Managing Anxiety During a High Risk Pregnancy

If you’ve been diagnosed with a high risk pregnancy, you may be feeling anxious about the health and safety of both you and your growing baby. This anxiety is usually about something we have little to no control over.

So how do we cope? We focus on what we can control and practice coping skills to alleviate our anxiety symptoms.

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Be Prepared - Navigating Doctor’s Appointments

With any high risk pregnancy, you are likely to be referred to a specialist. Your OB/GYN should be collaborating with this specialist and you to give you the best care you and your growing baby need. You are going to have more doctor’s visits, especially in the third trimester. Prioritize these visits. If you work, your work will most definitely be impacted.

Be Trauma Informed

If you have had previous pregnancy loss, medical trauma or birth trauma, make sure your providers are trauma informed and aware of your sensitivities and experience. And make sure you are trauma informed about your own triggers, trauma symptoms and coping skills.

Know yourself and how well you do in doctor’s offices. If you are someone who gets emotional, triggered or anxious during these visits, bring someone who is supportive, knows your values, can advocate for you, is clear-minded and can take notes. These appointments are also a great time to practice your coping skills.

And that advocate/support you brought with you to all the doctor’s appointments, bring them to your baby’s birth! Emphasize your values and wants to them. Create a birth plan and recovery plan that aligns with doctor’s recommendations, but is fluid enough to allow for unexpected changes.

Gathering Info

Ask clarifying questions, even if they make you feel less than bright. It’s your body, your experience, this is information you need to know. Rely on the information from trusted providers and beware googling worst case scenarios. Many times, an innocent and curious search leads to an anxiety spiral. I’m not saying don’t research, I’m saying be cautious and take care of yourself; get your information from trusted sources, give yourself time to process what you’ve learned, fact check, and if you find yourself catastrophizing – challenge that cognitive distortion.

Medication

There is safe medication you can take for anxiety while pregnant and breastfeeding. If you are already on medication, talk to your doctor. Do not stop any medication without consulting your prescriber first. You may have to titrate down, or you may be able to stay on your medication. We want both you and baby to get through this experience safely.

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Giving yourself space to feel your feelings.

Some women expect their pregnancies to be high risk based on preexisting conditions, others are totally blindsided. Either way, with a high risk pregnancy, you are not getting the typical “What to Expect” experience.

Identify Your Emotions

It can feel so isolating to have extra medication, ultrasounds, NST’s, and appointments; to worry about preterm labor and NICU stays while your friends glide into week 40 with only discomfort to complain about. Give yourself space to grieve the low risk pregnancy you are not having.

Women with high-risk pregnancies will likely get the recommendation to birth at the hospital. If you were expecting a birthing center or home birth, take the time to grieve the birth you wanted but likely will not have. Your safety and the safety of your unborn child is most important here.

If doctors are preparing you that your baby will likely have a NICU stay, grieve the post birth experience you are not getting. Connect with other families who have had similar experiences to feel less alone.

And allow yourself to feel all the complex emotions that are coming up for you! You are allowed to feel worried, grief, gratitude, envy, wonder and hope! And you may even feel all these conflicting feelings at once. Don’t judge yourself for how you feel, feel what you need to feel so you can let go.

Make time to Process

I want to encourage you to take time to process all the complex feelings that you are experiencing. Intentionally carve out time to sit with your feelings. This looks different for different people. Whatever works for you, now is the time to be intentional to sit with your feelings and sort through it all. It happens so fast and if you bottle all those feelings up, they tend to come out sideways.

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Coping Skills/Regulation

Have some coping strategies ready to go. Practice them before you need them. The trick is to mange your anxiety before you begin to panic. It’s much easier to mange low level anxiety than to get out of a panic attack.

Regulation Strategies

Regulation strategies are coping skills that help calm your nervous system and racing thoughts. For individuals experiencing high risk pregnancies, I encourage you to connect with your body. You’re growing a human, and that is amazing. Consider the following regulation activities:

·        Deep breathing/belly breathing

·        Box Breathing

·        Guided Meditation

·        Body Scans

·        5 Senses Exercise

·        Taking a mindful walk

·        Mindful Stretch/Gentle Yoga

Process what is happening

Now is not the time to bottle up your feelings. Find an activity that aids you in processing your emotions.

·        Journal

·        Join a support group

·        Create art

·        Talk with a friend or family

·        Move your body

·        Meditate

·        Attend Therapy

Nourishment

Ultimately, this is a time to nourish yourself. There is a lot you cannot control with a high risk pregnancy, but you can control how you treat yourself. Be extra kind and give yourself grace.

·        Wear comfy clothes

·        Snuggle in extra soft blankets

·        Get a foot massage

·        Drink cups of tea (make sure it’s okay for pregnant people to consume)

·        Eat healthy and nutritious foods

·        Sleep in

·        Turn off social media.

Therapy

If you are concerned that your anxiety is impacting your growing baby, your relationships and your daily functioning, perhaps it’s time to reach out for more help. Postpartum Anxiety can start during pregnancy and talking to a therapist regularly can be helpful in managing your mental health symptoms.

If you have had previous pregnancy loss, medical trauma or birth trauma, a therapist can work with you to identify your triggers and trauma responses, as well as give you more specific tools to manage your trauma symptoms. Contact me to schedule a consultation.