Home Remedy Ideas for Anxiety?

[amo4piano]

Hi Ladies,

I've sure been finding a lot of comfort in these forums since I got my BFP! I'm having anxiety (NOT a norm for me) and it's driving me CRAZY. It's actually GIVING me headaches when I have it :/ I feel like I just want to sleep, but I can't get to sleep because of the anxiety.

Any ideas on "home-remedies" for this? Like something I can do at night, which is when it's been striking these last few nights (i.e. not yoga or exercise).

Also, can this hurt my baby? I feel like it affects my breathing (makes my breathing shallow)...can that be harmful for my baby? Has anyone else who doesn't normally have anxiety epxerienced this during pregnancy??

THANKS!

[Weevil]

You can download free meditation tracks on itunes for various different things. I find them soothing, calming, and they help me get to sleep (more effectively than melatonin/valerian/etc). Maybe you could give them a try?

Sorry you're dealing with this

[MaerynPearl]

continued anxiety/stress can be bad for baby yes, but taking measures to help it helps a TON

I have some serious stress problems but my midwife was very firm with me that I needed to relax

her tips -

Warm bath with lavender (warm bath is fine by itself, lavender helps to add to relaxation... any sort of lavender scented anything is helpful!)
Chamomile tea... or more specifically Sleepy Time Tea (I get the new kind with vanilla) it helps to relax and put you to sleep
Calms Forte... I only take this at bed because it is SO relaxing it does put me to sleep and fast (and I get silly beforehand which helps to relax me AND dh because he giggles along with me, laughing is a great stress reliever!)
Rescue Remedy (by Bachs... this is great throughout the day as it does not put me to sleep but does relax... I got the black currant pastilles)
Meditation
White noise
And just plain relaxing.

The just plain relaxing to me is throwing in a movie Ive seen a hundred times (and not one I will cry during... so avoid a league of their own and go with willy wonka and the chocolate factory!) and snuggle with my hubby.

Also, avoiding caffeine throughout the day helps a LOT.

I used to drink a lot of black tea, now I drink a lot of red raspberry leaf tea.

(ETA - I am not normally one to say avoid caffeine at all costs, but when having stress/anxiety levels, caffeine can contribute to the problem and should be avoided)

[MaryLang]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

continued anxiety/stress can be bad for baby yes, but taking measures to help it helps a TON

Also, avoiding caffeine throughout the day helps a LOT.

I used to drink a lot of black tea, now I drink a lot of red raspberry leaf tea.

(ETA - I am not normally one to say avoid caffeine at all costs, but when having stress/anxiety levels, caffeine can contribute to the problem and should be avoided)

This!!!
I have panic attacks/anxiety even when not pregnant. And even though I KNOW this, sometimes I can't help myself and I drink that extra cup of caffeine I shouldn't have. It back fires. Every. Single. Time!
It makes such a huge difference to cut back on caffeine during high anxiety times.

[Yuba_River]

I struggle with this a lot, especially when I'm pregnant. Here are some things that work for me:

Generally taking good care of myself by getting exercise and sleep. Easier said than done!

Giving myself a "prescription" to be positive and relaxed--I felt like all the stress had to be bad for the baby, therefore I would do everything I could to ensure a positive outcome by focusing my mind on the positive. Not sure I'm expressing this well, but I think part of me thinks I can prevent bad things by worrying, so I had to convince myself that in this case I could actually help my pregnancy more by NOT worrying. Not that I think you can prevent negative outcomes through positive thinking, but it's not helpful to torture yourself with what-ifs, either.

When I get very anxious, I repeat calming mantras--"my body is nourishing this baby. I will carry and grow this baby until she is safely born in November," etc. It feels silly, but it actually helps me.

If I'm very worried or have a specific concern, I go get checked, rather than stressing until my next appointment.

I have to manage my internet time carefully--no googling scary topics, avoiding sad threads here on MDC. The internet can be comforting, but it can also by super anxiety provoking!

I agree with Mae on good distractions--for me having a book that it light and fun but enganging is essential!

