Is stress in early pregnancy transmitted to the fetus? Doctor’s Supervision

Summary of this article

Adrenaline is secreted in the body when a person feels stressed, regardless of the stress during the early stages of pregnancy. Adrenaline reduces the amount of blood that reaches the uterus, which can adversely affect fetal development. When your body feels stressed, it not only reduces blood flow but also secretes stress hormones. In the early stages of pregnancy, it can reach the fetus and may have adverse effects.

The gender of the fetus is known at 10 weeks.

Body changes that occur during pregnancy

Medically, the period up to 13 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy is called “first trimester,” the period from 14 weeks and 0 days of pregnancy to 27 weeks and 6 days is called “second trimester,” and the period after 28 weeks of pregnancy is called “second trimester.” There are a variety of changes that occur in the body during early pregnancy, ranging from physical to psychological. First, check to see if any of the following changes have occurred.

Changes that occur during early pregnancy

    • General malaise, loss of appetite

    • I’m sleepy even though I’ve had a good night’s sleep

    • Nausea, headache

    • Food preferences change

    • Increased saliva

    • Constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating

In addition to these symptoms, Pregnancy disrupts the balance of female hormones, making you more easily irritated. Under normal circumstances, two types of female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, act alternately and favorably on the female body. Pregnancy causes changes in the balance of female hormones similar to those during menstruation, so the symptoms are similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Is it impossible to distinguish between PMS and early pregnancy symptoms?

Since the symptoms of PMS and early pregnancy are similar, It is difficult to tell whether the person is suffering from PMS or the symptoms are due to pregnancy. This is because PMS can cause bleeding and a slight fever, and early pregnancy symptoms may not cause bleeding or a slight fever.

However, although the symptoms of PMS and early pregnancy are very similar, the amount of the female hormone progesterone that causes the symptoms is significantly different. During early pregnancy, the amount of progesterone is 100 times higher than normal. Progesterone plays an important role for the mother and fetus, but it also has the characteristic of making the mother emotionally unstable, making her irritable.

PMS and pregnancy Early symptoms

Article Editorial Supervisor


Dr. Kunihiko Shiraogawa

Dr. Kunihiko Shiraogawa

Head Doctor of Hiro Clinic NIPT Nagoya
Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology

As an obstetrician/gynecologist with nearly 40 years of extensive experience, he has worked with many pregnant women.
Currently, as the head doctor of Hiro Clinic NIPT Nagoya , he is in charge of NIPT testing, and also provides consultations to pregnant women online at all Hiro Clinic NIPT clinics in Japan.

Brief History

1982 – Aichi Medical University Hospital
1987 – OB/GYN, Kagoshima University Hospital
1993 – Head Doctor, Shiranogawa Clinic
2011 – Kaba Memorial Hospital
2019 – Okamoto Ishii Hospital
2020 – Head Director, Hiro Clinic NIPT Nagoya

Check his Profile here

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