It seems that everything has worked out: you met Him, you live together, He is not against you having a joint endeavor and its consequences - your common future baby. It seems that everything is simple and you don’t need much for this - to love each other in every sense of the word. At one time, our parents did not particularly think about any kind of planned preparation for pregnancy, but modern society, the state of the environment, the “rejuvenation” of many diseases, the emergence of modern methods for diagnosing many conditions make it possible to minimize the possible risks of pathologies of the mother and unborn child. And the result that every couple strives for is to make pregnancy and childbirth a calm and joyful period of life.
It is ideal if you are wondering about preparing for pregnancy a year before its onset, because the planned implementation of all aspects of preparation physically and mentally requires a lot of effort and time. You have a lot of work ahead of you: to find peace, a positive attitude towards the arrival of a daughter or son in your family, stock up on all the nutrients you and your baby need, give up bad habits, undergo the necessary research, and possibly treatment.
Psychological attitude towards pregnancy
Getting ready, being ready to go from the moment of conception to the moment when you look at your beloved son or daughter, is no less important than preparing physically.
Human nature is designed in such a way that the body, with its entire system of biorhythms and self-regulation, helps you.
Within the framework of personal readiness for pregnancy, general maturity and the set of qualities that are necessary for the expectant mother already at the stage of preparation for pregnancy are of great importance. This is an interest in the intrauterine development of the fetus, the ability to have fun, the ability to be “here and now.”
Motivational readiness is also important: understanding that pregnancy and the birth of a child are not a means of receiving material payments; a means of achieving a certain social status. Indirect motives such as keeping a partner, keeping up with friends, trying to prove independence to parents can ultimately lead to disappointment, since the true need will not be satisfied. But your baby will also be disappointed along with you; remember this, first of all.
If you doubt that the desire to get pregnant is connected with the only important motive - to become a mother, selflessly, lovingly taking care of your baby, take courses to prepare for pregnancy. This will help you imagine yourself as a pregnant woman, feel how this condition is for you, and compare your expectations with reality. Another effective way to psychologically prepare for pregnancy is to visit a psychotherapist. Yes, you can turn to psychotherapists even when everything is fine. At moments in life when you have to make an important choice, the help of a specialist is the best that can be offered. In the office of a psychotherapist or psychologist, you can discuss all your fears (fear of becoming unattractive with a belly, fear of not being able to bear a baby, fear of growing up, fear), sort out relationships with loved ones, and get the support you need.
For a young woman, pregnancy is, first of all, a crisis period of emotional separation from her own mother, formation, acceptance of responsibility for her body, her sexuality, identification of herself as a mother.
Visiting doctors
First of all, see a therapist. After the examination, receipt of test results and fluorography, he will help you make a list of other specialists who will help you thoroughly prepare for pregnancy.
You should visit a gynecologist regularly, once a year in normal health. Assuming that this is how you visited the women's office before you thought about pregnancy, you should make sure that your reproductive organs are ready for conception and gestation. It is recommended to do a colposcopy. This research method is effective in detecting cancer and precancerous conditions of the vulva; vaginal cancer; cancer, inflammation and erosion of the cervix; genital warts. If you don’t remember the last time you visited a gynecologist, then start visiting doctors with this specialist. To obtain reliable tests, it is better to prepare: a month before visiting a gynecologist, do not use antibiotics, antivirals, vaginal medications, and it is also advisable to abstain from sexual intercourse two to three days before visiting the consultation. The gynecologist will also tell you how best to protect yourself on the eve of conception. Hormonal contraceptives are canceled 3 months in advance; It is better to remove the intrauterine device before 6 months.
The dentist will prepare your teeth: at the time of pregnancy, all teeth must be healthy, since caries can become a source of infection that penetrates the body and affects the course of pregnancy. Treatment with anesthesia in the first three months is contraindicated and is not advisable until the end of pregnancy. And if a woman is breastfeeding, then she cannot count on visiting the dentist in the next 2-3 years after pregnancy.
Otolaryngologist. Yes, oddly enough. Chronic tonsillitis can “sit” in your throat without showing any “signs of life” for a long time and be a consequence of a sore throat you once had. It’s better to make sure of its absence now than to undergo unpleasant procedures with a belly for a third of the pregnancy period. It is especially important to visit an otolaryngologist also because during pregnancy the body weakens its protective functions and any viral and bacterial infections suffered by the mother can affect the abnormal development of the child’s nervous system.