[taffywelsh]

These responses are very good. Also look at this:
http://www.amazon.com/Mukti-Meditati...1704356&sr=8-3
This meditation CD has been extremely helpful to me during a stressful pregnancy...I heard it in my yoga class, and it was so amazing I bought it. You can also buy single tracks from Amazon (the first track is the good one...the second one is just ocean noise with a little music and the last one is so relaxing it is hard to do without falling asleep).
I really like it because it is not "silly", it is very dry actually, following traditional Indian meditation techniques.
IT WORKS

[maryeliz]

Like others, I have found visualization and mantras/prayers very helpful. I visualize the strong baby, and it may seem counter-intuitive-but I give myself permission to feel anxious, but at the same time I tell myself "the baby is strong. if I need to be fearful or anxious that is fine, but those feeling have no influence on the situation. even if I am weak, the baby is strong. I also think it can be useful to have an object that you can hold to help you center your thoughts. In my case, I wear a religious medal, but it could be something like a rock or a piece of jewelery that you can touch when you feel anxious.

I would agree with others who said NO Googling.

[Jayray]

Hypnobabies also has a great track called "joyful affirmations" (I think). You're supposed to listen to it every night as you go to sleep. Even my husband liked listening to it, because it helped him get to sleep. I don't think I ever consciously heard it to the end. I think you can download individual tracks from hypnobabies' website.

I was very anxious after I gave birth and also took the homeopathic remedy arsenicum. I felt like it helped me. Calms Forte did nothing--but a LOT of people really like it, so you should probably give it a try. Also for me, I had serious insomnia and I ended up taking ambien just one or two nights and it kind of "reset" my sleeping. I know it's not "natural," but things were really bad for me and it helped my anxiety A LOT to finally get some sleep.

[Juvysen]

hypnobabies affirmations track (though seriously cheesy) seemed to help me A LOT.

[Tresa]

When I start getting anxious and stressed, it's usually because I'm tired, close to exhaustion. I try not to let myself get overly tired, but if that's not possible, when I lay down at night, if my mind is racing, I sometimes make deals with myself that if I wake up still worrying about what I'm thinking about, I can think and think and worry and worry on it then, with a fresh and rested mind, but until I sleep, I force myself to let go of whatever it is that's upsetting me and think about something really boring...like what I'm going to wear the next day, things I could make for dinner using things I already have in the kitchen, etc. until I fall asleep. Or I read a book that takes me somewhere else for a while and stubbornly don't let my thoughts return once I put the book down and turn off the light.

Sometimes I watch something that I know will bring on tears, crying is a good stress reliever, and I swear, when I'm pg I have to cry at least a couple minutes a day or my stress backs up.

Remember the ebbs and flows, try and be patient with the anxiety and unexplained sadness that can come on the flipside of the intense new joy and excitement you're feeling, expecting this new baby. It's part of it. Find your center.

[jessieb503]

All of the above suggestions are awesome. I, too, suffer from anxiety and I have to say my decision to take a hypnobirthing class for my childbirth education class has helped me get through this pregnancy. Just something to think about as your pregnancy progresses... The daily meditations help calm my entire body overall contributing to a general sense of well being.

They suggest starting the class around 24-28 weeks but I signed up around 18 weeks so I could get the book/meditation CD and have been doing the meditations daily since then. I'm pretty sure you can just buy the rainbow relaxation CD online by itself on the hypnobirthing website.

Oh, and I have to agree with the no caffeine. I've even taken it as far as nothing sweet because sweet things tend to rev me up as well.

[amo4piano]

Thank you!

I will look into the CDs right away. I tried Chammomile tea last night and it did seem to help. I also tried meditating before sleep. I think the combination was a great help.

It is so true that strange new emotions and states of mind just suddenly creep in. I'm not one to suffer from anxiety and I'm certainly not a "cryer" but I've found myself doing plenty of both over the last week! And I'm just approaching 6 weeks so I have a long way to go (and I'm a first-timer!).

I've said it before and I'll say it again--this forum is a Godsend. THANK YOU.

[Hollyrose114]

Wow. I'm glad this post is here. I have been going through anxiety as well. I am almost 14 weeks and it has gotten worse over the last month. I just started white chestnut flower essence. It's only been a few days so I will give it some time to see how it works. I also drink chamomile tea before bed and take a few drops of valerian tincture. Along with the anxiety I get bouts of insomnia too. Good luck and hope you find something that helps you.

