Navigating Pregnancy Anxiety: A Stress Management Guide You’ll Actually Use

Pregnancy brings along endless changes––to your hormones, your body, the growing baby inside of you, and yes, your stress levels. It’s normal to have some stress during this time. Of course, you want you and your baby to be as healthy and safe as can be.

However, one in five expecting mothers experience clinical levels of anxiety, finding themselves with spiraling minds, imagining nightmarish worst-case scenarios, experiencing physical anxiety symptoms like a racing heart or tense muscles, or even enduring panic attacks. It doesn’t have to be this way, though. There are many strategies you can use to calm your anxious mind, and there are even mental health professionals who specialize in helping perinatal women.

Here’s what you need to know about perinatal anxiety and how to cope with it.

Understanding anxiety during pregnancy

“There is a level of anxiety and anticipation that is absolutely reasonable and somewhat universal during pregnancy and postpartum,” says Caitlyn Oscarson, a licensed marriage and family therapist. “Your body is changing rapidly, and unexpected things happen all the time. Anxiety usually wants us to be 100% sure that the bad thing won't happen. Since it is impossible to get that absolute reassurance, the anxiety cycle can continue.”

“Most pregnancy anxiety centers around the health of the baby and the fear of the unknown when it comes to life postpartum,” says licensed marriage and family therapist Gayane Aramyan. But there are other questions too. “What will life look like after the baby is born? How will your life change? How will the baby affect your relationship with your partner?” she adds.

No matter what your anxiety centers on during the perinatal period, there are ways to address it effectively.

How to deal with anxiety during pregnancy

You don’t have to put up with feeling anxious all the time. You can take practical steps to ease your mind during the perinatal period.

Want to know how to reduce stress and anxiety during pregnancy? Here are seven tips.

1. Give yourself grace

Be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion. Pregnancy and childbirth are some of the most transformative life events you can experience—it’s a big deal!

“Give yourself space and permission to say, ‘This is coming up for me, I don't need to judge myself for it, because it's extremely common,’” says Alma therapist Bridget Balajadia.

2. Schedule worry time

You can create an “anxiety container” in an attempt to prevent anxious thoughts from taking over your entire day. “This involves having a designated time in the day when you allow yourself to fully worry,” Aramyan says. “When anxious thoughts come up outside of that window, remind yourself to save it for your worry time.”

For example, you might decide that you’re going to allow yourself to worry each evening for 20 minutes. When the time comes, set a timer and worry away. Once the time’s up, move on to another activity.

3. Develop self-care routines

Taking care of yourself, both physically and mentally, is crucial during pregnancy. One way to stay on top of this is to develop self-care rituals or routines that feel good to you, says Oscarson.

“It’s important to have regular activities in your life like daily walks, journaling, a soothing beverage, or spending time with loved ones,” Oscarson says. It’s not that there’s necessarily magic in the ritual itself, she says, but that it gives you something to do other than worry. “For example, you can say, ‘Instead of worrying about my baby, I am going to go on a walk and listen to a fun podcast,’” she adds. “It’s simple, but when done often, this strategy can really cut back on unnecessary worry and rumination.”

Figure out what works best for you, whether it’s connecting with family members, engaging in light physical activity, or getting creative.

4. Try grounding exercises

Grounding exercises are coping skills that help get you out of your head and back into the present moment, Aramyan says. These tools are especially helpful when your thoughts start racing or you feel disconnected from your body.

5. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is a science-backed way to reduce stress and anxiety. Research shows it reduces stress in pregnant women, too. Many people think mindfulness means quieting the mind and stopping your thoughts, but it’s really about noticing what’s happening in the present moment, without judgment.

6. Connect with other expecting moms

You are far from the only expecting mom who’s going through this. Connecting with other soon-to-be moms at the same stage of life can be very helpful and reduce your level of anxiety. “It can normalize some of your symptoms, allow you to check where you may be hypervigilant, and importantly, start building a community with parents of same-aged children,” Oscarson says. “Having social contact and connection is so important for pregnancy and throughout parenthood.”

Don't have anyone in your direct network who’s expecting? Local mom Facebook groups are a great resource for this, or you can ask your OBGYN about prenatal support groups in your area.

7. Stop over-researching

“Many pregnant women with pregnancy anxiety find themselves Googling a lot—researching symptoms, reading about the likelihood of negative outcomes, or revisiting lists of what they can and can’t eat,” Oscarson says. “Instead of feeling better and reassured, they usually end up feeling more anxious and overwhelmed.”

Of course, it’s natural to want to feel informed, especially if it’s your first pregnancy and everything is so new. But if you’re constantly researching and seeking reassurance, it might be making things worse.

“There’s a point where the research stops being helpful,” Oscarson says. “Instead of trying to get information, we are trying to be sure that nothing will go wrong and that we are making the right choices.

So, rather than going down Google and Reddit rabbit holes for hours, Oscarson suggests limiting yourself to a couple of different sources, like your OBGYN and a reputable medical website. “Focus on trying to accept the answer and the uncertainty that probably comes along with it,” she says.

When to seek professional help

Take note of how persistent and consuming your anxiety is. “If the anxious, intrusive thoughts are constant, or if you’re experiencing panic attacks or intense emotional distress, that’s a sign that the anxiety has become more severe,” Aramyan says. Another red flag is if the anxiety is significantly impacting your day-to-day functioning.

In these cases, it’s a good idea to seek help from a mental health professional who specializes in helping perinatal women.

“Allow yourself to meet the scary thoughts, rather than avoid them, and then work through it with a trained professional who is not going to judge you for what is going through,” Balajadia says.

Talk therapy can make a world of difference and help you get through the rest of your pregnancy—and your postpartum period—feeling more relaxed. In some cases, your therapist may refer you to a psychiatrist if they think you can benefit from medication for anxiety on top of your work in therapy.

A reproductive psychiatrist can let you know what anxiety medications are safe during pregnancy and devise an effective treatment plan for you. You don’t have to take anxiety medication during pregnancy, but it’s nice to know that it’s an option.

“[With treatment] you are going to be happier in your pregnancy and you’re going to be happier as a mom,” Balajadia says.