Many pregnant women concentrate on taking it easy during their last trimester.  A little less work, a little more relaxation… all very good for both Mom and baby.  But what about those who are newly pregnant?  Studies show that women should take a lot more off of their plates in the first trimester as well. 

Researchers in the Netherlands followed more than 8,000 women during their pregnancy.  These women were asked to fill out a survey detailing their workload and stress levels on the job.  The results were surprising.  Working in a stressful environment more than 32 hours a week directly correlated with a lower birth weight. 

Since high stress on the job early in pregnancy can result in a “small for gestational age” (SGA) infant, it is important for newly pregnant moms to evaluate their workplace environment.  What could be changed to make the workday a little less stressful?  Do you have enough vacation time to take a few hours off a week?  Or are there some projects you can put aside for a few weeks until you are further along in your pregnancy? 

If there is truly nothing you can change about your workplace, then do everything you can to make home a comfortable and relaxing environment for the time you are off from work.  Maybe your partner can take on a few extra chores, some shopping duties or pet clean up.  After all, “it is best for the baby,” right?

Common sense might indicate that if a newly pregnant woman is stressed, she may have a higher risk of miscarriage than one who is not.  This has recently been tested by a group from the University of Michigan, led by Pablo Nepomnaschy, Ph.D. 

This University group followed a population of women from Guatemala for a period of one year.  These women were not pregnant at the onset of the study.  

For this time period, morning urine was collected from these women three times a week.  The level of stress hormone cortisol was noted for each sample. 

During this study, 22 of the 61 women participating conceived during the year.  Only nine of these women carried their pregnancy to term while thirteen of the pregnancies were lost.  Of the women who lost a pregnancy, the average time from conception to the loss was 16 days. 

Women who had high levels of cortisol during the first three weeks of their pregnancy were 2.7 times more likely to miscarry.  Overall, 90% of the high cortisol pregnancies were lost as opposed to the 33% lost from the low levels of cortisol. 

If you are trying to conceive, this indicates that it is best to wait if you are currently in a stressful situation or environment.  Find a time when you are able to relax and enjoy the wonderful beginning of a healthy pregnancy – you won’t regret it!