Are you overwhelmed by nervousness and stress? In pregnancy, it is necessary to minimize them

The incompetence and misinformation spread through multimedia is overwhelming and unrelenting. Similarly, the impact of stress on fetal development.

You may read, for example, that stress has no effect on the development of the foetus. Yet various psychosomatic diseases are known and proven to occur. These diseases are caused primarily by stress, but also by fear, insecurity, anxiety or depression. These possible trivialities can cause a cascade of different biochemical events in the body that are not without consequences.

Most ridiculous is the information about how stress has positive effects on the fetus. We do not know how the author came to this conclusion. Stress, biochemical events and their effects on the woman and the fetus during an acute or chronic stress response can be found in the article. However, mild stress accelerating the growth of the child does not correspond with maturation and proper development.

Many sources describe the increased resilience of the child after birth to stress. However, this is little consolation compared to the risk of specific developmental learning disabilities and other psychiatric disorders that may arise.

Interesting: already Plato in his works respected the integrity between body and soul. Cicero also had knowledge or assumed a connection between physical diseases and mental health. S. Freud described the psychological causes of some diseases. F. Alexander was the first to specify somatic diseases with a psychological basis (bronchial asthma, arterial hypertension, neurodermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, thyrotoxicosis, duodenal and peptic ulcer). Eastern medicine still assumes a connection between mental and physical health.

Nervousness and stress - definition of basic concepts

Nervousness and stress are two concepts that are very closely related. Nervousness can deepen into stress and, conversely, stress reactions often manifest themselves in a set of symptoms that include nervousness. Their close association results in similarities or overlapping of some manifestations.

Tip: Anxiety, fear, depression or other symptoms.

Nervousness, why does it arise?

The word nervousness comes from the Latin word nervus (nerve). It is a feeling or state of inner tension. Sometimes it arises on a real basis, other times it comes on unexpectedly with no apparent cause. Sometimes the sufferer feels it throughout his or her body, sometimes specifically in the legs or stomach. People often also describe this phenomenon as pressure, tingling or an inner tremor.

In most cases, it occurs sporadically. It arises when a person is facing a test, a performance or a situation of which he or she is unsure. There is a fine line between nervousness and stress. Short-term nervousness is considered normal.

Long-term, intense and, above all, unjustified nervousness is a medical condition. According to the International Classification of Diseases, it is referred to as a neurotic disorder, often associated with hyperventilation tetany and other symptoms. The causes of this condition are defined as mental imbalances.

How does nervousness manifest itself?

• Unreasonable fear, phobias
• unfounded fears
• feelings of anxiety and depression
• feelings of hopelessness
• obsessions (intrusive thoughts)
• memory disorders, amnesia
• disturbances in concentration
• sleep disorders (insomnia, frequent waking, nightmares)
• feeling of a fluttering sensation in the stomach
• fatigue, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea
• increased heart rate
• excessive sweating
• tremor (hands or whole body)
• nonsensical movements, violent or jerky
• increased tone of voice, voice trembling, stuttering

Positive stress. Is that even possible?

Positive stress is referred to by psychologists as eustress. It occurs when the body is exposed to stress that, although it has positive overtones, is stressful to the body because of the increased demands.

Positive stress arises in situations where an individual's adaptive capacity is impaired with the advent of certain changes. However, it has a positive effect on the person and creates a kind of driving force.

Eustress is a driving force that makes us more active, stronger and resilient. Situations that trigger it are, for example, marriage, birth of a child, purchase of a dream house, coveted job position and promotion, etc. These examples are positive, but they also increase certain demands and changes in the future. Therefore, it exerts a stressful influence.

Manifestations of positive stress:

• nervousness, stress, explosiveness
• mood changes, feelings of anxiety and joy at the same time
• unjustified fears of impending change
• excessive or blunted empathy (ability to empathise with another's situation)
• obsessions (positive intrusive thoughts)
• constant ruminating and blunting of real social contact
• memory impairment, amnesia
• concentration disorders vs. excessive interest
• indecisiveness
• sleep disturbances (insomnia, daydreaming)
• fatigue, exhaustion alternating with hyperactivity
• increased heart rate
• excessive sweating, dry mouth
• tremor (hands or whole body)

Negative stress - the worst attribute

Logically worse than positive stress and undoubtedly worse than nervousness is negative stress. It is known as distress. Negative stress has negative effects on a person, occupying his mind and exhausting him to varying degrees (depending on the mental health and resilience of the individual). It is a common cause of psychosomatic illness.

Psychosomatic illnesses (psyche - soul, soma - body) are those illnesses or symptoms that arise from negative, psychological conditions. The psyche and the body are two different systems that are interconnected.

