Anxiety in Mothers & Babies

Prenatal Anxiety Effects

• During pregnancy, a woman's body goes through tremendous changes that are both physical and emotional. Anxiety disorders can either begin in pregnancy or worsen. The chances of prenatal anxiety are higher if the woman has experienced an unplanned pregnancy, domestic violence, separation, has a poor support system or struggled with a mood disorder before becoming pregnant. Woman who experience prenatal anxiety are less likely to seek proper prenatal care, and have an increased risk of hypertension, poor prenatal nutrition, miscarriage, preterm labor and a low birth weight baby. Normal pregnancy fears and concerns, such as worries about the pregnancy's progression, the baby's health or about childbirth, are normal for every pregnant mother. Anxiety becomes a problem when its symptoms prevent moms from taking proper care of their health.

Anxiety's Affect On Parenting

• Anxiety disorders contribute to mothers caring for themselves and others improperly, and cause difficulty relating to others emotionally. Severe anxiety causes difficulty bonding with and responding to the infant. Panic attacks and physical symptoms distract moms from giving the infant enough attention or nurturing the baby's basic needs, like hunger, sleep and the need for physical closeness. Maternal anxiety is linked to lower rates of breastfeeding, due to mothers not feeling as connected or nurturing toward the baby. Not breastfeeding can further impacts the mother's mental health, as nursing releases feel-good chemicals that ease anxiety and aid in the bonding process with a new baby. A mother who is overprotective as a result of anxious thinking contributes to the child becoming anxious and fearful of others. While new moms often worry about the health of their infant and whether they are doing a good job parenting, these sorts of fears are not a concern unless they cause obsessive thoughts and behaviors or severe panic attacks that prevent them from properly caring for the baby.

Babies Response to Anxiety

• Possible effects of prenatal anxiety on babies include difficult infant temperaments, increased fussiness, difficulty with attention and emotional regulation and developmental difficulties. A possible link between prenatal anxiety and higher rates of illness and antibiotic use in infants was demonstrated in research published in the July 2010 journal "Pediatrics." When mothers are less responsive to their infants due to anxiety, infants may respond with poor appetite and sleep, increased neediness and delayed development due to less parent-child interaction. Children born to mothers with anxiety disorders have a higher chance of developing anxiety disorders as they age, suggests the results of a longitudinal study published in 2008 in "The British Journal of Psychiatry."

Calming Techniques for Moms and Infants

• If you feel anxious while pregnant or in the postpartum period and you feel that it is interfering with your ability to care for yourself or your child, speak to your doctor about treatment options and building a solid support system. Adopt relaxation techniques such as meditation, mindfulness and guided relaxation. Employ calming techniques for your baby as well, such as swaddling, rocking and infant massage. A mother who sings and reads to her baby may feel calmer and closer to her baby by trying these activities. Practicing these techniques daily may help mothers focus more on infant needs and be more present with the baby.