Stress reduction and relaxation during pregnancy

While pregnancy is a welcome blessing for most, it can bring with it many changes. As her body transforms, a woman must adjust to her altered physiologic functioning. Her pregnant body is not only shaped differently, but her movement may alter to accommodate her enlarging uterus and breasts. As these changes occur, she may feel as though she is no longer her former self.

Pregnancy may also be a time of emotional “roller coaster” bringing moments of euphoria, love, joy, triumph and glee to anger, fear doubt and isolation. Many factors may trigger this roller coaster ride: financial worries, lack of support, single parenting, sickness, complications and worry. With all these concerns, pregnant women will usually experience increased stress.

Ongoing stress increases adrenal production of stress hormones, creating a freeze, fight or flight response. Research reveals that stress has many deleterious effects pre and perinatally including:

Increased maternal heart rate, blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, spontaneous abortion, toxemia and immune system dysfunction

Reduced blood supply to uterus, resulting in lower fetal heart rate and reduced blood oxygenation
Higher incidence of miscarriage, prematurity, prolonged labors with more complications and post partum complications
Increased perinatal fetal distress, low birth weight and infant irritability restlessness, crying and digestive disturbances.

In contrast to the effect of stress, support and relaxation activate the increase of steroid production creating balance in the body and encourages a healthy, smoothly functioning state.

Support is defined as “anything that makes a person feel good, function more effectively, or be more optimistic. Relaxation is characterized by turning inward, by concentrating on one’s own body and mind rather than on external events. Inherent in the relaxed state is a certain feeling of detachment. Thus people do not so much ‘do’ relaxation as permit it to happen. They merely let go and allow relaxation to take place.

Massage therapy can be profoundly relaxing. It can provide an experience of “letting go” and focusing inwardly. Variations in pressure, rhythm and positioning flood the sensory nerve pathways with input that can increase body awareness and override signals of pain and stress.

For labour preparation, prenatal specialist recommend women practice deep sustained levels of relaxation for 45-60 minutes without falling asleep, especially in the last six to eight weeks of pregnancy. This is the exact length of most massage therapy sessions.

Regardless of methods, all childbirth experts agree on the positive results of relaxation. Relaxation techniques reduce stress during pregnancy, help relieve pain and anxiety during labor and birth and assist in coping with the challenging days and years of parenting. Progressive relaxation, visualization, meditation are other methods of focusing inwardly and promote relaxation. Diaphragmatic breathing is a great exercise to prepare for the breathing demands of labor, facilitate maternal and fetal oxygenation and a good method to focus inwardly. Below is the procedure for diaphragmatic breathing. It is better at first to have someone else read the procedure to you as you are doing this activity.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Procedure:

Place one hand on your lower abdomen and the other on the center of chest.
Inhale through nose and exhale though mouth gently and deeply without strain
Visualize the following sequence in your mind’s eye
See your baby nestled in your uterus, deep within your pelvis
Imagine that your inhaling breath gently touches her/him like a soft, loving hand
As you exhale, see the caressing hand of your breath gently lift from her/him

Watch the movement as you continue to breathe fully for several minutes.

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