An imbalance in one causes an imbalance or problem in the other. A good example is cancer pain, which results in suffering, sadness, exhaustion, lack of zest for life, apathy, and withdrawal. Conversely, depression results in lack of appetite, vomiting, weight loss, and dehydration.

Manifestations of negative stress:

• unjustified fear, phobias
• unjustified and justified fears
• feelings of anxiety, hopelessness and depression
• negative obsessions (intrusive thoughts)
• excessive or blunted empathy
• mood swings, explosiveness, aggression, aggressiveness
• memory and memory retention disorders, amnesia
• concentration disorders
• sleep disturbances (insomnia, frequent waking, nightmares)
• feeling of a fluttering sensation in the stomach
• fatigue, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea
• dizziness, collapse
• increased heart rate, increase in blood pressure
• rapid and shallow breathing
• paleness in the face, excessive sweating
• tremor (hands or whole body)
• nonsensical movements, violent or jerky
• increased tone of voice, voice trembling, stuttering

How does stress affect a person?

The moment a stress factor takes effect, the body defends itself. This is a kind of defensive reaction against an external danger. It can be observed during the different stress phases.

Hormones are released into the blood, which act as a kind of protective barrier in the first to third phase of stress. However, with the intensity and duration of the stress, these reserves and the entire organism can be completely exhausted. This can cause severe damage to health, and in exceptional cases, the death of the organism.

Interesting fact: Unlike humans, animals undergo a stimulatory phase of stress management. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system sets their organism in motion in a similar way to humans (increased heart action, increased blood pressure, increased muscle tone, increased concentration), but the result is either attack or flight as protection against the impending danger.

Table with stages of stress

Important hormones and changes during the stress reaction

Stress is the body's defensive response to excessive mental or physical stress or an external or internal threat. Any agent of stress is called a stressor. A stressor can be an internal factor such as a genetic predisposition, metabolic or other disease. An external factor is a negative event. The following sequence of events is mediated by the hormonal and nervous system.

The stressor activates certain mechanisms in the organism. As a result, excessive amounts of hormones are released into the circulation. In some cases (less common), the secretion of some of them is reduced. Hormones are produced by the endocrine glands.

Activation in the hypothalamus (the lower part of the mesenchyme forming the bottom of the third cerebral ventricle) results in two simultaneous reactions, the first called sympatho-adreno-medullary, the second hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal.

The first reaction acts directly on the sympathetic system and activates it. The second reaction results in increased secretion of hypothalamic corticotropic hormones. These changes affect the remaining endocrine and hormonal systems by activating or inhibiting other hormones.

Table of basic "stress" hormones

Biochemical reactions in acute or chronic stress

During acute or chronic stress, the nervous, endocrine, cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal systems are activated.

The nervous system becomes alert to potential or imminent danger. Cognitive functions (thinking, memory, concentration, alertness, reaction time), senses (vision, hearing) improve and pain sensation is reduced.

Along with the alertness of the musculoskeletal system, there is an increase in the muscle tone of the striated muscles.

The cardiorespiratory system works faster. The heart rate increases, thus increasing blood supply and oxygenation to the organs. At the same time, peripheral blood vessels constrict and blood pressure rises, pupils dilate and coagulation time (blood clotting time) is significantly reduced. The bronchial tubes dilate, breathing is accelerated and deepened.

The endocrine system does not know in advance how long the body will be under stress. Therefore, it mobilizes all energy resources and builds up reserves.

On the other hand, the activity of the smooth muscles that make up the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems is severely inhibited. Intestinal peristalsis is reduced, which can cause constipation or, paradoxically, diarrhoea. The secretion of digestive juices is inhibited. Relaxation of the bladder muscles can result in urination. The sexual organs do not function as they should during stress. Erectile dysfunction occurs in men, for example, and vaginal dryness in women.

Interesting: Are you trying to have a baby but somehow it's not working? One of the causes may also be stress and its depressant effect on the reproductive system. A reduced chance of conception is proven.

The above-mentioned "stress" hormones are involved in these processes in the body. They affect other hormones in the body by their overproduction.

• Antidiuretic hormone - Produced in the hypothalamus, and to a lesser extent in the adrenal cortex and gonads. Acts on fluid metabolism by keeping it out of the cells when it is excessive. Absorbs water in the kidneys, thus greatly affecting their function. Increases blood pressure.
• Somatotropic hormone - It is a hormone of the adenohypophysis. It is a growth hormone that is mainly involved in the growth of bones, muscles and internal organs. Its overproduction causes acromegaly (increased growth of peripheral parts like ears, nose). Its decreased production significantly affects proper growth and development.
• Thyroxine - It is one of the hormones produced by the thyroid gland. Acute stress increases its production, causing a decrease in glycogen stores in the liver and an increase in sugar and nitrogenous substances in the bloodstream. It increases the heart rate by up to 20%. Chronic stress decreases its levels. It has a marked effect on the growth of tissues and organs because thyroxine inhibits the secretion of growth hormone.
• Follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, estrogens (sexual function, reproduction)
• Glucagon, insulin - These hormones are produced in the pancreas. Under acute stress, the amount of insulin increases and the amount of glucagon decreases. This causes hypoglycemia to hypoglycemic coma in diabetics. Under chronic stress, the opposite is true and hyperglycemia and metabolic disruption occur.
• Aldosterone - It is formed in the adrenal cortex and affects the permeability of cell membranes. It regulates water and some salt metabolism. It stimulates sodium absorption and potassium excretion.

