Going through pregnancy is one of the most marvelous things that a woman alone can experience. You get to carry another human being in your womb, and he or she may become the next superstar or President. Your loved ones seem to care for you more now more than ever because they want you to have a safe delivery.

Despite that, it is impossible to dissolve worries when you are pregnant. You may find your changing body bizarre, primarily when it happens to be your first pregnancy. Many things can affect the baby in your belly, and not all of them produce excellent results. There’s also the likelihood of birthing a child with developmental disabilities – that will not show in any medical examination conducted on you throughout the gestation period.

Now, for your unborn baby’s sake, we suggest practicing mindfulness to keep your pregnancy worry-free. Below are the benefits that can originate from that.

1. You Can Sleep Better

Having different thoughts running nonstop in your head results to many sleepless nights. No matter how much you toss in bed or count sheep with your eyes closed, the scenarios keep playing. It is as if somebody decided to flip through the channels in your mind, and you cannot focus on anything.

This problem occurs since you may have plenty of unresolved questions that you don’t want to voice out. It is up to you whether they will remain hidden or not, but meditating will allow you to find peace within yourself, whether you receive answers or not. The more you practice it, the more you can avoid being sleep-deprived.

2. Your Emotional Attachment To The Baby May Strengthen

When you ask expectant mothers if they feel excited about meeting their child soon, some may look reluctant and say, “Yeah, sure.” These women feel guilty of not feeling much about the baby in their womb, which can happen sometimes.

Luckily, once you practice mindfulness, you’ll be able to put other things at the back of your mind and communicate more with your unborn kid internally. That is when you get emotionally attached to him or her. So when someone asks the same question again, you don’t have to lie about your excitement to see your little one in person.

3. You Get To Prepare For The Birth Mentally

Stress has a way of playing with your mind when you are close to your due date. Although your clothes, as well as the baby’s, are already in the bag, and the doctor assured you over and over that you and your child are healthy, you may still freak out and think of the adverse incidents that might take place during the delivery.

The truth is that mothers usually break down like that because they are not mentally prepared for the baby’s arrival. It is the time when the expectant mom starts doubting her capability to take care of another human being. It also makes her worry about what the future may bring to the family, which should not be in anyone’s priority list right now.

Once you try mindfulness meditation, though, you will be able to figure out how to deal with such anxious thoughts. You can understand that you should only be concentrating on your present life, on doing everything to deliver your baby safely.

Won’t it be incredible to get to do all of that by merely practicing mindfulness?

While going to your checkups and letting the OB-GYN monitor your pregnancy is important, being mindful can help reduce your worries while expecting. It is beneficial, primarily when you want to prevent complications that stress can cause. Nobody else can make that happen for you; you need to regain your inner balance first to calm your body and mind.

Learn the art of mindfulness as soon as possible. Good luck!

It was when she could not take the sight of her newborn child that she decided to ask for help.

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It feels like an endless downward spiral in a lonely world.

For decades, the healthcare industry has believed hormonal increase due to pregnancy shielded women from mental illnesses such as depression. This idea was further supported by societal assumptions that every woman who is bearing a child should feel overjoyed due to the reality of an upcoming addition to the family. In time, a lot of sectors believed, even the mothers themselves, that depression usually occurs after childbirth; time has proven this conclusion wrong.

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When depression strikes, regardless of gender, age, or social status, it will hit hard and bad.

For the majority of expectant mothers, old and new, having a child is equivalent to a prayer answered; the thought that after a couple of months, they will be able to hold their newborn and marvel at the miraculous sight give soon-to-be moms the unequaled feeling of pride and joy. However, not everyone feels that way at one point in their pregnancy stage. Some women feel stressed, confused, anxious, and depressed upon seeing the two mocking lines on the strip.

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“There was a moment when I questioned my very existence that I no longer want to live, not even for my baby.” –a depressed mom’s daunting confession.

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Depression is like building an invisible wall between you and your child; a wall that only you can conquer.

