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.
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
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- General malaise, loss of appetite
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- I’m sleepy even though I’ve had a good night’s sleep
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- Nausea, headache
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- Food preferences change
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- Increased saliva
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- 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.
Easy to feel stress during early pregnancy
In the early stages of pregnancy, you may not be able to keep up with the changes in your body, and you may become irritated or tearful. During the early stages of pregnancy, you are likely to feel stress due to the following:
Things that can easily irritate you during early pregnancy
- I couldn’t get sleepy no matter how much I slept, so I had to take a nap, which threw my plans off track
- My husband didn’t understand the pain of morning sickness
- The smell of my husband’s alcohol was so strong that I had to put up with it
- Having to prepare meals and clean up after meals when morning sickness was severe
- Not being able to drink my favorite alcohol
- My physical condition was poor, my mental state was unstable, and my housework was not progressing smoothly
In the early stages of pregnancy, many people feel confused due to the unfamiliarity of pregnancy life. Some women feel particularly stressed that their partner doesn’t understand how painful the early pregnancy symptoms can be, especially when their belly hasn’t grown yet.
Furthermore, many women are still working during the early stages of pregnancy, so If you are unable to balance work and housework as smoothly as before, it may cause great stress. There is also. You may suddenly feel reluctant to do something that you used to be able to do without thinking about it, or you may find yourself thinking about other things and not being able to make progress.
Stress in early pregnancy is different from stress in mid-to-late pregnancy
The most stressful thing a pregnant woman feels is not being able to move her body. Her big belly makes her feel stressed because she can’t cut her toenails, run when she’s in a hurry, or do what she needs to do. However, in the early stages of pregnancy, your belly is not yet large, so the things that cause stress are different. The main symptoms are morning sickness, sleepiness, and sluggishness, but because my stomach is not large, it is difficult for people around me, such as my partner and people at work, to worry about me. This also increases stress. .
Effects of early pregnancy stress on the fetus
How does stress in early pregnancy, which people experience for various reasons, affect the fetus?
Stress in early pregnancy may have a negative effect on fetal development
Adrenaline is secreted in the body when a person feels stressed, regardless of the stress during the early stages of pregnancy. The function of adrenaline is to protect the human body from danger. Stress is originally a signal to run away from danger or fight a dangerous opponent, so blood is sent intensively to the heart, limbs, brain, etc., which are important for the act of running away or fighting. Masu. The amount of blood that reaches the uterus is reduced, which can have negative effects on fetal development.
Stress in early pregnancy may have a negative effect on the fetus’s mental system
When the body feels stressed, it not only reduces blood flow but also secretes stress hormones. A hormone called cortisol can reduce fetal movements and heart rate. After the second trimester, cortisol is blocked by the placenta and does not reach the fetus. However, in the early stages of pregnancy, it can reach the fetus and may have negative effects.
Background of increasing stress during early pregnancy
Many modern Japanese women are still working during the early stages of pregnancy. Being pregnant and having to balance work and household chores can be stressful, and the baby may not receive enough blood. The fetus receives the nutrients and water it needs for growth from the mother’s blood, so poor blood flow in the mother’s body is very dangerous. Cortisol has a negative effect on the development of the fetal mental system.
In addition to stress, physical factors such as trying to avoid gaining too much weight during pregnancy and dieting during pregnancy can also overlap. It is said that the average weight of newborns in Japan has decreased by 200g over the past 20 to 30 years. The number of low birth weight babies weighing less than 2,500g is also increasing, but low birth weight babies are at risk of developing mental illness and being more prone to lifestyle-related diseases as adults.
Exactly how much negative impact does stress during early pregnancy have?
The specific extent to which stress during early pregnancy has a negative impact on the fetus varies from person to person. What is even medically proven is that stress during early pregnancy may have a negative effect on the fetus. Stress can be reduced through small daily habits, so you can take steps to prevent it from actually having a negative impact.
Stress countermeasures during early pregnancy
There is concern about the effects of early pregnancy stress on the fetus, but You can reduce stress by doing small things every day. From here, we will introduce measures that can be expected to be effective against stress during early pregnancy.
Stress countermeasures during early pregnancy
- Plan your schedule well in advance so you don’t panic if you feel unwell
- Tell those around you in advance that you are pregnant and easily irritated and may cause trouble
- Reducing the amount of work and using useful goods to reduce the burden of housework
- Don’t feel like you’re being spoiled; talk about your concerns with people who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth, including birth mothers
- Listen to music or watch a movie for 5 minutes a day to release your emotions
- Eat only a small amount of sweets without additives
- Exercise as much as you can, such as walking or doing yoga at home
- Accept that everyone gets irritated and crying when they become pregnant.
- Understand that fetal development and maternal weight gain vary from person to person
It is natural to be concerned about the growth of the fetus not only in the early stages of pregnancy but also during pregnancy. If you are worried even if you try to understand that there are individual differences, please use NIPT (New Prenatal Testing) There is also a way to receive it. NIPT (New Prenatal Test) This is a diagnostic test that can check for specific chromosomal diseases in the fetus.
If you leave stress as it is, it will get bigger and bigger. By releasing a little bit of energy every day, you will be able to live a stress-free life even during the delicate early stages of pregnancy.
You also need your partner’s cooperation to reduce stress during early pregnancy. If the smell of alcohol or cigarettes is unpleasant, ask your partner to smoke on the balcony or refrain from drinking alcohol as much as possible.
And if you can’t hold back anymore, go to the bathroom and cry for 5 minutes, or go to karaoke by yourself and sing out loud to release your stress. If you have plans that will cause you unavoidable stress in the early stages of pregnancy, prepare more carefully than usual for the day, and let them know in advance that you may have to leave the event if you feel unwell. Let’s leave it.
Summary
Stress in early pregnancy may have a negative effect on the fetus, but no specific negative effects have been proven. Try not to worry too much. You can also significantly reduce stress by simply knowing how to deal with it. Accept that everyone will be frustrated in the early stages and live your pregnancy life.
[References]
- Mynavi parenting –Very early pregnancy
- Woman Excite –Pregnant woman suffering from “irritability in early pregnancy” 80%!? What is the cause and solution?
- Mynavi News –What was the most frustrating thing during your pregnancy? ?
日本皮膚科学会 皮膚科専門医／日本医師会 産業医／東京衛生検査所 指導監督医
この記事は、 ヒロクリニックNIPTの編集・監修体制 にもとづき、資格を持つ医師が内容を確認しています。
