideration how much pain you can bear and what is unbearable. Therefore, stop thinking about the pain and let the doctors do their job.
#9. Don't Forget To Eat Healthy Food
The lack of eating only contributes to stress. Often during this time, a woman gets reluctant towards eating due to nervousness and stress. However, you need to keep the fact in mind that by not properly eating healthy food, you are further aggravating your stress. Moreover, it is not even healthy for the baby. Therefore, in order to get a healthy life for both you and baby, you should increase your intake of healthy food. When your stomach is full, you will feel energized and this can also relieve the stress to a great extent. (Also Read: Best Foods Recommended for Every Pregnant Woman)
Do you feel these tips will help you to deal with stress before labor? We would love to know your thoughts and opinions, so please share them with us in the comment box below. We look forward to your replies.
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