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Overcoming Early Pregnancy Fears | A Virtuous Woman

Overcoming Early Pregnancy Fears

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.
Overcoming Early Pregnancy Fears | A Virtuous Woman
Photo Credit: Jason Nelson

The first three months of pregnancy are often the most stressful. Not only is your body changing , your world is about to change too. You have to start considering the baby’s well-being in every decision that you make. It can be easy to spend the first few months terrified that you will do something wrong or afraid that you have already made a harmful mistake before discovering your pregnancy. All of these worries can result in a stressed out and over -anxious mom-to-be.

Your pregnancy isn’t as fragile as it seems, however. Your body is designed to protect the baby from harm and Dr. Adelaide Nardone, OB/GYN and Medical Advisor to the Vagisil Women’s Health Center, offers some advice and reassurance about some of the most common concerns of early pregnancy.

Abdominal Pain – These pains are one of the most upsetting parts of early pregnancy because of the fear of impending miscarriage. In most cases the pain is experienced as mild cramping and is completely normal. “This is associated with implantation of the embryo, placentation, and the enlarging uterus.” explains Dr. Nardone.

Toward the beginning of the second trimester many women begin to experience pain in the lower part of the uterus, as the body begins to make room for the rapidly growing fetus. “This is often from the stretching of the round ligaments.” Dr. Nardone says. These are the structures that attach your uterus to the abdominal walls.

In most cases these aches and pains are nothing to worry about, but if you have severe, persistent or sudden pain that is accompanied by a fever or bleeding you should see your doctor right away. It could be a sign of kidney problems, urinary tract infection, or even preterm labor.

Back Pain – Back pain can also be a cause for worry since it is sometimes associated with miscarriage, but it’s a natural part of pregnancy and can be caused by many things. These include changes in posture due to the growing uterus and strain from carrying the extra weight. The weakening of abdominal muscles and decreased support for the spine can also result in back pain.

“Women should attempt to wear sensible shoes when they are pregnant and get off their feet when possible.“ advises Dr. Nardone. She also stresses the importance of avoiding heavy lifting and straining. Sitting in comfortable chairs and sleeping on a comfortable mattress will also go a long way in easing backaches.

Nausea and Vomiting – Occasional nausea and vomiting are almost inescapable during pregnancy. But sometimes vomiting can be so severe that keeping food down is next to impossible. It’s natural to worry that the baby isn’t getting everything it needs to develop. “Fortunately, mother nature provides well for the growing fetus even in times when the mother of the baby is lacking nourishment. Maternal stores are often recruited to provide the baby with sufficient nutrients.” says Dr. Nardone .

Its extremely important that you get plenty of fluids in order to prevent dehydration. Take small sips all through the day to avoid upsetting your stomach. You should also try to eat a little of whatever food you can tolerate, even if that means several nibbles instead of a meal. Always take the prenatal vitamin prescribed by your doctor, it was designed to help your body provide for the baby in times like these.

Caffeine – If you are among the millions who begin the day with a caffeine fix you may be concerned that you drank too much coffee before discovering your pregnancy. Caffeine hasn’t been proven to increase the risk of miscarriage or birth defects, although large amounts of caffeine may raise the heart rate of both mom and baby. Dr. Nardone’s advice is, “If a pregnant woman needs her caffeine fix in the morning she can allow herself a cup of coffee. If she wants more it is advisable to switch to decaf.”

Hot Baths – It is always recommended that using hot tubs or taking hot baths be avoided during pregnancy, but what if you have already indulged? You can relax, there is very little chance that you did any harm. The water would have to be 102 degrees and you would have to stay in for 20 minutes. It’s very unlikely that you would be able to stand the water for that length of time.

A warm bath is a great way to relax during pregnancy and is perfectly safe. You don’t have to obsess about the perfect temperature, Dr. Nardone offers a simple, common sense guide, “If you are sweating in the bathtub, chances are the water is too hot.”

Stress and Anxiety – Many expectant moms feel guilty when they allow the pressures of daily life to upset them. The fact is that some anxiety and stress is unavoidable, and Dr. Nardone suggests, can even be helpful. “Some degree of stress in pregnancy is probably not harmful and may help to make the woman more determined and focused throughout her pregnancy.”

Too much stress or anxiety can be harmful however, and may put you at risk for pre-term labor, a low birth weight baby, or even miscarriage. The poor nutrition and insomnia that can result from excess stress isn’t healthy for you or your baby. Make sure that you take time to relax and try not to let the pressures of daily life overwhelm you. Dr. Nardone offers these suggestions for reducing stress:

  • Don’t over commit or overextend yourself.
  • Learn to relax and take control.
  • Take time out to “distress.”
  • Occasional take-out dinners can free up much time and energy.
  • A relaxing warm bath or foot massage can do wonders.
  • Allow yourself the pleasure of enjoying the life growing inside of you.

Being pregnant is a wonderful, exciting, and sometimes stressful experience. Remember, your body is doing what it was designed to do. Take care of yourself, relax and your pregnancy can be one of the happiest times in your life!

