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Having a baby is a major life event. It's natural to find it stressful
and it's important to have emotional as well as practical support, from
partners, family and friends.
Some women may experience sickness and anxiety during pregnancy. Already
exhausted, these women will be more vulnerable to the stress of birth.
Entering into labour, a woman may feel frightened, not knowing how much
pain she'll be in or how long the birth will take and worrying whether
the baby will be healthy. A sensitive midwife will be aware of these
feelings.
If a midwife only focuses on delivering the baby and is impatient with
the mother, this can add significantly to the stress of birth. When
the baby is finally delivered, the mother will be exhausted and in some
cases may be unwell. Some mothers will be bleeding or have bruising.
Desperately needing to rest, they are instead faced with a baby to take
care of. A first time mother may feel totally unsure as to how to do
this. Breastfeeding may cause a lot of women concern. Knowing how much
to feed a baby and how to bathe it isn't always instinctive. Under stress
it's particularly difficult to believe in your instincts. A constantly
crying baby will add to the tension.
Change can be very stressful. Prior to, or during the first year of
birth, many will move house. A woman may also have to leave a job, her
independence and social life all at once. Money may be tight. Other
women will have to keep working and that will produce other difficulties.
Stress affects us physically and psychologically. Brief stressful events
prompt our bodies to produce hormones that cause increased heart rate,
blood pressure and breathing. They also create feelings of anxiety and
insecurity.
Prolonged stress may induce, among other things, insomnia, vulnerability
to infection due to reduced immune function, ulcers and high blood pressure.
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