During your pregnancy, you're dealing with a lot of changes, as well as the thought of many more changes to come in the future. You are probably thrilled to experience these changes. At the same time, it can be very stressful to manage all of these new things and cope with the physical limitations you may be encountering.

Several studies have shown that very high levels of stress can contribute to preterm birth and low birth weights in babies. Note that we're not talking about everyday momentary stress, such as getting a little upset in traffic or feeling bad because you flubbed a presentation. This is ongoing high-level stress, the kind that is unhealthy for anyone. Ongoing stress during pregnancy can cause fatigue, problems sleeping, lack of appetite, overeating, headaches, and backaches. While some stress is unavoidable, controlling the stress levels in your life can help you feel better during pregnancy.

Physical Stresses

Pregnancy is all about your changing body. It can be very frustrating to suddenly feel as though your entire life is ruled by your physical condition. You do have to listen to your body during pregnancy, but you don't have to let it stop you from doing the things that are important to you. Pregnancy stress and mood swings are often caused in part by blood sugar changes, hormonal fluctuations, and even water retention. Mood swings tend to even out midway through pregnancy, but many women experience them until the baby is born.

Learning to manage the physical demands of pregnancy means changing your expectations. You can still do almost all of the things you enjoy, but you may need to modify them. For example, if you've always loved hiking, you can still do it, but you may need to take more frequent breaks, go shorter distances, or choose less-challenging paths. Make compromises with yourself and your pregnancy that you can do the physical things you want to do in a way that keeps your body comfortable and healthy.

Surprise Stressors

Pregnancy can make your emotions unpredictable and unstable at times. Things that have never bothered you can suddenly become unbearable. For reasons you can't explain, or even understand yourself, a small annoyance can erupt into what feels like a crisis. While these unexpected upsets can definitely keep you on your toes, they can also make you feel like a giant heap of uncontrolled hormones.

Accept that sometimes you will unexpectedly find yourself crying or angry about things that previously might not have made a hill of beans of difference to you. Part of the difficulty in these situations is that you feel frustrated at yourself for reacting in a way that might seem uncharacteristic. It can be difficult to relinquish control of your emotions to your pregnancy, but struggling against it can actually create more internal stress. You're not losing your mind or becoming out of control if you find that your emotions overwhelm you during pregnancy; you're simply reacting to the signals your body is sending out.

Stress Relief Techniques

One of the keys to coping with stress is to pinpoint what exactly is bothering you. Many times there may be nothing specific because your hormones are simply making you weepy, but sometimes there are specific triggers that you can identify and then work on. Whether you are worried about a project at work, upset because the nursery hasn't been painted, feeling neglected by your partner, or are overtired, you can best cope with the stress if you're able to first isolate its cause. Once you have done that, work to reduce, resolve, or eliminate the problem. Of course, many problems can't be made to go away, and so there are some things you have to learn to cope with.

To help relieve and reduce your stress during pregnancy, do the following:

• Eat healthy meals and snacks regularly, and drink enough water.

• Exercise regularly, if your health-care provider approves.

• Get enough sleep, and rest when you need to.

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which are not considered acceptable during pregnancy and can add to your stress.

• Try soothing techniques, such as yoga, massage, meditation, baths, or other activities that bring you joy and pleasure. Breathing exercises or medication can also be very relaxing.

• Talk to friends and family about the things that are bothering you. Bottling stress up inside of you only makes it worse.

Remember that all pregnancy-related stresses are temporary. Pregnancy doesn't last forever, and your life is in an intense period of change. What seems unbearable today may become a mere blip on your radar tomorrow. Remind yourself that you will get through this, and you will work through anything that is troubling or bothering you.