Stress

Try not to stress , the baby can feel it
Meditate and think happy thoughts.. I know it as easier said than done but it’s what’s best for you and the baby

Babies are robust. My midwife has told me not to worry about this. Life can be hard at times and stress can be unavoidable. I find when people say “try not to stress” incredibly frustrating as sometimes we are in stressful situations that are out of our control. I would say be kind to yourself. Eat nice food or have a bubble bath. Little things that may lift you up. But the pressure to relax could just make you stress even more so go careful with yourself xx

What hurts the baby is when the stress cycle is not completed, not the actual stress. Not completing the stress cycle allows for chronic stress. So, feel what you need to feel, work through it, move past it. Don’t be scared of stress— we all have it and it is a natural part of life, unavoidable. As long as you don’t hold onto whatever is stressing you out and are being proactive about it, you and your baby will be okay🤎 -hays county doula

what is a “stress cycle”?

a stress cycle is steps that the body goes through when it is triggered by something stressful.
Step 1- something stressful happens (like your MIL starts kissing your newborns face)
Step 2- body sends signal to brain that something is wrong
Step3- fight or flight activated (heart rate increases)
Step 4- physical reactions, you are aware that you are stressed (you feel anxious, dread, sweaty, mad, etc.)
Step 5- coping or doing something that alleviates the stress. There are two ways to do this. Healthy coping which ends the cycle, and maladaptive coping which prolongs the cycle, which prolongs stress.
Healthy coping looks like: physical activity, breathing exercises, physical affection, hanging out w friends and venting.
Maladaptive coping looks like: drugs, alcohol, mindlessly watching keeping up with the kardashians to avoid the stressful feelings, etc.

A good article: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/health/mental-health/a27098268/how-to-de-str