One out of seven mothers will suffer pregnancy-related depression regardless of the number of children; this is data provided by the American Psychiatric Association. Mothers are most vulnerable to experiencing postpartum depression (PPD) after delivery; wherein they suffer from severe physical, emotional, biological, social, and financial changes all at the same time. Sometimes, the “baby blues” have become so extensive that it interferes with how mothers bond with their babies.

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It’s time to address the elephantscrowding up the room.

Did you just say that? Well, this is awkward. First off, you don’t know what you’re talking about, and second, you’re making a fool out of yourself. Just when you thought you’re helping out, you’re not. Sometimes, staying mum about a subject that you have no experience whatsoever or have no basic knowledge of is the best way you can help someone who is struggling with depression.

If you keep on saying these eight common insensitive phrases that depressed moms never want to hear, might as well stop before you hurt yourself.

1. Just Pray, It’ll Get Better

Honestly, it won’t. Without proper treatment, depression cannot be resolved by asking the gods for a miracle or some sort. Praying harder wouldn’t take the suffering away, either. Faith has nothing to do with mental illness.

2.Women Get Pregnant All The Time, Live Through It

Or silently die along with it. Imagine, women being strong enough to live through their pregnant lives without having to worry about depression, what a perfect world that would be! Unfortunately, life is messy, and the world is chaotic so living through with depression is like having a ticking time bomb that is about to explode any minute. One out of seven women will experience PPD, and that is a fact.

3. Just Take A Hike Or Something

Though exercise is a coping strategy, it may not work for severe depression. Going out for a walk or taking some time off to bond with friends will not wash away depressive symptoms. Postpartum depression is not something that goes away with just a touch of a button. There’s no secret handshake to take all the emptiness away. What the person needs is professional help and people who are willing to listen without opposing statements or judgmental opinions.

4. This Is Not About You; It’s About The Baby

Postpartum depression is about the mother. Mental illness during pregnancy or after childbirth will only affect the child if it is left untreated and the symptoms have gotten worse. Telling a mother to focus more on her baby rather than herself is like riding a crashing plane and instructing the choking mom to first put the oxygen mask on her baby before putting on hers. How can you help someone if you can’t even help yourself?

5. I Know How You Feel

Do you? If you’re saying these empty words for the sake of compassion, you’re turning things around and making the situation about you and your experience with “baby blues.” Fact is, “baby blues” is way different than depression. Also, just because you’ve read it somewhere or did a research about it, doesn’t mean that you are well-equipped to air out consoling words because honestly, you wouldn’t know how depression feels like until you’ve suffered yourself.

6. You’re Just Jealous

When a mother is irritated or gets angry at the sight or sound of her child, it doesn’t mean that the green-eyed monster is taking hold of her, making her feel envious of the insurmountable amount of affection the baby is receiving. It is not normal for mothers to feel alienated from their baby primarily because they have carried them inside their wombs for months. If moms are hesitant to hold or take care of their newborn, it’s not because they wanted to but because the mental illness is severely debilitating them to do so.

7. You Should Be Grateful

Don’t you think the mother would know that by now? They are well-aware that they have been blessed with a beautiful baby; but because of chemical imbalance inside their brains that can only be resolved by psychological treatments, depressed moms, no matter how hard they try, cannot feel the same amount of gratitude and joy the way other moms feel.

8. Just Do What You’re Supposed To Do, It’ll Go Away

This statement, no matter how good the intentions are for thinking that being preoccupied will make the mom “forget” about the condition, is not helpful at all. Depressed moms cannot function like they did before they were overwhelmed by the illness. Carrying such a heavy burden inside without proper treatment and an understanding support group will just worsen the situation.

In this period of progression, people are expected to be more open-minded and accepting that there are existing mental illnesses that can affect anybody. Blurting out nonsensical things about a serious medical condition can only add more trauma and stress on the person, thus making her more miserable. Disregarding the existence of depression will only hinder immediate care and treatment. So, think before you speak or don’t speak at all.