By Katie Cassidy, MA, RP(Q) and Shulamit Ber Levtov, MA, RSW, CCTP

Are you pregnant and losing your hair–even more hair than your hormones should be causing you to lose–due to the stress of COVID-19?

Being pregnant is stressful enough on its own.  Here are some tips to help you cope emotionally during the COVID experience.

Predictability

Being prepared and having an idea of what will happen ahead of time allows you to be and feel more prepared. This decreases stress and anxiety overall.

  • Having a birth plan in place can significantly reduce the worries related to the unknowns of your birthing process. Your midwife, doula or doctor can help you with this.
  • Keep up with your pre-natal visits or care.
  • Call the medical professional who is following you throughout your pregnancy and ask how your care is to be adjusted due to COVID.  This may look like virtual appointments instead of in-person, having a limited number of guests with you at the birth, etc.

Stay as safe as possible

  • As public health officials advise,
    • continue to stay safe at home, leaving only for essential reasons.
    • Follow the guidelines of physical distance and wash your hands.

Promote calm

  • Equally important is keeping the mind calm, and all the more so when you’re pregnant.
  • Taking time-outs to listen to soothing or happy music can help.
  • Breathing exercises can be helpful. Here is an example of one you can use right now.

Support

  • Reaching out for support can help you feel less anxious because it helps you know you’re not alone.
  • Reach out to trusted loved ones or to your community to express your worries about COVID.
  • Give yourself a break.You’ll be capable of even less these days because of the extra demands and stress. Go easy on yourself.
  • Ask for help to lessen the load on you. You deserve help and co-operation has benefits. We live in a culture that values independence and yet Darwin himself observed that groups who co-operate do better than those who don’t.

At Kemptville Stress Relief Centre, we are all available to support you with virtual sessions. You can find out about virtual sessions here. To learn more or to book an appointment, call 613-868-9642 or email us at info@ksra.ca