"Stress: The Biggest to Mankind"- this word might sound very simple and short, but the effect of it is beyond imagination. Stress is a common part of life. It can be caused by external factors like work and family or internal ones like diet and exercise. When you're stressed, your body releases adrenalin which helps your heart beat faster to pump blood around the body faster. Along with your mental health, it also successfully destroys your physical health. Especially for pregnant women or women who want to conceive naturally, stress can be the biggest challenge to overcome. It disrupts your period cycle and also affects the ovulation process. 

Stress can also lead to high blood pressure during pregnancy, creating a problematic scenario for both mom and baby. Stress during pregnancy can affect how well you carry your baby and make labour more difficult or painful. It's essential to manage stress during pregnancy so that it doesn't impact your health and wellbeing or your baby's health. In India, over the past decade, women's fertility has decreased by almost 20%. Stress and an indiscipline lifestyle are the main factors contributing to this decline. 

Stress during pregnancy can have several negative effects on both the mother and baby, including: 

• -Increased risk of miscarriage 
• -Increased risk of premature birth 
• -Increased risk of postpartum depression 
• -Increased risk of gestational diabetes 
• -Decreased milk supply 

The effects of stress on pregnant women: 

Stress can negatively affect your health and your ability to get pregnant. It can also affect how you give birth, making delivery more difficult and putting you at risk of infection and other complications. In addition, stress during pregnancy can cause changes in the brain that may make it harder for you to get pregnant or affect your baby's growth and development. 

The first few weeks of pregnancy — from about 6 weeks before the last menstrual period until about 10 weeks — are when most women experience stress-related symptoms. This is called "the luteal phase." The luteal phase is when progesterone levels rise and help prepare the body for pregnancy by thickening mucous membranes in the cervix, uterus and vagina. A woman's immune system also ramps up during this time, which makes her more vulnerable to infections. 

When stressed, your body releases hormones that make you anxious and worried. As a result, the levels of hormones in your body get disrupted, making the stress symptoms worse. 

These hormones include: 

Cortisol: Cortisol is a hormone released to help you deal with stressful situations. 

Prolactin: Prolactin is also released during stress, but it helps to produce milk for breastfeeding mothers. 

Oxytocin: Oxytocin is also released during stress, but it helps to produce milk for breastfeeding mothers. 

Pituitary gland: The pituitary gland is located at the base of your brain, just above your nose and in front of your eyes. It secretes other hormones into your bloodstream, including cortisol and prolactin. 

 
How to overcome stress during pregnancy? 

Stress during pregnancy has been shown to lead to adverse health outcomes for both mother and child. Emotional stressors contribute directly to poor self-care, increasing the risk of developing chronic diseases. Infants born preterm or have low birth weight often experience greater stress during their preverbal years, which can have lifelong consequences on their ability to cope with stress once they become cognitively capable of doing so. The perfect balance of stress and positivity is necessary to increase a women's fertility. This prenatal yoga class primes your body for labour and delivery; restorative poses make you feel relaxed, buoyant and strong in all areas of life in just one hour.  

Here are some more tips to overcome stress in pregnancy. 

Plant-based supplements: 

While many people might debate this matter, it is important to understand that plant-based and healthy supplements support your reproductive system and even helps in getting pregnant with PCOS. Choose non-toxic and chemical-free supplements like andMe's Ovaboost drink. This fertility supplement regularizes the period cycle, improves egg counts, and makes your ovary an ideal environment for ovulation. It contains beneficial ingredients like Chasteberry, Shatavari, and Vitamin B9 that support your immunity system. 

Eat healthy food: 

Stress levels rise when you are trying to give birth, so eating healthy food will help reduce stress and anxiety. The best thing you can do is eat more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. You should also avoid junk food, which will make your body work harder to digest unhealthy food. 

Practice yoga and exercises: 

Yoga is one of the most effective therapies for reducing stress during pregnancy. It helps strengthen the muscles and improve flexibility, which helps relax the body and mind. You can even do it at home or while travelling if you have access to a yoga mat or space where you can stretch out comfortably. 

Take therapies: 

If you are experiencing depression or anxiety, then taking antidepressants or anti-anxiety medicines may help reduce these feelings temporarily until they subside naturally with time. However, don’t stop taking these medications without consulting your doctor first. 

Regulate sleep cycle: 

Take deep breaths if you have difficulty sleeping. At least 6-8 hours of sleep is necessary to reduce your stress level. You can try having some chamomile tea, which helps calm down your nervous system and try to stop mindless scrolling.