Bringing a new life into the world is no mean feat, especially if it is your first time. You are bound to experience many challenges and changes–both physical and emotional. So it’s normal to feel a bit sceptical, all the while looking forward to holding your little one in your arms.
But though there is excitement for the arrival of your little one, as an expecting mum you may also have a few fears. Dreadful mums might even ask themselves, “What if I develop complications during birth?” or ” Will I ever lose my pregnancy weight?”
The good news is that you are not alone. There are many other expecting mums who have their own pregnancy fears and anxiety about what lies ahead.
We asked asked mums from theAsianparent community to share some of their worst pregnancy fear and here’s what they said.
What Is/Was Your Biggest Pregnancy Fear?
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A poll posted in the ‘pregnancy’ section of the TAP community asked users “What is/was your biggest pregnancy fear?” and about 504 responses were recorded.
- “I’ll have a miscarriage or stillbirth.”
The results show that 29% of the participants fear they will have a miscarriage or experience stillbirth. This fear was common among expecting mums. As you know, in Singapore alone, about 25% of pregnancies are said to end in miscarriage and previously around 73 stillbirths were recorded in the 2019 Report on Registration of Births and Dates.
- “My baby will have a birth defect.”
Holding the same weight was this response. Mums are worried that their baby might be born with a birth defect, which may be due to factors such as genes, infections, nutrition, or environment.
- “My baby would be born premature.”
The next big fear at 14% is giving birth to a premature child. Most mums are worried that having a premature child means, one born with pre-existing health problems.
- “I’ll develop complications like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia.”
About 12% of the poll respondents said that complications during their pregnancy such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia was a cause for worry.
- “I’ll give birth via cesarean.”
While c-section delivery is one of the most common forms of deliveries now, it is still intimidating to some mums-to-be. About 8% of users shared that they dreaded getting one.
- “I won’t lose the pregnancy weight.”
Some mummies are also worried about the outcome of their pregnancy with 8% sharing that their biggest pregnancy fear was not losing the weight they’ve gained after giving birth.
How You Can Avoid Miscarriage And Other Complications
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Your pregnancy fears and anxiety are valid and whatever dread you may be feeling is only a natural reaction. But as shared before, you should know that you’re not alone in this and that the best way to ensure that both you and your baby are safe through this whole journey is by adapting a healthier lifestyle.
While there is no clear prevention for miscarriage, you can still avoid pregnancy complications by:
- Seeking regular prenatal care
- Avoiding smoking, drinking and illicit drug use, which are all known to increase the risk of miscarriage
- Taking a daily dose of folate supplements
- Limiting your caffeine intake
- Practicing a healthy lifestyle by indulging in regular moderate exercise
Remember that it’s normal to feel worried about your unborn baby and that you must seek help from a healthcare professional to discuss such problems. A healthy mummy means a healthy baby so make sure that you also take extra care of yourself too mum-to-be!
With reports from Jaya.
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