A woman with diabetes needs to consult an endocrinologist. He will give recommendations on recalculating drug doses and prescribe additional examinations to make sure that the disease does not progress.
- there is a hereditary predisposition to genetic diseases;
- close relatives suffer from hereditary diseases;
- the expectant mother suffers from chronic diseases;
- previously had miscarriages for unknown reasons;
- The woman’s age is more than 35 years.
If you have any other complaints or chronic diseases, be sure to visit the appropriate specialist.
Tests for pregnancy planning
At the appointment, the gynecologist, depending on the results of the examination, directs the following to be examined:
- for sexually transmitted infections;
- to identify pathogenic flora;
- for general and biochemical blood tests;
- for the presence of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C;
- to determine blood group and Rh factor;
- for the presence of TORCH infections (toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes);
- for antibodies to chronic gonadotropin and phospholipids;
- for lupus anticoagulant and coagulogram (determination of blood clotting).
The above is a comprehensive list of possible tests, but is not exhaustive. On the contrary, the doctor may miss some. To better understand why you need to take so many tests, let’s look at the importance of some of them. Thus, TORCH infections are dangerous if the expectant mother becomes infected or while already pregnant. If you know for sure that you have had rubella before, you do not need to take this test. Otherwise, IgM antibodies pose a danger. Their detection indicates primary infection with the virus. This happens quite rarely, but pregnancy will have to be postponed for three months.
Toxoplasmosis infection most often occurs from domestic cats. There is a high risk of becoming infected if IgG and IgM antibodies are not detected. Prevention of infection is through personal hygiene, limiting contact with cats and dogs, and heat treatment of meat products. It is better to entrust someone else to clean your pet's litter box during pregnancy.
Treatment of the herpes virus is reduced to reducing its activity in the body. And the analysis allows you to assess the risk of primary infection during pregnancy.
CMV (cytomegalovirus) can infect the fetus and cause its pathological development. If a high level of CMV is detected, the woman is prescribed antiviral therapy at the stage of pregnancy planning. To avoid infection, if antibodies are not detected, it is necessary to limit communication with small children, do not kiss them on the lips, and wash your hands regularly.
An analysis for sexually transmitted infections is prescribed first to the woman, and if they are detected, to the partner in case of preparation for IVF; if there have been previous miscarriages or frozen pregnancies; with heavy discharge, itching and burning.
Rhesus conflict is possible in a couple where a woman with
a negative Rh factor, and a man with a positive one. If a child inherits his father's positive Rh factor, he is at risk of immune complications (hemolytic disease). A conflict is also possible if a woman has blood type I, and a man has any blood type except I; for women it is II, and for men it is IV or III. Such couples need to have their blood tested for antibodies to group antigens before their second and subsequent pregnancies. Before the first, this study must be carried out from the eighth week of pregnancy.
Almost all women lack vitamins. Even a carefully selected diet will not fill the daily requirement, since heat treatment, transportation and storage of products leads to their loss. But they are vital, especially for the body, which serves as a “donor” for another, small organism of your future baby. You need to start accumulating a reserve two to three months before the planned onset of pregnancy.
Please note that the vitamin complex includes folic acid. It is especially important for both of them. For mother - for nervous balance, good digestion and hematopoiesis. For a child – for the formation of the nervous system. There is a lot of folic acid in greens (asparagus, spinach, lettuce) and beef liver. If you have already purchased vitamins and do not find folic acid in their composition, purchase folic acid tablets at the pharmacy. It is better to take a larger package - it is cheaper, and you will have to take it at least for the entire first trimester: healthy women 0.4 mg per day; for those who have previously given birth to children with developmental defects - up to 0.4 mg per day; for patients with epilepsy and diabetes mellitus – up to 1 ml per day.
According to recent studies, during pregnancy planning there are vitamins that are best avoided: vitamin A and E. Modern scientists believe that a person receives enough of them from food, and an overdose during use can negatively affect the development of the fetal heart and the condition of the fetus. pregnant woman - cause gestosis. If you did not know about this and have already completed a course of fortification with drugs that contain vitamins A and E, many doctors advise postponing pregnancy for another month to remove their excess from the body. However, the opinion is controversial: in many sources, tocopherol (vitamin E) is considered essential for metabolism, the formation of female sex hormones and maintaining pregnancy in the first months.
When purchasing vitamins, check whether the drug is a dietary supplement. Remember that only medicines meet WHO requirements.
