Mental Changes During Pregnancy

The human body endures many changes during pregnancy; expecting mothers experience morning sickness, crazy cravings, and stretch marks. Her body is forever changed and now research shows how a mother’s mental state changes. The mental state of the woman before pregnancy and how she handles finding out that she is pregnant ties in to the health of the baby as it grows. Her body goes through many hormonal changes during the pregnancy that alter her psychological state. She gives birth to the baby and goes throughout a whole lifestyle change and maybe postpartum. Creating a human being is a very challenging job for any mother; she endures physical and mental changes before, through, and after the nine months. Research has shown that the

Catherine Dibenedetto writes an article for new parents and she describes, “Pre-baby anxiety is so common… But when the dread of the “what ifs” starts to become excessive, it may be a sign of something more serious to come” (1). She describes how pregnancy might seem scary but the worry can be harmful as much as not eating healthy or other dangerous habits. Curt Sandman, an author for Association for Psychological Science, describes the connection between a mother’s mental state and the health of the baby: “the babies who did best were those who either had mothers who were healthy both… what slowed the babies’ development was changing conditions—a mother who went from depressed before birth to healthy after or healthy before birth to depressed after” (1). The changing environment can become hostile place in the womb, so he explains that staying consistent mentally, by seeing a psychiatrist, proper medication, or group therapy creates the safest environment. Sandman also explain how a baby gets messages and signals “through the placenta… this includes signals about the mother’s mental state. If the mother is depressed, that affects how the baby develops after it’s born” (1). The healthier the mother’s mental health is, the healthier the baby is. Pregnancy is a scary change to many people but the attitude and mindset that the mother

Laura Beil explains, “for nine long months, a woman's body and brain absorb a slow upwelling of hormones, notably progesterone and estrogen. The ovaries and placenta produce these two chemicals in a gradual but relentless rise to support the developing fetus” (1). Increased amounts of the hormones cause a shift in the mother. Her increased hormones cause anxiety and overwork the brain for some. Many mothers reported how they felt agitated and restless. In a further explanation Beil describes, “Even though progesterone and estrogen changes create hormonal whiplash, pregnancy wouldn't be possible without them” (1). These much needed hormones might throw a mother’s thoughts and brain out of control, but they are needed. The article “Can Fetus Sense Mother's Psychological State? Study Suggests Yes” expresses that, “the human fetus is an active participant in its own development and is collecting information for life after birth, it's preparing for life based on messages the mom is providing” (1). Babies pick up the information the mom is sending them. Therefore, constant worrying and negative thoughts tend to hold negative side effects on the baby. Help is everywhere, mothers who need some need to seek it, their child’s life depends on