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Easing Expectant Fears

How to Relax and Enjoy Your Pregnancy

By Kendeyl Johansen

"I worried so much that I couldn't enjoy being pregnant. I just wanted it over and done with," she says. Fortunately, her baby was fine. "Fear can rob a person of any and all joy if they let it. And I let it," she says.

Whatever your worries might be, it's important to find ways to cope with them. Dr. Bittle offers several methods for coping with pregnancy and motherhood anxiety:

• Discuss your fears with your partner, a friend or a family member. Many women feel better after talking things out.
• Express your worries to your health care provider. His or her medical expertise and background can dispel many fears.
• Educate yourself. The more you know the less you fear. Head to the library or log onto the Internet to research your worries.

Occasionally, worrying can lead to obsession or depression. "Often, your partner or a close friend can give you the first feedback that worries are out of control," Dr. Bittle says. "They might mention you're obsessing about losing the baby even though all indications are normal and you're close to delivery."

Signs of unhealthy fears include changed eating or sleeping habits that don't return to normal, like inability to get out of bed or feelings of constant unhappiness. These symptoms warrant a visit with your doctor.

There are as many different worries as there are pregnancies. Teena Perry of Texas is adopted, and while pregnant she worried about inherited diseases she might pass along. "For me, each pregnancy is a chance," she says.

Want to see more?

• Hyperemisis Gravidarum: Surviving Extreme Morning Sickness
• Pregnant ... Again: Pregnancy After Miscarriage
• Easing Labor Pain: The Complete Guide to a More Comfortable and Rewarding Birth
• Talk about it!

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