If you feel healthy, there are no special dietary restrictions. It is recommended to increase the consumption of greens, fruits and vegetables; in cooking, give preference to boiling and baking meat and fish dishes. Try to avoid fatty, smoked, overly salty or sweet foods.
Get vitamins from foods. Vegetable oils, eggs, nuts, liver, and legumes are rich in vitamin E.
Vitamin C serves as an excellent prevention of colds. It is found in citrus fruits, rose hips, kiwi, sea buckthorn, sauerkraut and sweet peppers.
Products with provitamin A and beta-carotene protect eggs from adverse factors, remove toxins and radioactive substances. Eat plenty of pumpkin, carrots, cabbage, parsley, and apricot.
Microelements are needed by the body in minute quantities, but they play an important role in metabolic processes. At the stage of preparation for pregnancy, both partners should consume foods with a high content of selenium and zinc. These are fish, mushrooms, celery, zucchini, beef, cheese and seafood.
The time before conception is good for body shaping. Excess weight of a pregnant woman is the cause of increased blood pressure, varicose veins and even the development of diabetes. Pregnant women who are overweight are more likely than others to be kept in a hospital and are constantly under close supervision of specialists. Losing weight during pregnancy is strictly prohibited: if you are malnourished, ketones, metabolic products that are toxic to the fetus of a pregnant woman, enter the bloodstream.
Drink more liquid, preferably clean, non-carbonated water between meals. Eliminate fast food and processed foods. Eat in moderation. Replace sugar with honey and dried fruits, eat whole grains (bread, pasta, cereal, muesli). And it will be easier to bear, and you will provide excellent prevention of gestosis and toxicosis; reduce the load on blood vessels and heart.
Review your daily routine. Get into the good habit of walking in green parks, public gardens, and, if possible, outside the city, where the air is cleaner and you can get closer to nature.
Start watching videos with exercise routines for pregnant women. Already now, you can gradually accustom your body to the “correct” loads, when you cannot load the abdominal and lower back muscles.
Pay attention to strengthening the muscles of the hips, pelvic floor, back and abdomen. Pilates and yoga classes are good for this. By practicing, you can learn breathing exercises. However, remember that 3-4 days before and the same number of days after ovulation, it is better to give the body rest in order to allow the zygote to reliably attach to the wall of the uterus.
Here are simple but effective exercises, the implementation of which takes little time and gives quick positive results.
- Walk barefoot around the room for a couple of minutes. Continuing walking, stand on your toes, after a minute or two - on your heels, another minute - on the outer side of your feet, and at the end of the exercise - on the inner side. Return to full-foot walking again.
- Lie down on the floor. Press your lower back to the floor and clasp your palms behind the back of your head. Elbows spread to the sides, shoulders down. Bend your knees, place your feet on the floor, shoulder-width apart. As you exhale, smoothly lift your shoulders and head off the floor, vertebra by vertebra, and while inhaling, also smoothly lower your shoulders and head to the floor. Repeat 10 times.
- Also lying down, raise your straight legs vertically up. With a small amplitude, spread and cross your legs. Perform 10-15 times, gradually increase the number of approaches.
- Lie on your stomach with your arms extended forward. Stretch the top of your head and toes in different directions. Without straining your neck, using the muscles of your chest, back and abdomen, lift your upper body. In this position, spread and join the palms of your hands, as when swimming breaststroke several times. Gradually increase the load by increasing the number of repeated arm movements.
- Lie on your right side. The left leg is straight, the right leg is bent at the knee. The foot of the right leg is on the floor in front of the knee of the left leg. Raise your left leg up to a small height. If you do everything correctly, your leg should rise with difficulty.
Let us separately focus on exercises to strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor. The gymnastic complex developed by Arnold Kegel for the prevention of hemorrhoids and relief from urinary incontinence is excellent for expectant mothers. Its main principle is gradualism. Performing it during pregnancy may have contraindications, but now is the time to train the vaginal muscles for the upcoming loads. Start the exercises lying on your back or sitting, repeating each three to five times.
- Bend your knees and spread them slightly to the sides. Relax, but don't lose control of your actions. Tighten the muscles of the perineum for 5-7 seconds and relax them.
- We turn on imaginative thinking. Imagine that your vagina is an elevator shaft. Introduced? Now, smoothly and slowly squeeze your muscles and imagine how the elevator moves along the floors. Count the “floors” from one to ten. Hold the tension. Then start counting the “floors” just as slowly down towards the entrance to the vagina, gradually relaxing the muscles.
- Tighten your vaginal and then anal muscles. Alternately relax the anal, then vaginal muscles.
- Attention! You can perform the exercise only when the intestines and bladder are empty. It is aimed at working the muscles that will take part in the pushing period of childbirth.
Take a comfortable position and begin to push, as if you are having a bowel movement, straining your vaginal muscles. Relax all muscles as much as possible.
In addition to strengthening the muscles and pelvic organs, the proposed set of exercises is a good prevention of perineal ruptures. Regular practice reduces the likelihood of inflammation of the genital organs. A woman learns to voluntarily control the processes of relaxation and tension, which is important during childbirth.
To strengthen your immune system, try hardening. Do not start with an extreme dousing of ice water, but by gradually lowering the water temperature while taking a bath or shower. Regularly ventilate your living space and humidify the air.
If possible, get more rest, go to bed and wake up earlier than usual, if before that you liked to watch TV for a long time in the evening or “walk” on the Internet. In general, minimize “communication” with computer equipment if your job allows it. Take breaks more often than usual for a short walk, eye exercises.
Vaccination is an important step for the prevention of diseases that can adversely affect the intrauterine development of the unborn baby. You already know that a pregnant woman’s immunity is always lowered and is susceptible to contracting colds and more dangerous
infections.
Not every adult knows whether he had a particular disease in childhood or whether he was vaccinated. But your body knows this very well: identified immunoglobulins of class G indicate that the person has developed immunity, and therefore has had contact with the pathogen. In this case, there is no need for vaccinations. Strong immunity will protect the body when it encounters the causative agent of a particular disease. The presence of immunoglobulins M in the blood, on the contrary, indicates an acute process occurring in the woman’s body. Accordingly, in the absence of class G antibodies in the test results, vaccination is necessary, which will protect the female body from sudden “attacks” of dangerous viruses and bacteria.
The placenta of a pregnant woman is permeable to the rubella virus and this can be the cause of many anomalies in the intrauterine development of the fetus. Rubella is a childhood disease transmitted by airborne droplets, but adults can also become infected with it. The incubation period for rubella is 2-3 weeks. When a pregnant woman is infected, the period of 16 weeks is especially dangerous. There is a high probability of deafness and blindness, congenital deformities, heart defects, abnormalities in brain development, and mental retardation. Infection in the first and third trimester is generally an indication for termination of pregnancy. The development of the disease in the fourth trimester is not so dangerous for the child: during this period, the main organs and systems are already formed. But is it worth the risk? After all, just one vaccination can protect a woman’s body up to 25 years of age. If a woman needs vaccination, this should be done 3-6 months before the planned pregnancy. During this period, the body will develop strong immunity.
Chickenpox, or chickenpox, is a viral disease. Children aged 1-8 years are most often infected and tolerate the disease quite easily, unlike adults. Like rubella, it is transmitted through airborne droplets. The incubation period is from 7 to 21 days. In the first 4 months of pregnancy, infection with chickenpox can lead to malformations of the brain, limbs, eyes and cause kidney infection. If there are no IqG class immunoglobulins in the analysis results, the expectant mother should be vaccinated twice with an interval of 6-10 weeks. Since vaccination uses a live virus, it can remain in a woman’s body for up to a month. During this period, pregnancy is not advisable.
Another viral disease transmitted by airborne droplets is measles. Incubates in the human body for 8-14 days. A characteristic rash appears on the face on days 4-5 and gradually spreads to the neck and ears; then moves to the torso and bends of the limbs. In adults it is severe, sometimes with measles pneumonia. Infection of a pregnant woman in the early stages is fraught with miscarriage or fetal developmental defects in the nervous system. If antibodies are detected in the blood, confirming the absence of immunity, it is necessary to vaccinate twice with a break of 1 month.
Mumps is a viral infection that is also transmitted by airborne droplets. Affects the submandibular salivary and parotid glands. The incubation period is up to days. It is not the disease itself that is scary, but its complications - the possible development of meningitis and encephalitis; damage to the ovaries and testicles; damage to the joints and pancreas. Infection in the first trimester of pregnancy can lead to spontaneous abortion. After vaccinations against measles and mumps, you must wait 3 months before becoming pregnant.
