Finding Calm for the Expectant Mom: Tools for Reducing Stress, Anxiety, and Mood Swings During Your Pregnancy

Description

In today's perfectionistic culture, pregnant women are expected to be boundlessly optimistic and literally glowing with happiness.What often goes unacknowledged are the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy. This book offers strategies and solutions for confronting and relieving the stress of pregnancy. Think about some of the words so commonly used to describe a pregnant woman: "radiant," "glowing," "serene." But even for women who are thrilled to be having a baby, pregnancy can, also, be a difficult time filled with ambivalence, anxiety and moodiness. Women who are typically accustomed to having complete control over their bodies, endure waves of morning sickness, discomfort with their expanding belly, exhaustion and anxiety about the impact a baby will have on their career, relationships and freedom. Many pregnant women feel guilty about the challenging emotions; they face enormous societal pressure to be ecstatic about impending motherhood and wonder what is wrong with them when they don't feel the happiness they think they should be experiencing. Research shows that excessive stress during pregnancy is associated with premature birth and low birth weight. But relief does not come in the form of a pill - antidepressants have the potential to cause pregnancy complications and lifelong harm to unborn babies. FINDING CALM FOR THE EXPECTANT MOM presents a seven-step programme that shows women what they can do to feel happier, calmer and less stressed in a safe and natural way. With the tools and problem-solving techniques presented here, women can adjust their expectations, restructure negative thought patterns, cultivate resiliency and become better prepared to take on the role of motherhood.

ALICE D. DOMAR is the founder and executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health and conducts groundbreaking research on the relationship between stress and various women's health conditions. She is an associate clinical professor of obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School.

"Essential reading for all pregnant women who are anxious about labor and birth. And that's the vast majority in today's fear-based medical environment." -Dr. Christiane Northrup, New York Times bestselling author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom "An essential book for all pregnant women. Finding Calm for the Expectant Mom provides indispensable tools that women can use to find balance and joy throughout their pregnancy, rather than the often unexpected reality of anxiety, fatigue, and lethargy." -Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D., author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep and associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia "Every expectant mother wonders what is normal, what to do with the mood swings and the never ending things to watch out for. In short order what should be one of the great experiences in life can be filled with stress. But there is no reason to worry because Dr. Domar is with you every step of the way. Just hearing her say, 'stop, breathe, reflect, and choose' lets you know that Finding Calm for the Expectant Mom is going to be a great companion." -Nancy L Snyderman, MD, FACS, consulting professor of global health at Stanford University "While there is a lot of information out there on how expectant moms can stay physically healthy, this invaluable book helps women navigate the many emotional stresses of pregnancy. Dr. Domar has an innovative approach; she reassures, normalizes, and comforts with compassion and plenty of practical, research-based remedies for dealing with pregnancy-related anxiety. I just wish this book had been written when I was having my babies!! This is a must-read for every expectant mom!" -Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D., author of Strong Women Stay Young and director of the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire