COVID-19 resulted in jam-packed hospitals and long lines in healthcare units, leaving new mothers to deal with all kinds of mental health problems. Infected people were rushed to the hospitals, resulting in chaos and fear. On the other hand, healthy people started hoarding basic medical supplies, which caused problems for those who really needed them.
Among all the people who suffered, everyone’s heart goes out to mothers who fought for their welfare and children’s lives. It’s common for parents to worry about their children’s safety, but their anxiety was compounded by the health and economic crisis.
With hundreds of people dying every day, it’s horrific to imagine the struggle of someone trying to bring a new life into the world. What if the child has the virus? What if they need to be rushed to the hospital? What if all the doctors are busy? These were the common concerns among the family members of pregnant women.
The Signs of Anxiety in Pregnant Women
When your worry becomes debilitating, you can assume that you have anxiety. Worrying about your child’s future is common amongst mothers, but COVID-19 has taken it to a whole new level. When negative thoughts about a child’s health don’t subdue even with doctors’ reassurance, you need to provide emotional support. Physical symptoms include increased heartbeat, excessive sweating (in palms), and experiencing difficulty in breathing.
If a pregnant lady or new mother becomes obsessive about their child’s health, chances are she needs support. They may refuse to perform basic tasks to stay with the child or refuse to go to places where they may suspect danger from the virus. You must be patient with them while treating these symptoms.
How to Help Pregnant Women and New Mothers With Anxiety and Depression
Some common suggestions include eating healthy and working out with trained professionals who have taken cert 3 and 4 fitness online courses. Watching what they eat can profoundly influence their mood in general and make them feel better. These are the points to remember when supporting a new mother or a pregnant woman during COVID-19.
1. Seek Treatment
There’s no point beating around the bush if you know that your wife or daughter, or sister is suffering from anxiety during this stage of her life. You must actively seek treatment for her that’ll take away the problem. Cognitive behavior therapy is the most common resort chosen by doctors during the peripartum period. Doctors tackle negative thoughts, emotions, and actions with anxiety management techniques during this therapy. For severe cases, doctors may suggest medications. If you are at a mild level, avoid medications and focus on the therapy.
2. Journal
The root cause of anxiety among pregnant women is negative thoughts and worries, and this extends to motherhood. Along with therapy, journaling is a great option to tackle these thoughts. Penning down your thoughts is a great way to judge them. It gives you a perspective on what’s really important and what’s not. It allows you to empty your brain. When you journal at the end of each day, you start another with a fresh mind. Journaling is a must-try activity for expected mothers.
3. Yoga
Yoga is great for pregnant women and new mothers as it doesn’t stress the body. Depending on the strength of a woman, she can combine regular workouts with yoga sessions. It involves a series of poses and breathing exercises that work wonders for your body. It relaxes the mind and helps with the general muscle pain that comes with pregnancy. It is recommended to do yoga early in the morning for a fresh start to your day.
4. Adequate Sleep
Sleep is vital for people with anxiety disorders. Lack of good sleep causes strain in an individual’s brain, which leads to headaches. Sleep can expect both labor process and delivery of the child. It’s common to feel fatigued during the day when you’re pregnant. This is caused by increased progesterone in the body, which causes you to feel exhausted. Sleep is a cure for this tiredness, and anxiety can strip that from you. That’s why you need to use tools that can help you sleep. Try white noise generators or candles that can trigger sleep, so you wake up all relaxed and active.
The chaos and uncertainty have left these new mothers with trauma and mental health problems. Pregnant women are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their child which has left them with anxiety. Not only pregnant women but also new mothers suffer from different mental health issues due to increased stress.
This calls for their family members and friends to extend a helping hand. They need support in terms of work and emotional support to conduct their daily tasks and get back to normal life as soon as possible.