The hepatitis B virus can be transmitted through blood. Infection is possible through sexual contact, through manicure and medical instruments; during pregnancy and childbirth, the baby can become infected from the mother. The disease may not make itself felt for 2-6 months. The vaccination is carried out three times, so vaccination should be done 7 months in advance, and you can conceive a child a month after the last vaccination.
The well-known flu can cause severe complications. Vaccines with an updated composition of antigens appear by the beginning of autumn. Consult an epidemiologist when it is best for you to get vaccinated, taking into account the fact that pregnancy is possible a month after vaccination.
Vaccinations against polio, tetanus and diphtheria are carried out in childhood, but they “work” for 10 years, then vaccination must be repeated. Revaccination against these diseases, which are dangerous for the expectant mother and baby, is carried out once a month before pregnancy.
Save all the results of examinations completed on the eve of pregnancy and information about the treatment received, the vaccination list: they will help you save money and a lot of time when planning subsequent pregnancies.
Experienced doctors will help you schedule examinations and vaccinations. For yourself, you can also draw up a diagram of what you need to do before pregnancy. If you don’t have time to do everything, don’t be upset. The very fact that you are now interested in the issues discussed in the article indicates your desire to approach pregnancy prepared.
Remember how people usually treat pregnant women - like a crystal vessel. Everyone knows that worrying and upsetting a pregnant woman is simply unacceptable. Because the mood (okay, the state) of the tiny inhabitant of your tummy depends on your mood.
And if your family is not used to living in peace, and from time to time they noisily sort things out and make complaints to you. You are nervous, which means your child is nervous too. He hasn't been born yet, but he feels your mood perfectly. And empathizes or worries.
One friend said that during pregnancy she and her husband constantly argued. Well, that’s how it turned out. She regretted more than once that she decided to have a child, cried, got angry, and so on. The child also made her feel uncomfortable. But if you are surrounded by care, this discomfort is trivial. You love your baby, your family loves you, and everything is going well. So, when a friend of mine had a baby, he cried continuously for the first three days. Without ceasing. And he woke up every ten minutes. Then she realized that everything that happened to her during pregnancy affected the psychological state of the child. He was anxious and so unhappy.
Naturally, everyone came to their senses. The baby was loved, but he still reacts very sensitively to the bad mood of his parents and to any of their quarrels. How can you not believe that even in the womb they hear and understand everything? Although, perhaps, someone will consider this fantastic.
How to accept pregnancy psychologically
Whether you believe it or not, even doctors say in unison: expectant mothers should be as calm and happy as possible. Stress can lead the body into a state of chaos and can lead to hormonal disorders and vascular problems. Therefore, it’s up to you to succumb to stress or learn to ignore external stimuli. Believe me, the habit of treating any situation calmly can be developed. As well as the habit of thinking positively.They say where your thoughts are, there you are. Keeping in mind that a person who forces himself to think about good things, knows how to switch, is less likely to find himself in unpleasant situations. And such people encounter more good things in life than those who are always dissatisfied with everyone. Enjoy life for the sake of your baby! And ideally, not only the expectant mother, but also the child’s father should strive for this.
Dads who prepared for childbirth with their wives, despite the shock they experienced, are happier in the family. And they feel more needed. Not everyone decides to be there when a child is born. But in such families, men do not feel forgotten or abandoned when the wife is busy with the child. What divides some families - a lack of attention to each other - in others becomes a guarantee of devotion.
So, you are preparing for childbirth. Get ready together. You have decided to spend these nine months in pleasant anticipation, and use every moment to get pleasant emotions. Do it together. Then the expectant mother will not feel lonely and unhappy. It’s no secret that during pregnancy women become overly impressionable and touchy. This cannot be allowed. Then the child in her womb will feel protected.
It’s not for nothing that they sing in the song: “The most important thing is the weather in the house...”. The whole family will benefit from this.
Psychological preparation for pregnancy and childbirth
Children are the most important thing in every person’s life. After all, all people on Earth are essentially mothers and fathers. And yet, the realization that she is ready for pregnancy and childbirth does not come to a woman right away. Therefore, every expectant mother must prepare psychologically for these significant events.
Psychological preparation for pregnancy and childbirth has many advantages.
She will allow a woman:
It is natural to endure pregnancy and subsequent childbirth;
Avoid imaginary difficulties;
Do not complicate relationships with family and friends;
Treat the newborn baby with love and care.
