Pregnancy and Worry

One of the challenges of my profession is dealing with the anxieties that naturally come up for women during their pregnancies. Sure, there are plenty of concerns that are natural for parents-to-be, and it is appropriate for us to address all issues sincerely and honestly without cynicism and with only the best intentions. But sometimes it seems that we are obsessed today with a compulsive perfectionism that is inappropriate under early-21st-century circumstances, and it seems that a good reality-check might be appropriate.

I have contemplated writing about this for quite some time. But I was challenged by the complexity of producing something readable that was both light-hearted and sincerely poignant. Needless to say, I was elated to find that MSNBC's Victoria Clayton was up to the task. She has done an excellent job in her article, The pregnancy panic attack, and I refer you to her for a wonderful discussion of the stress surrounding pregnancy.

There are a couple of points that I want to emphasize that may help to put prenatal anxiety into perspective:

1. There has never been a safer time for newborns and pregnant women in the history of the human race despite our concerns about stress, hard work, partying, obesity, environmental toxins, food additives, medical interventions, etc., etc., yet ...
   
2. Despite the relative safety surrounding pregnancy and childbirth today, 3% of babies are still affected with major congenital anomalies. This is a sobering fact that ought to serve to bring into perspective all the worrying we do about sometimes seemingly silly scenarios and unlikely outcomes. What's obvious is that most of the concerns that parents have about unwise or unintentional exposures to this and that, or whether they make the right choice about this test or that procedure, pale in comparison to the significant risk inherent in the decision to reproduce.

What I'm suggesting is that women (and their partners) should realize that they are choosing to accept some risks when they choose to become pregnant and continue a pregnancy, and that reproduction is not nearly a perfect exercise. Yet they should be powerfully optimistic about the probable outcome this day and age and not fall victim to needless preoccupation with unproductive worry. I believe that our consciousness does shape our experiences, and that couples who have positive outlooks will have wonderful families despite the details.

Now that I've managed to ramble on in seriousness, please re-read Victoria's column, and have a great day!

Happy Pregnancy and Happy Holidays!

RW, MD

Related Topics: Yoga in Pregnancy, Make the Best Choices for Your Baby