If you are a pregnant mother or soon will be, this is the most important reality you going to face. You will get stress and depress. Why? The physical and mental changes of a pregnant woman can affect her stress levels-especially since she is forced to see herself in a new light. The woman who was once the prettiest girl at the dance may have turned into a sluggish, chubby grouch seemingly overnight. In her mind, she sees herself as ugly and dumpy, even though others just see her beautiful motherly glow.

Five Common Stress and Depress Among Pregnant Women

1. Pregnant women face an almost endless list of concerns-some valid and others not so. One of the most valid worries is that of miscarriage, which is a big fear for women in their first trimester, especially if they have experienced past miscarriages or problem pregnancies. Miscarriage is a sad, unfortunate event for which many women blame themselves (Is it something I did? If I had done anything differently, would my baby have lived?). Anyone who has experienced this horrible loss knows that Mom is not to blame no matter what she may think.

2. Women also naturally worry if their babies will be healthy, so they fret over whether or not they are eating the right foods, taking the right vitamins and getting enough exercise. Worry stretches into excess though when an expectant mom frets over everything from whether or not to eat the skin of an apple to how long she should wait to take her vitamin after lunch. As many silly worries as moms concoct, though, there are valid issues of concern. They affect some women to greater degrees than others.

3. It isnt rare for expecting moms to ask themselves, Will I love my baby enough? and Will I know what to do when my baby cries or gets sick? The answer is yes, or it will be after a little experience. But, when you enter a job youve never held before with no guide book, it can be very intimidating (especially for those expectant moms who have issues with their own mothers).

4. Other issues that creep up include finances and daycare. Most mothers take a maternity leave from work after their babies are born, but finding the right daycare where baby will be happy and Mom will feel reassured in leaving her little one can be a challenge.

5. There is also the issue of what will happen at work while a woman is on maternity leave. Will she lose the esteem and respect of others for putting family first? Or will her someone else snatch her spot as team leader while she is out on leave?

Of course, these issues are just a synopsis of the concerns and worries pregnant women face. Naturally, every woman has her own specific circumstances that make some of these concerns less important, while others are more so. There are also concerns each woman has that are unique to her.

But relative to all expecting moms is that they face a number of worries and potential stressors. In extreme situations, these stressors lead into depression. Women feeling overwhelming and/or debilitating feelings of sadness or hopelessness should consult an OBGYN or counselor ASAP.