The perinatal period is already a time when women are particularly susceptible to mental health problems with about 15-20% facing perinatal depression. But the Covid-19 pandemic has been a nightmarish experience to us all and especially more so if you have been pregnant during these times. This is because this has affected and altered the landscape of healthcare completely with hospitals enforcing restrictive policies, fear of contracting covid at hospitals and changes in doctors working hours. Research has shown that during the pandemic perinatal depression has significantly shot up to 36.4%.
We as medical professionals at the Sunshine Wellness Centre the best Alcohol rehabilitation centre in Mumbai, India completely empathise with our patients as we know that this pandemic has increased a lot of pandemic-related mental health issues brought upon us by stress, isolation and economic, especially so to pregnant women.
Pregnancy is usually an exciting time for the family and especially the woman, but a situation like the covid pandemic can become the cause of anxiety and high stress. The symptoms include poor sleep, loss of appetite, lack of concentration, constant feeling of worry about the child to be delivered, excessive worry about getting the infection in spite of taking all precautions, being so restless that you can’t be still, becoming easily irritable or annoyed.
We at the Sunshine Wellness Centre as the best detoxification centres in India have been dealing with such apprehensions of people for years, albeit in addiction circumstances, but recommend the following stress-relieving practices and tips:
Try to create a routine wherever possible. This will help you sustain or improve your mood.
Limit the time you watch television, especially negative news on false social media messages. Instead utilize as much time as possible to unwind, relax and sleep.
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Regularly connect with friends and family over the phone or video conferencing.
Try deep breathing, yoga, meditation and gentle stretching. It has been scientifically proved that it improves brain blood flow, increases the production of positive hormones (endorphins) and decreases oxidative stress.
Get enough sleep at the regular time-
Maintain a healthy diet.
Stay active by exercising and keeping yourself busy with some activity, this will help you relax and keep yourself mentally fit. These activities could be mental. Physical or social. Mental activities could include creating a daily well-being chart, taking down tips from maternal journals, taking weekly photographs of the baby bump or baby. Physical activities could include kept doing normal chores or things that you enjoy, go for a short walk, massage yourself or your baby, exercise daily as advised by your doctor, once a while goes for long walks.
Take up a new hobby or revive an old one to keep yourself busy and active.
Consider online counselling for anxiety, stress or depression.
Being a reputed medical institution as the best detox centres in India, we would also like to bring to your notice that far from popular belief, pregnant women are no more likely to get unwell from coronavirus, they have been included in the list of people at moderate risk. Our advice to pregnant women would be:
They should follow the governments guidance on staying alert and safe, maintain social distance and avoid anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus.
Keep mobile and well hydrated to reduce the risk of blood clots in pregnancy.
All expecting moms should stay safely indoors at home during the pandemic.
Attend all your pregnancy scans and antenatal appointments unless you are medically advised against it.
As the best Drug rehabilitation centre in Mumbai, India, we advise pregnant women that:
Relaxation and mindfulness will help.
Alcohol and tobacco are not the answer to your anxiety.
Remember that during the lockdown it is a physical lockdown, not a lockdown of your mind and soul.
It is of utmost importance that you can all your non-essential visits.
Post-delivery looks for online classes for newborn care, lactation, counselling and new mom support groups.
Post-delivery continues to take telemedicine services.
We at Sunshine Wellness Centre, the best detox centres in India, feel and advise that post the Covid-19 pandemic it’s time to face and cope with the new reality that it is now a virtual world of virtual work, virtual family and friends, virtual consultations and virtual learning. The faster we learn to cope with it, the better and less stressful it will be for all of us.