Friday, November 7, 2008

Panic Attacks During Pregnancy: How Will It Affect Your Baby?

When a woman is pregnant her body goes through many different changes. Many of these changes are related to hormones. Hormones can cause the body to react differently to many different situations. One problem that many women face is panic attacks during pregnancy. This is not a serious problem if you take recognize and take charge of these attacks as soon as they happen.

If you are a person that already suffers from panic attacks then you will know what you are dealing with. Panic attacks during pregnancy may appear more often because of the hormonal changes you are experiencing. If you have not already been suffering from panic attacks they you may experience your first one during pregnancy.

It is important to understand that panic attacks during pregnancy are considered to be common so you don’t have to worry that you are somehow causing harm to the baby. The first thing you must do is recognize the signs and symptoms of the attack. Many women worry about everything they do and everything they eat because they fear it will harm their unborn child. In reality, if you live a normal life and eat a proper diet you will usually not have anything to worry about.

Once you see that you are going to experience panic attacks during pregnancy there are steps that you can take to help alleviate the problem. Recognize the symptoms before they strike. Formulate a plan of action before you have an attack. Plan an activity thatyou can do to help get your mind focused somewhere else. When you are feeling stressed you are also putting your baby under stress.

Discuss these attacks with your doctor when you have your monthly visit. Chances are he has plenty of experience in dealing with panic attacks during pregnancy. He can advise you to things to do that will help you relax. He can also help to put your mind at ease about the health of your baby. While it is very normal for a woman to worry about the health of her baby before it is born, becoming obsessed with that worry can be harmful to you and possibly even the baby.

When you feel an attack starting you can try some deep breathing exercises. Your doctor can instruct you how to do this. This is something you will also need to know how to do during the labor process so getting an early start at practice will help.

Take frequent walks. Just because you are pregnant does not mean that you can stop your normal exercise routine. Your body needs the exercise during pregnancy to help it prepare for the process of birth. This will also help your body recover faster after the birth. Taking short walks will help you to relax and get your mind off of what is bothering you.

It is important that you find ways to work through your panic attacks during pregnancy. Your unborn child is depending on you to provide a healthy environment until he is ready to tackle the world on his own. Staying calm and getting plenty of rest will not only benefit you but it will also benefit your baby now and after the birth.

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