[colleentara]

I have been having horrible anxiety this pregnancy. I tend toward stress and anxiety when not pregnant, but it's gotten incredibly worse. I have insomnia almost every night! I was actually coming on here to see if anyone else had ideas, so I'm glad to find this thread.
I've been trying all sorts of things--
Here are some that help:
1. Journaling-- writing down all of my worries to let them go. They are cyclical in our brains but become linear on paper.
2. Therapy-- she has given me some really good strategies.
3. no caffeine
4. protein snacks often throughout day
5. no processed sugar (I keep messing this one up!)
6. acupuncture and chinese herbs (as prescribed)
8. exercise/yoga in the day
9. being outside in nature--seeing water--taking walks
10. breathing/pranayama
11. deep relaxation MP3/CD -- I've used hypnobirthing and another body scan, but I need some new ones!
12. affirmations
13. taking Mag-calm supplement an hour before sleep
14 taking Drenamin-- adrenal supplement (but not past 3pm)

When I'm desperate for sleep (I have a toddler and also have to go back to work next week--teaching--ugh) I have reluctantly taken benedryl or Ambien just to try to reset my sleep like the PP mentioned. I hate doing this, but sometimes feel so desperate and depressed about the loss of sleep that I just need some rest.

I did a cortisol test and know that my levels are abnormally high, so I've been searching for ways to reduce them beyond what I've already mentioned.

[Blanca78]

Just wanted to jump in and say this thread is extremely helpful. I'm feeling short of breath right now--my main anxiety sign--which tells me I need to go burn off some adrenaline. Exercise is major. Also, wanted to say I found a free meditation podcast that seems pretty good, although I haven't listened to much of it yet--there are tracks for deep relaxation, inner peace, emotional flow, etc--tons of options. It's in the iTunes store and it's called Meditation Oasis. There must be others, too.

[mamamille]

with my first I used to have panic attacks out of the blue- and they seemed to be more physical even though it was the realm of mental- like I wouldn't be worried etc, but then my heart beat would double, and I would hyperventilate etc... very very unsettling and annoying. So I bought natural calm a mag/calcium powder, and I have to say it was miraculous. It also helps with constipation, and I def don't use the rec dosage. Just a tsp in water and in 20 min- voila- back to being calm and collected.
Start slow, and see if it helps...

[Just1More]

Anxiety can also be caused by low blood pressure. Try being sure to drink enough water and get iron/b vitamins. You mentioned it even causes you headaches. If I start to get dehydrated, and don't watch my protein intake, my thoughts get all weird/fuzzy. I feel really jumpy. I get a headache, and my muscles involuntarily stiffen, especially around my jaw line and shoulders. More strange symptoms happen, too. But, the point is, I traced mine to a physical problem, not just hormonal stuff.

[amo4piano]

Wow--I did not know this. I actually do have low blood pressure as a norm and I do not eat red meat often (my hubby can't have it b/c of a digestion problem, so we just don't make it at home). I will try to get more iron and keep myself hydrated.

THANKS AGAIN!

[Virginia884]

Originally Posted by Jayray

Hypnobabies also has a great track called "joyful affirmations" (I think). You're supposed to listen to it every night as you go to sleep. Even my husband liked listening to it, because it helped him get to sleep. I don't think I ever consciously heard it to the end. I think you can download individual tracks from hypnobabies' website.

I was very anxious after I gave birth and also took the homeopathic remedy arsenicum. I felt like it helped me. Calms Forte did nothing--but a LOT of people really like it, so you should probably give it a try. Also for me, I had serious insomnia and I ended up taking ambien just one or two nights and it kind of "reset" my sleeping. I know it's not "natural," but things were really bad for me and it helped my anxiety A LOT to finally get some sleep.

Originally Posted by Juvysen

hypnobabies affirmations track (though seriously cheesy) seemed to help me A LOT.

Hypnobabies also has a free downloadable track on mind/body relaxation that I did for the first time yesterday and LOVED. You should check it out; the time itself is very relaxing, and you give yourself a cue word to help relax in other situations. Really helped me last night when I couldn't sleep; I am normally up a lot, but I was back to sleep in no time.

[texmati]

I just wanted to say, It seems that everyone talks about postpartum depression but depression/anxiety during pregnancy is very common. I was shocked when around 28 weeks I was almost non functional with depression. Talk to your care provider-- there are lots of options before medication!