“I’m worried. I can’t sleep. It’s anxiety.” The message came through from Natalie a few minutes after I had logged onto our live chat service at MotherToBaby.org. “I’m 14 weeks pregnant and concerned about taking a SSRI” she continued. As a Teratogen Information Specialist, I answer questions about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding on a daily basis, and I was happy to chat with Natalie about this topic. Natalie had just returned from a visit to her OB/GYN’s office where she was …
The Baby Blog: anxiety
Stress, Pregnancy & the COVID-19 Pandemic: When You Have Anxiety about Having Anxiety
Sometimes we have anxiety about…well, having anxiety. Kristen contacted MotherToBaby and was asking about ways to manage her already extremely high anxiety around pregnancy and birth during the pandemic. Should I even try to get pregnant right now? How will I deal with my anxiety and stress if I do become pregnant? What if almost no one in my family can even come to the hospital when I go into labor? How can I deal with my anxiety during labor and birth? I could tell she had a tremendous amount …
When Counting Sheep Doesn’t Work: Insomnia and Pregnancy
By Patricia Markland Cole, MPH, MotherToBaby Massachusetts During my work at MotherToBaby, I have received calls from pregnant woman who want to know what can they safely take to sleep? Usually they are looking at natural remedies like melatonin for information. For some who have been on medications like Ambien before they were pregnant, they now wonder if they can use it because they are having a hard time catching those Zzzz’s. Even though I am not pregnant, I am sure all of us can relate to …
Is It Normal To Be Anxious During Pregnancy?
*May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month* By Elizabeth Salas, MPH, Teratology Information Specialist, MotherToBaby California If you are feeling anxious during your pregnancy, you’re not alone. It seems every year there are more articles and news stories on the latest health hazards. Whether you read it online or in a medical journal, hear it on the news or from friends and family, there’s no shortage of information on health concerns. This seems especially true during pregnancy. Having …
