5 Ways to Cope with Early Pregnancy

WorriesBy: Pregnancy.about.com

A few things to think about to help you gestate in peace:

O Get InformedO Build a Support Network O Have a Positive Mindset O Practice Relaxation and

MindfulnessO Exercise

Get InformedO Taking an early pregnancy class, getting

your hands on a great pregnancy book (Not one of the scary ones.), finding a good doctor or midwife and talking to your practitioner are all great ways to help calm your fears. Facts are great combatants of fear.

Build a Support Network O Just as you should seek about physical advice

from professionals, talking to other moms who have been there can be very helpful. Asking the questions that may seem silly is great. It can also just be good to blow of steam about life in general. Sometimes just going out with friends is balm for the soul, even if you don't specifically talk about pregnancy.

Have a Positive Mindset O Being pregnant can be so draining when

everyone wants to share their horror stories with you. Try to figure out what your strategy will be to deal with this type of over-sharing. Seek out sources of information that offer realistic and positive information. Consider using pregnancy affirmations to help you stay positive. Be careful not to confuse positivity and realistic thoughts. You can have a complicated pregnancy and still have a positive mindset.

Practice Relaxation and Mindfulness

O Relaxation and mindfulness are two different things that can help you reduce stress and prepare for labor, birth, and parenting. Relaxation is about the body and the mind. There are many different techniques that you can use from simple tense/release relaxation, to yoga with relaxation, and progressive relaxation. Mindfulness is slightly different and focuses on quieting the mind. This can work really well when considering how stressful pregnancy can be. All of these can be learned in classes, via apps, or even books. (See also: Apps for Mindfulness and Relaxation)

ExerciseO Getting out and getting moving has a lot of benefits

in pregnancy. Not only will it help you keep your weight at appropriate levels, but it will prepare your body for the hard work of labor, and the recovery afterwards. Physical activity will also help you reduce stress, and feel better in pregnancy by lowering the pain from pregnancy symptoms. If you haven’t been exercising before, think of this as more movement. You can take stairs when possible, park in the back of a parking lot, or simply talk a walk or go swimming a few times a week. If you are already active, you can continue to do most of your routine with very few exceptions.