Pregnancy and stress - science, research, experiments and results

The effect of stress on humans has already been briefly described. Pregnant women are no exception. Since they carry another living being inside them, they should be more cautious in this respect.

Intrauterine fetal development

During intrauterine development, the fetus is attached to the mother by the placenta and to the placenta by the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord provides the necessary nutrients and oxygen. It also carries away the products of metabolism. The placenta also provides a kind of protection or barrier against the mother's immune system, which would otherwise regard the embryo as a foreign body and fight against it.

The placenta is a temporary organ in the mother's body that produces certain hormones. These are important for maintaining pregnancy. These include chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is a familiar concept to any woman who has ever taken a pregnancy test. They also include estrogens, progesterone and lactogen.

It is also permeable to hormones forming and leaching into the mother's bloodstream. If hormones can affect an adult to such a large degree, what about a small and easily vulnerable fetus?

The effect of stress hormones on fetal growth and development

Stress as a factor affecting both the mother and the fetus is only one of the many factors acting on intrauterine development. It must be taken into account that the worst and least influential impact on the proper development of the newborn is genetics. The increased concentration of certain hormones in the amniotic fluid has been scientifically proven.

Important note: It should also be noted that the stress on the fetus must be severe, intense and long-lasting (rape, assault, murder, loss of a partner). Short-term stress from everyday life will not cause the birth of a child with mental retardation, spina bifida and underdeveloped organs.

Then there are factors such as the abusive use of certain drugs, the underlying, ongoing maternal (diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease), as well as various infections arising during pregnancy (meningitis, smallpox).

Tip: Influenza in pregnancy

Research into the administration of glucocorticoids

Scientists at the University of Cambridge, one of the world's most renowned universities, have confirmed the effect of stress on fetal growth through a study. The test sample was fetuses of mice that were injected with the stress hormone glucocorticoids. They were significantly smaller compared to fetuses of mice that were not given the hormone. These hormones interfere and significantly disrupt the transport of sugars across the placenta. This causes intrauterine nutritional disorders, growth disturbances and subsequently low birth weight.

Animal (mammalian) research clearly demonstrates the influence of stress and its lasting consequences at the neuroendocrine level and in the later behaviour of the child. Glucocorticoids released during stress have an effect on brain development (adenocorticotropic hormone, hydrocortisone - smaller head circumference). This area is of course constantly subjected to various studies.

The effect of somatotropic hormone on the fetus

However, fetal growth and weight also depend on increased or decreased levels of hormones in the mother's body. This is mainly somatotropic hormone. Its concentration depends on whether it is only an acute stress reaction or chronic stress. Its excess can result in excessive fetal weight and associated premature birth. Conversely, its reduced concentration can cause low birth weight, prematurity and poor development of bones and internal organs.

Prolonged exposure to stress and stress hormones increases the risk of poor development of certain organs and increases the possibility of birth defects of the heart, lungs, intestines or nervous system.

Steroids and thyrotoxin

Slight crossing of the placenta is noted with steroids or thyroxine, for example. These act on the fetus in a similar way to that of an adult. Thyrotoxine inhibits fetal growth and interferes significantly with the concentration of glucose and insulin in the body. It can cause reduced growth, low birth weight and metabolic disorders. These can be an obstacle to the proper development of the baby.

Secondary influence of hormones based on disorders induced in the mother

There are more cases recorded in the later stages of pregnancy where sudden onset and severe stress just before delivery has caused premature birth. How is this possible? Stress and its effect on muscle tissue can induce premature uterine contractions and hence, of course, labour.

Hormones are unpredictable and can affect the fetus secondarily. Primarily they affect the mother. They induce certain changes in her body, even disease, which secondarily affect the unborn baby.

Table of diseases occurring during pregnancy and their effect on the foetus

These somatic diseases of the mother on a psychological basis can cause premature placental abruption, gynaecological bleeding and increase the risk of miscarriage. They also affect the weight and development of organs and tissues in the newborn.

Tip: How to recognize preeclampsia in pregnancy

The exact effects of stress on the fetus are constantly debated by moms and experts alike. What is 100% certain is that stress has a predominantly negative impact on the newborn. For this reason, it should be minimized and not endanger the baby.