10 Pregnancy Fears Most Moms Face
It is absolutely natural for a newly pregnant woman to have some fears that can only be referred to as 'far-fetched'. This does not mean that their fears are not valid or real at all; what it means is that some of these fears are, if anything, a little irrational. It is probably the crazy, raging hormonal changes taking hold of your mind or it is because of your own deeply rooted concern for your unborn child. Either way, here are the 10 Pregnancy Fears Most Moms Face and the facts behind them.
1. Squashing the baby by laying on your stomach
The truth is that your body is perfectly designed to provide a lot of room for your baby. In the early stages, it is okay to lay on your stomach. But as your baby grows, laying on your tummy will become increasingly uncomfortable and you will naturally adopt a new style and avoid doing so.
2. Eating foods which the baby might be allergic to
As long as you keep a healthy and balanced diet, your baby should be fine. Foods that you are not allergic to will not affect them. You should, however, stay away from alcohol, raw meat, unpasteurized milk, and too much caffeine (you can have caffeine in moderate doses).
3. Giving birth to a deformed baby
This is a very real fear that could actually take place. But luckily, statistics shows that only 3% of all newborns are born with a natural defect. So the odds are on your side.
4. The baby will destroy your body
It took you months to put on the baby weight, and even though you can lose it all, it will be irrational to expect it to disappear overnight. Maybe not everything will look the way it did before, but you can and will regain your original shape and body fat if you work at it.
5. You will go into postpartum depression
This is also a real fear. But postpartum depression is generally temporary and highly manageable. You just need to make sure to have people around you and seek professional help.
6. That you will miscarry
The chances of miscarrying are very slim (10-12% in women under 35; 18% for women over 35-39 years). It does however significantly increase in women over 40. A reassuring fact is that by week 7, the chances of miscarrying drops to about 5%.
7. You will not be able to care for the baby
Almost every woman has a natural instinct to care for their child. You will learn it on the go and you will do so very quickly. Besides, you have plenty of help at hand in the form of family, friends, nannies and other child caregivers.
8. Your water will break in public
In the movies, this happens all the time. In fact, it does happen a lot in real life too. As much as there are usually some warning signs (little contractions that tell you the time is near), you do not have to really worry that much about this happening. Ask any mother, they will tell you that shame goes out the window once the contractions start. Besides, you are giving birth to life, you have as excellent an excuse as they come!
9. The labor pains will be too much
This is true. The pain is unbelievable; we won't lie to you. But you have options. You could take medication, give bath in a tub of water or go for a C-section well in advance.
10. The child will take over your life
Yes, they will take over your life. But after a while, you will learn to balance the two. Besides, the kind of love you will feel for your newborn is immeasurable.
