It’s natural to feel anxious and worried during pregnancy
During pregnancy, there are many health risks for both the mother and the fetus. Many pregnant women worry about what might happen during the early stages of pregnancy and after giving birth, causing them to lose sleep.
However, it is not unusual to feel various anxieties and worries during pregnancy. Many pregnant women feel anxious even when going for a prenatal checkup if it is their first pregnancy and birth. In addition, the large amounts of hormones secreted during pregnancy can make some women feel irritable and anxious.
Strong stress can sometimes affect the development of the fetus. It is important to recognize that feelings of anxiety, worry, and irritability are due to hormonal imbalance, and to consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist or midwife as soon as possible if you have concerns about your medical examination or health condition.
Anxiety during pregnancy checkups
Once you find out you are pregnant, you will need to have regular prenatal checkups to monitor the progress of your pregnancy and the development and health of your fetus.
Prenatal checkups are conducted once every 1-2 weeks from the first visit until the third month of pregnancy, once every 4 weeks from the 4th to 6th month, once every 2 weeks from the 7th to 9th month, and once a week once you reach the final month of pregnancy. Also, once you pass your due date, you may be required to have prenatal checkups twice a week, so be sure to check with your hospital.
Prenatal checkups mainly consist of urine tests, weight measurements, and blood pressure measurements, and must be done at every prenatal checkup. These tests are necessary to check for excessive weight gain, urinary protein, urinary sugar, etc., and to detect gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension at an early stage. Other examinations include a medical interview, abdominal circumference and fundal length measurements, swelling tests, ultrasound examinations, blood tests, internal examinations, and explanations. Abdominal circumference, fundal length measurements, and swelling tests are checked every time from the middle of pregnancy onwards, and blood tests are done two to three times during that time.
In addition to this, cervical cancer screening, vaginal secretion test, oral glucose tolerance test, cervical length measurement, and NST (non-stress test) will be performed once each.
Various tests are performed during prenatal checkups. Many pregnant women get excited or upset about the results of the tests, and during periods of morning sickness and when their bellies are getting bigger, they feel stressed or anxious just going to the hospital. For this reason, we often hear people say things like, “Prenatal checkups are a hassle,” or “What will happen if I don’t go to the checkups?” However, prenatal checkups are very important for the health of the mother and fetus. Be sure to take the tests at the designated times.
Pregnancy and money worries
Pregnancy is not an illness, so prenatal checkups are not covered by insurance. You will need to visit the hospital 12 to 16 times over the first nine months of your pregnancy. Normally, each visit would cost around 5,000 to 15,000 yen, which would amount to a total of 70,000 to 150,000 yen.
However, in April 2009, a subsidy system was established that, in principle, makes up to 14 prenatal checkups free of charge. The “Prenatal Checkup Ticket” that you receive along with your maternal and child health handbook serves as a subsidy voucher. However, not all municipalities currently offer free checkups, and the amount of the burden varies depending on the municipality, and the subsidy content varies.
Also, if gestational diabetes or pregnancy-induced hypertension is found, additional tests may require additional expenses and the subsidy voucher may not be sufficient, so you may have to pay for them yourself. Please check with the hospital in advance. The cost of prenatal checkups is eligible for the medical expense deduction system. Pregnant women who plan to apply should keep their receipts.
Pregnancy and work anxiety
Pregnant women who are employed will need to take time off work during pregnancy and after giving birth. Depending on their occupation and financial circumstances, many pregnant women continue to work after the stable period until the due date. However, it is difficult to predict changes in physical condition during pregnancy, so understanding from your workplace is also necessary.
For these reasons, regardless of employment status, pregnant women who are employed often have anxiety and worries during pregnancy and about returning to work after giving birth. In either case, it is important to prioritize your health and to have thorough discussions with your partner, family, and employer about when you can take maternity leave, postpartum leave, and childcare leave.
Maternity leave and postpartum leave
Pregnant women are entitled to leave such as maternity leave, maternity leave, and childcare leave as permitted by the Labor Standards Act. These can be taken by anyone, regardless of employment status (regular or non-regular).
Maternity leave
If a pregnant woman requests maternity leave, she is allowed to take leave starting six weeks before the expected date of delivery (14 weeks in the case of multiple pregnancies). If the woman so wishes, she may continue working until the day before the birth.
