Pregnancy anxiety
I don't think there's ever been a woman who didn't worry during pregnancy (especially, but not only, if you've experienced a loss at some point). We all worry about the health of our babies, about the potential for loss, about how the birth will go, about if we'll manage, if we'll good parents etc. etc. The list is endless.
But you know what? We worry because we care. Because we have so much love to give and we want to be the best mothers possible. We love our children from the very moment of conception and often even before that. So of course, pregnancy is fraught with worries.
However, this can become a problem when the worries become overwhelming. When they impact our sleep, our mood and start to move from natural worries into anxiety.
The first step, is to notice the worries. And the self-compassion break becomes essential here:
Self-compassion break for pregnancy anxiety:
Step 1. Notice your feelings, try not to push them aside, try not to tell yourself for being silly or irrational. Notice them. Accept them as coming from a place of love. But recognise this anxiety is very hard for you. Recognise this period in your life as the challenge that it is.
Step 2. Recognise that you are not alone. That ALL expectant mothers worry. You're not doing anything wrong here, you don't have to handle this stress alone. We're all here with you.
Step 3. Be kind and patient to yourself. You're doing an amazing and wonderful thing. Extend the same care and tenderness as you would to a close friend.
Guided meditation
You can also try this guided meditation (under 10 minutes) to help you acknoweldge and accept the worries, giving them space to lose their intensity.