The essence of psychological preparation for pregnancy and childbirth is to help a woman understand what changes are currently taking place in her body, how to react to them, and what will be required of her in the future. A professional psychologist can conduct trainings that will ensure the right mood. But the expectant mother must also work on this independently. Plan your pregnancy in advance. A desired child who is welcomed and expected will be more successful in life. The famous psychologist Eric Berne proved that a full-fledged personality living in harmony with the people around him grows out of a baby who feels loved and protected. Therefore, it is important to prepare for the process of conception and subsequent pregnancy, possibly undergo a medical examination and consultation with a psychologist. It is important to realize that life will change radically in the future. Maintain a positive attitude during pregnancy. This is the best time to be in nature more often, go on vacation, read good books, listen to classical music. Moderate handicrafts and dancing are not prohibited. You don't have to quit your job or change your good habits. After all, pregnancy is not a disease, it is a natural state for a woman. Keeping grievances means attracting negativity. This is of no use during pregnancy. If your husband or mother-in-law, friend or relative said something unpleasant, you should not think about it. Avoid watching unpleasant programs on TV. Like everything else, it’s important not to overdo it. Therefore, there is no need to constantly analyze your thoughts and feelings. Do not suppress your desires. It is officially recognized that during pregnancy, food preferences can change significantly or become somewhat unusual. There is no need to deny yourself your favorite product. Excessive sentimentality may also appear, and in the last trimester, forgetfulness. All this is normal, with the birth of the child everything will return to normal. The female body is prepared for childbirth by nature itself. Doctors will do everything necessary to make the process as easy as possible. The expectant mother must fully prepare for this day, both physically and mentally. Excessive fear will not allow you to concentrate on the advice of obstetricians and will be a bad help. If the expectant mother realizes that she cannot cope with her emotions and emotional experiences, then the best solution would be to consult a psychologist. In developed countries this is considered a natural step. The advice of mothers and grandmothers, of course, also deserves attention, but for the peace of mind of the woman and her baby, it is more advisable to contact a specialist. Every baby deserves the attention, care and love of its parents. Therefore, in conclusion, I would like to note that childhood years have a huge impact on the formation of personality. Let pregnancy and subsequent care for the baby become the most pleasant and memorable event in the life of every woman.
A child and his upbringing often becomes an insurmountable challenge for inexperienced mothers, which has a destructive effect on both the family atmosphere and motherhood itself. How to psychologically prepare for motherhood?
Sometimes new mothers are faced with problems such as forced lack of sleep, physical pain and discomfort associated with postpartum injuries and child care; young mothers are overcome by fear and lack of confidence in themselves and their abilities; some do not have a basic understanding of how to care for a baby; many do not possess such necessary information as the child’s developmental characteristics...
Conscious motherhood
Of course, first of all, motherhood should be conscious. The expectant mother must understand that a child is not a toy, a gift or a pleasant “bonus” of marriage. A child is a huge responsibility, a responsibility for life, which is expressed in the desire to give life and a piece of yourself to a new little person.
In many Western countries, before a planned pregnancy, women undergo not only a physical examination, but also visit a psychologist who gives the necessary instructions and prepares the woman both for the birth of a child and helps to prepare psychologically for motherhood.
What does it mean to prepare for motherhood?
Most women know that it is advisable to “prepare” the body for pregnancy. Many people quit smoking, stop drinking alcoholic beverages, begin to lead a more restrained and healthy lifestyle, take vitamins, pay special attention to their daily routine, do not neglect healthy sleep and monitor their diet, try not to miss healthy walks in the fresh air, in a word, women closely monitors his physical condition and tries to improve it.
The mental state of a woman during pregnancy and after it
Unfortunately, the mental state cannot be seen or touched; it is not excess weight, hair loss, digestive system disorder or muscle spasm; its manifestations are not immediately apparent. And that is why many neglect one of the most important components of healthy motherhood, namely, psychological preparation for motherhood. Fortunately, many modern women have begun to attend preparatory courses designed for pregnant women, which are aimed at physically and psychologically preparing a woman for childbirth, but motherhood is not only the birth of a child, but also its full development and upbringing, and responsibility for the present and future of the baby .
Why prepare psychologically?
