Written by Emma Porter, family counselor for Maternity Services for Buckner Children and Family Services.

Pregnancy can feel empowering, isolating, unknown and exciting all at once. If it’s something you’ve never experienced before or been around, it can feel very overwhelming.  When heading into an unknown situation, it can bring up anxiety about how you should feel, what you should know and how you should act. 

Buckner Maternity Services provides pregnancy counseling and family support to connect mothers or families within Buckner programs with counseling, support groups, immediate needs assistance, prenatal and post-pregnancy education and resources on health and adoption. Buckner Maternity Services can facilitate a plan of adoption when requested by the expectant mother or provide additional support if parenting.

Tips to ease pregnancy anxiety 

1. Talk to your doctor. Stay away from asking friends or looking online as their experience and opinions may not apply to your situation and can cause you more anxiety.
2. Prenatal care. Not only will this help your baby, but it will also help you maintain your physical health and stay in touch with someone who is trained and can be there at pivotal moments. 
3. Engage in one self-care activity daily. Find one that can redirect your thoughts: A walk, reading a book, listening to music/podcast or dinner with a friend. There are so many things you can do that make you feel like you again. Just remember, self-care looks different for everyone. 
4. Allow yourself to feel concern. Have that time align with when you are talking to someone you trust to hear you out and validate your concerns while keeping you emotionally steady
5. Allow yourself to rest. Whether that is getting 8 hours of sleep or laying down and watching your favorite movie, make time to sit down, enjoy yourself and have alone time.
6. Talk to a counselor. There are many types of therapy and having a safe space to sit and share your feelings, fears and concerns is important.
7. Educate yourself. If you have fears about what stage you are at in pregnancy, what birth will be like, or how to prepare for postpartum, find a reputable source that will give you facts on what to look for and how to take care of yourself.
8. Meditate. Giving yourself time to sit in peace and quiet can help reset any stress you may be holding in your body. Allow yourself to feel what you need to feel and intentionally pursue the thoughts and feelings you need to process.

The Buckner counseling team can provide a safe space and direction for women to discover what self-care and coping skills they need during the journey of pregnancy. Our sessions provide unconditional positive regard within our four walls and give women the space they need to process and grow mentally and physically.

Find out more about the services available to support women both throughout pregnancy as well as pre and postpartum through Buckner’s Life Design and Maternity Services.