• Stress can reduce blood supply to the uterus by up to 65%, resulting in lower fetal heart rate, blood oxygenation and less nutrients to your growing baby. (Osborne 2010)


• Stress contributes to increased maternal heart rate, blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, miscarriage, gestational hypertension, including eclampsia and immune system dysfunction. Constant severe stress may increase your chances of a premature birth. (Osborne 2010)


• High anxiety levels during pregnancy contribute to interference with fetal brain and central nervous system development which can affect your baby later in life by increasing her chances of developing behavioral and neurodevelopmental problems such as attention deficit disorder, anxiety disorders, and language delays. (Talge et al. 2007)

It appears that both the physiological and affective effects of stress are lessened as a woman moves through her pregnancy, so that early prenatal stress may be more detrimental than that which occurs closer to term. (Glynn et al. 2004)

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