Table of contents:
- The impact of pregnant women crying on babies in the womb
- Does the emotional turmoil of pregnant women have a big impact on the baby until he is born and grows up?
- So can pregnant women cry?
Everyone certainly yearns for a smooth and happy pregnancy. However, due to hormonal changes and various psychological pressures faced, at one point pregnant women can be sad too. Then what will happen if a pregnant woman cries? Is it true that the fetus in the womb can feel the mother's sadness? Find out the scientific answer below.
The impact of pregnant women crying on babies in the womb
The food that the mother eats when pregnant can directly affect the fetus. Why so? The nutrients that the mother gets when eating will be distributed to the fetus through the umbilical cord.
So, does the mother's emotions also affect the state of the fetus? A study from the Association for Psychological Science found that a fetus as young as six months can feel the impact of the emotions a mother feels during pregnancy.
Crying is a form of emotional overflow. This activity can be caused by various things. For example, touched when happy to sad when stress comes. In other words, crying is something that usually happens to anyone and can happen to pregnant women.
Experts are of the opinion that stress that occurs once or twice is normal and will not have an effect on the fetus. However, emotions that occur repeatedly, continuously, and are prolonged can actually have an effect on the baby it is carrying. The reason is, if pregnant women cry continuously, you may experience severe stress, anxiety symptoms, and depression.
When pregnant women are stressed, the body will produce stress hormones. This hormone will also flow to the fetus in the womb through the placenta. The more frequent the stress, the more stress hormones will be produced and the more hormones will be distributed to the fetus.
A fetus who is constantly getting stress hormones may experience chronic stress. In fact, the development in the uterus is a very important period because the development of the nervous system occurs. Hormone imbalance can interfere with this development process.
Apart from having a direct impact due to stress hormones that are transmitted to the baby through the umbilical cord, pregnant women who experience depression can also indirectly affect the fetus. In the Baby Center, it is said that mothers who experience depression will experience a variety of symptoms that are quite risky for the health of the baby and the womb. For example, mothers have difficulty sleeping, decreased appetite, difficulty concentrating, and feel weak as if they are running out of energy.
Does the emotional turmoil of pregnant women have a big impact on the baby until he is born and grows up?
A study from the University of California-Irvine and the Association for Psychological Science explains the possible impact when a mother cries during pregnancy. In the long term, babies born to mothers who when pregnant often cry due to depression can experience neurological problems and psychological disorders.
In addition, children born to mothers who often feel anxious during pregnancy will also have different structures in their brains. However, this research still needs to be continued to see the long-term effects of these differences in brain structure.
Other research in Clinical Obstetrics Gynecology shows that prolonged stress during pregnancy can also increase a child's risk of autism, depression, and cognitive impairment.
So can pregnant women cry?
As explained above, emotional outbursts such as crying during pregnancy if only once or twice are a natural thing to happen.
What needs to be considered are negative emotions such as stress and depression. If you or your wife experience this, consult a doctor immediately. Another way to vent your emotions apart from crying is to do a variety of positive activities, such as exercising. You can try doing pregnancy exercises, swimming, or yoga when you're feeling down.
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