Part 1

Stress does affect your health and it can affect your baby too. Below are some of the ways that stress can affect your health.

• Diet - When you are under stress, your pulse increases, your blood pressure rises and your body starts to burn extra fuel. This will use up some nutrients, leaving you feeling tired and lethargic. Hannah says, "Eating a balanced diet with fruit and vegetables is important." Nutrition expert Leslie Beck also stresses the importance of diet when you're feeling stressed. "When your body is mobilizing fuel sources to combat stress, B vitamins most notably are used," she says.



• Exercise - When you exercise your body produces chemicals which are known as 'anti-stress chemicals' or 'feel good chemicals'. This doesn't mean you need to complete a full aerobic workout. The old saying 'taking a walk to brush away the cobwebs' has actually got a lot of sense in it. The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research explain, "Any form of physical activity can help you unwind and become an important part of your approach to easing stress." And Hannah suggests that yoga and meditation has the same effects. "Midwives can teach simple relaxation techniques, or they can be learnt from books or cassette tapes."



• Nicotine and Caffeine - Despite what you may believe, both smoking and coffee do not help you if you're stressed. In fact they can make things worse. Guy Baglow, clinical director of Mindspa, explains, "When you smoke your pulse and blood pressure increase. The exact same thing happens when you're stressed." Caffeine expert, Meri Rafetto, explains that coffee also has the same effects. "Caffeine, specifically in coffee, has been shown to elevate stress hormones including cortisol. Decreasing caffeine and coffee intake can go a long way towards managing your stress more effectively."

To be continued.....

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