Psychological preparation for motherhood is aimed at developing a woman’s readiness for motherhood, this includes psychological preparation for childbirth- this is not only the process of childbirth itself, but also all the prenatal activities of the expectant mother associated with the birth of a little person (familiarization with perinatal psychology, familiarization with the intrauterine physiological and mental development of the child, features of the child’s development by trimester, etc.) and psychological preparation for raising a child and caring for him, and this is the postpartum activity of the mother, aimed at the upbringing and development of the little person (familiarization with child psychology, the specifics of caring for a newborn, the peculiarities of raising children of different ages, the specifics of the child’s daily routine, etc.).
Psychological readiness for motherhood presupposes:
- Personal readiness, the maturity of a woman, which presupposes not only sexual and age maturity, but also such qualities as: responsibility, a sense of compassion - empathy, a desire to engage in education and training, etc.
- The correct model of parental behavior, which involves the division of roles in the family (mother is the keeper of home comfort, a source of warmth and kindness), the establishment of a correct intra-family hierarchy, an education strategy (a clear understanding of methods and approaches to education), intra-family attitudes, etc.
- Motivational readiness– maturity of motivation for having a child, when having a child is not a way to achieve some secondary goals (a woman’s personal ambitions, a desired status in society, in the eyes of friends or her own parents, an attempt to keep a man, etc.).
- Maternal competence– treating the child as an independent person who has his own dreams and desires; knowledge of the mental and physical characteristics of the child; knowledge of children's age-related crises and forms of help to overcome them; compliance with the children's daily routine, acceptance of the child's individuality and much more.
- Formation of the maternal sphere– needs and readiness to be a mother. The maternal sphere is initially contained in a woman from birth, but for everyone it “awakens” and is expressed differently.
We distinguish emotional-need, operational and value-semantic readiness for motherhood.
- emotional and needy side is expressed in the need to have a child, take care of him, and experience emotions associated with the baby.
- operating room side is expressed in the desire to communicate and interact with the child: caring for the baby, affectionate, gentle behavior, etc.
- value-semantic side is expressed in a harmonious balance of awareness of the value of a child and motherhood.
We can say with complete confidence that the more a woman engages in self-development, the more responsibly she approaches the issue of giving birth and raising a child, the greater her chances of becoming a good mother and raising a happy child.
According to sociological studies, about 10% of pregnant women suffer from prenatal depression.
Knowing everything about childbirth and bearing children, many women are still psychologically unprepared for what awaits them. They often phrase it this way: “I no longer have control over my body or my life.”
The depressed state of the mother affects the development of the fetus. To avoid this, it is worth not only physiologically, but also psychologically prepare for.
Causes of Prenatal Depression
Unjustified expectations. The most common reason for prenatal pregnancy is high expectations. Some women believe that preparing for pregnancy includes some kind of plan for how everything should go, they are determined to control all aspects from conception to birth.
Changes during pregnancy can lead to increased anxiety, stress, and a nervous breakdown. It is important to recognize in advance that everything cannot be calculated and the body is capable of behaving differently than prescribed, although within normal limits.
Social pressure. Not all women are ready for the fact that their position will cause close attention from others. Sometimes you hear unwanted advice and intimate questions not only from family members or close friends, but also from colleagues, acquaintances and even complete strangers.
Psychological preparation for pregnancy consists, among other things, in being prepared in advance to give a correct rebuff when other people’s recommendations or curiosity seem inappropriate or tiresome.
Family problems. The old myth that a child can help save a marriage still persists. Sometimes believing in him leads to false hopes and family disaster. Preparing for pregnancy also includes solving problems between partners long before conception.
Family therapy is a more reliable way to improve relations between a wife and husband than the birth of a baby, which requires trust, partnership, developed communication skills, and the ability to negotiate from the couple.
Psychological problems. Pregnancy is a time when a woman asks questions about herself, about her own family history, about her relationship with her mother. If she has a history of frequent depression, psychological problems caused by child-parental history, it is very important, if not solved before conception, then to find a psychotherapist to whom she can turn for help in moments of exacerbation.
Because a woman's body changes dramatically during pregnancy, it also happens that those who suffer from low self-esteem struggle to accept their new image and suffer from eating disorders. According to research, this behavior is characteristic of every fiftieth expectant mother. Working on self-esteem is one of the stages of preparing for pregnancy.
Psychological preparation for pregnancy: answers to questions
- Why do you want to have a child?
- Are you and your partner ready for the changes that pregnancy and childbirth will bring to your lives?
- Have you discussed with your partner how you will care for the child and how you will divide responsibilities?
- Do you see yourself as a happy mother?
