Sometimes, the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.
– Winnie the Pooh
I so love this quote, especially in relation to pregnancy and motherhood! I’ve had a lot of conversations recently about the pregnancy trimesters and how certain stressors in each trimester can raise anxiety in some women. Even though it’s now been years since my pregnancies, I definitely had heightened anxiety throughout each of them. If this is relatable to you, know that many of us experience heightened anxiety during pregnancy, and you are not alone in feeling this way!
Here what I’ll be discussing in this blog, in my normal quick, small bites of information: common first trimester pregnancy struggles, common second trimester pregnancy struggles, and wrapping with common third trimester pregnancy struggles.
The First Trimester
The first trimester of your pregnancy is a time of huge transition in your life. Some common struggles during this time period include:
- Fear of miscarriage
- Morning sickness and other pregnancy symptoms
- Not having any pregnancy symptoms (which can raise anxiety in some pregnant women as this can feel outside of the norm)
- Hormonal changes
- Heightened emotions
- Not feeling ready to have a baby
- Figuring out the right time to tell people you’re pregnant
- Knowing you’re pregnant but not visually seeing the signs yet
- Fear around blood test results and baby’s health
- Confusion around what you can and can’t eat and what you can and can’t do physically
- Worries about how having a baby will impact your everyday life, work, relationships, etc.
- Figuring out if you want to know the sex of your baby
What else would you add?
The Second Trimester
The second trimester of pregnancy is also filled with many transitions such as:
- Anxiety when your first trimester pregnancy symptoms start going away, but not yet being able to feel your baby move
- Heightened anxiety around the anatomy scan
- More blood tests, and fear around the results and baby’s health
- Continued fear around having a late miscarriage
- Not looking/feeling “cute” pregnant the way you had hoped
- People asking if you’re pregnant and wanting to touch your belly (or touching it without asking first)
- Women wanting to talk about their pregnancy experiences, which may be triggering for you if they’re not positive stories
- Continued worries about how having a baby will impact your everyday life, work, relationships, etc.
- Worries about the glucose challenge and if you have gestational diabetes
What else would you add to this list?
The Third Trimester
There are also many life transitions during the third trimester such as:
- Not being able to sleep very well
- Running to the bathroom day and night
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Fear around the birth process and what it will be like (even if you have older kids)
- Anticipatory anxiety around going into labor
- Worries about an STD effecting your birth plan/putting your baby at risk
- Not being able to do many of your normal activities
- Wondering how you and your partner will be as parents or parents to more kids
- Wondering if you’re truly ready for this baby
- Baby shower fun (as well as stress)
- Nesting and getting ready for baby
- Financial stressors around all the needed baby stuff
What else would you add here?
Take some time to think about the trimester you’re currently in. What’s going well? What are you worried about in this trimester? Next, take some time to reflect on what would help you lower some of these heightened emotions so you can feel more present and grounded in this moment. And remember, you are not alone! If you need more help and support, please reach out to your doctor or a therapist in your area. I’m sending lots of love and compassion your way!