Maternity leave
Even if the woman does not request maternity leave, she is not allowed to work for six weeks from the day after the birth. However, since the woman can choose to take leave or return to work for the seventh or eighth week after giving birth, it is a good idea to consider this based on the baby’s and her own physical condition.
Parental leave
If you meet the conditions under the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act, you can receive one child care leave per child. In principle, child care leave can be taken up to the day before your child turns one year old, but it can also be extended up to the age of two.
Maternal health concerns
During pregnancy, a pregnant woman’s physical condition changes significantly and her immune system weakens. This is due to the action of immune cells that prevent the mother’s body from rejecting the fetus, viewing it as a foreign body that carries the father’s genes. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful about infectious diseases that would have been quickly cured if contracted before pregnancy, and about uncooked foods such as raw fish, which may cause food poisoning.
In particular, if you contract rubella during the early stages of pregnancy, the rubella virus can infect the fetus, causing congenital rubella syndrome, which can lead to hearing loss, congenital heart disease, and cataracts. Other infectious diseases can also often become severe due to a weakened immune system during pregnancy. For these reasons, it is important for those who wish to become pregnant and give birth and their partners to reduce the risk of infection by getting vaccinated in advance.
In addition to infectious diseases, many pregnant women experience frequent urination and insomnia as their abdomen grows during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. In addition to physical symptoms such as “abnormal frequency of urination” and “headaches and morning sickness that won’t go away,” if you experience mental problems such as “fear of childbirth” or “worried about the baby’s congenital diseases,” consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Concerns about fetal health and Down syndrome
One of the biggest concerns for pregnant women is the health of their fetus. Pregnant women often express their concerns, such as, “I’m worried about my baby’s congenital disabilities or illnesses,” and “If I drank alcohol or smoked before becoming pregnant, what effect will it have on the fetus?”
What is Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21)?
Pregnant women, especially those aged 35 or older, often have concerns and questions about Down syndrome (trisomy 21) . Down syndrome is a condition in which there is an extra 21st chromosome. The main characteristics of Down syndrome (trisomy 21) include flat, slanted eyes, decreased muscle tone throughout the body, short stature, congenital heart disease, and delayed IQ development.
On the Internet, you may come across information such as “If you do XX before or during pregnancy, you will have Down Syndrome,” but Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21 ) is a disease caused by a chromosomal abnormality in the fetus. The exact cause of chromosomal abnormalities has not yet been clarified, but it is said that the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases with the age of pregnancy.
In addition, chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus can cause not only Down syndrome (trisomy 21) but also various other congenital disorders. Chromosomal abnormalities are said to be the main cause of miscarriages in early pregnancy.
NIPT (New Prenatal Testing) – Detects Down Syndrome in Fetuses at Approximately 6 Weeks of Pregnancy
NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) is a screening test also known as non-invasive prenatal genetic testing. NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) is performed by drawing blood from the arm, just like a regular health check, and can check the risk of chromosomal abnormalities from the fetal DNA contained in the maternal blood. In addition, since the test can be performed by drawing only maternal blood, it can be said that there is no direct invasion (damage) to the fetus.
NIPT (new prenatal testing) by Hiro Clinic NIPT is available to all pregnant women who have a maternal and child health handbook, from about the sixth week of pregnancy (when pregnancy is confirmed by ultrasound). NIPT (new prenatal testing) has a very high detection accuracy of 99.9% for Down syndrome (trisomy 21) .
The most common chromosomal abnormality in fetuses is Down syndrome (trisomy 21). At Hiro Clinic NIPT, we perform tests for Down syndrome (trisomy 21) as well as tests for all chromosomes. If you have any questions about congenital diseases caused by chromosomal abnormalities or NIPT (new type prenatal testing) , please feel free to contact Hiro Clinic NIPT .
Summary
Pregnancy and childbirth bring with it joy, but also endless worries and anxieties. However, strong anxiety can also cause stress and often have a negative impact on pregnant women and their babies. It is best to talk to your partner or family about any worries or concerns you may have about your daily life or work, and to consult a doctor or midwife early on about any concerns you may have about health risks for yourself and your baby, so that you can have a healthy pregnancy.
【References】
- Medicine 110 – Pregnancy and medicine
- Medical Note – Pregnancy-induced hypertension
Article Editorial Supervisor
Dr Hiroshi Oka
NIPT specialist clinic, MD
Graduated from Keio University, School of Medicine
