Pregnancy in itself is stressful but excessive stress during pregnancy is linked to child’s development of some physical and mental disorders at birth or later on in life. New research suggests that extreme stress during the first trimester of pregnancy can have harmful effects on baby’s mental health. Schizophrenia, low birth weight, and other birth complications are attributed to stress during pregnancy.

While it is difficult or even impossible to eliminate stress for nine months straight, you can always limit your exposure to stress and lessen your body’s response to stress.

Take a time out – Accept the fact that while you currently can handle pretty well the demanding lifestyle and busy schedules, you may not be able to sustain it as pregnancy progresses. Thus, cut back on task and allow yourself to relax, sleep and rest. The most crucial period in pregnancy is during the first trimester. So if you can, take a leave from work the moment you know that you are pregnant or at least, be conscious of your physical and emotional limits.
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You may notice that you reach for the potato chips when a television program becomes particularly frightening. Or you grab the crackers at work when you learn that you’ll have to handle a new project. You may also nibble on candy bars when you’re having difficulty controlling your children. These eating patterns are all a reaction to stress.

Stress plays an important part in our daily diet. In fact, a great deal of overeating has been attributed to stress. However, it is also true that your diet can have an impact on stress. There are certain foods that tend to worsen our stress levels. A number of these foods fall into the category of stimulants.

Of course, the best-known stimulant is caffeine. You’ll find it not only in coffee, but in soft drinks, tea and chocolate. Your heart beat races, as does your mind, when you are served a significant amount of caffeine. Caffeine consumption may even be connected to high blood pressure. However, you might not want to cut out caffeine entirely all at once. A gradual reduction will help lessen your withdrawal symptoms.
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Definition of mental health

Mental health is defined as a state or condition on which an individual feels a sense of well-being. This gives him or her the capacity to live life in fulfillment of what he or she wants to achieve in accordance to the available resources. This condition also provides an individual the capacity to be resilient to the stresses he meets and to respond to these challenges without having to compromise his well-being. This also makes him productive and fruitful for himself and his community.
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