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About Melissa Ringstaff

My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I've been blogging here at A Virtuous Woman since 2001. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern KY. I believe in finding freedom from perfection and living life with purpose and I want to help you do exactly that.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to visit with me. I hope we can be friends!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. elizabeth young

    November 18, 2013 at 9:35 am

    Thank you for this article. I recently found out i was pregnant. I have a 15 year old and 6 year old. I have them spaced out pretty well. Thank you for this article. With so much negativity on the internet, this was so nice and comforting to read. Although i've been through this before, it sure is hard to relax and remember it all! Thanks again
    Reply
  2. Jessica

    October 1, 2014 at 3:22 pm

    Thank you for this comforting article. I had my first miscarriage last December, and just found out today that I am pregnant again. Of course I am anxious, but I am trusting God! Thank you for reminding me to slow down, and enjoy every minute of this miracle!
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      October 1, 2014 at 3:49 pm

      Jessica, that's such wonderful news! My second pregnancy ended in miscarriage. It was a very difficult, sad time in my life. God bless you and your precious little one!
      Reply
      • Jessica

        October 1, 2014 at 3:56 pm

        Thank you!! :D
  3. Blair

    March 8, 2015 at 7:10 pm

    Thanks for this article!! I have a step son that is 14. My husband and I have a 4year old, and had a miscarriage in Novemeber. We are about 4-6 weeks pregnant again. Going for the 1st ultrasound tomorrow. I'm so scared and anxious. I'm such a worry-wart!! I know God is in control, just still hard to breathe!!!
    Reply

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Freedom from perfection. 🪁
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Proverbs 31 for modern women. 👱‍♀️
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Life: @melissa.ringstaff

Melissa Ringstaff
Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just because there was a pandemic. Our family has faced many trying times in the past but 2020 gave us some doozies.  I’m looking forward to a new year. The beginning of the new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like HOPE.  But the truth is, whatever heartaches and hardships you and I were facing on Dec. 31 will most likely still be there on Jan. 1.  That’s why it’s hard to keep New Years resolutions. It’s easy to feel motivated for a few days or a couple weeks until we realize life hasn’t really changed and things are still hard.  But if we want to see real change it takes hard work and real effort. It takes showing up every day - even when it’s hard.  Whether that means working on your fractured relationships or setting healthy boundaries or cultivating self disciple... whatever that hard thing is that you need to work on ... it will only get better if you work on it.  We aren’t promised an easy life. But we are promised an “Ever Present Help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1  *
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We’re coming into the new year with all the same We’re coming into the new year with all the same problems we had in the last year. And that’s okay! Life doesn’t have to be perfect to still be amazing. Perfectionism is a joy stealer. Let’s determine to enjoy life right now in all its messiness.  I believe you can find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose. #purposenotperfection  #christian #Jesus #love #quotes #quoteslife #quotestoliveby #godisgood #votd #lifequotes #inspirationalquotes #life #motivationalquotes #inspiration #bible #bb #bestoftheday #happiness #wordofgod
🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. 🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. It’s a ministry to your family and all who enter your home.  But I want you to know: You don’t have to be perfect. ❤️  There’s a fine line between teaching your children to be neat and insisting on perfection. No one can meet that kind of standard and it can be detrimental to the emotional health of your family.  What we want for our homes is to provide a space that is neat and clean enough that your family and friends feel comfortable and well loved.  There is freedom in accepting the fact that you’re not perfect. Not to make excuses for slovenliness - but to give yourself grace.  It’s when we recognize our weakness that we find ourselves reaching out to Jesus to receive the power that comes only from him. As homemakers, when we can find grace for the moment when we accept His Gift.  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8  Let His Grace wash over you, cleanse your weary heart. Homemaking isn’t about creating a perfect space. It’s about creating a home where loved ones feel cared for and nurtured. 
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❤️Your attitude about homemaking matters.⠀
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A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. 🏠⠀
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But, anyone can clean and organize a home. ⠀
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☑️ Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.⠀
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Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.⠀
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There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.⠀
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Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.⠀
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The good news is, even if you’ve been struggling with your homemaking, you can always go to God and ask Him for help. ⠀
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He sees the unseen work of your hands. And He loves you very, very much. He wants to help you succeed. ⠀
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking  #youngwife #housewife
🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regu 🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regular time with Jesus every day, you’re not alone. Lots of busy Christian women struggle to find time for a daily prayer and devotion time. ⠀
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But I still want to encourage you to start your day with God! ⠀
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⏰ If it’s hard to spend 30 minutes in the morning for a quiet time, I want you to remember you can still begin your day with God – even if that means saying a short prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning.⠀
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✝️ I also want to encourage you to memorize this verse:⠀
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.⠀
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 📖⠀
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In the morning you can recite this verse and say a prayer. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Although – if you do have time – you will be greatly blessed by spending more time in prayer and devotion.⠀
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📌 Free Printable Morning Prayer Prompts on the blog today: https://avirtuouswoman.org/morning-prayer-prompts/  #linkinbio ⠀
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🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be inte 🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be intentional with how I plan our days. I love any opportunity to create a good memories at home for my family and guests. ⠀⠀
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📌 If you're looking to make this holiday season really special, you need to be intentional. Goodness knows 2020 has had a lot of ups and downs. And maybe you feel like it's been mostly downs. ⠀⠀
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🎄 But the holiday season is a chance to focus on celebrating the life we have right now. Things don't need to be perfect for us to celebrate life right now!!⠀⠀
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☑️ Inside the pages of my Purpose 31 holiday planner, you'll find 8 weeks of planning and cleaning all laid out for you. Recipe pages, journaling pages, and more - 120 pages total. ⠀⠀
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✏️ The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner is by far one of the most popular resource I produce each year. ⠀⠀
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Thousands of women have downloaded it over the last four years I've offered it.⠀⠀
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So, even though it's early still, you can go ahead and downlaod it. Print it out and then set it up so you're ready to go.⠀⠀
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I usually take my holiday planner down to Office Depot and have them spiral bind it with a plastic cover for about $5.00. This year, though, I just bought a new 3 ring binder at Walmart, printed off extra cover pages to slip in the clear sleeve, and created a binder with it. ⠀⠀
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📌📌📌 If you use the planner this year, be sure to share and tag me in your photos! ❤️⠀  Download: https://avirtuouswoman.org/holiday-planner/ #linkinbio
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #christmas #holidayplanning #planningaddict #plannercommunity #freeprintables #thanksgiving #christmastree  #plannerobsessed
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