Turkey Day Stress

Surviving Thanksgiving While Pregnant

By Lisa A. Goldstein

Stephanie Pedersen from New York, N.Y., has been very pregnant for two different Thanksgivings. She learned an enormous amount about what not to do from her first experience.

"The first pregnant Thanksgiving I cleaned the entire house and began to feel dizzy," Pedersen recalls. "Early contractions set in. I ignored them and went to the kitchen to cook ... the entire meal. From scratch. Even the bread, from scratch." During the meal, she kept getting up to get things. The contractions continued through the next morning. She was physically sick and scared enough to make an emergency trip to the midwife.

Pedersen was fine, but she learned her lesson. What can you do to make sure you survive your pregnant Thanksgiving – the easy way?

It may help to be aware of the common holiday triggers of stress. One of the most prominent is exposure to extended family and friends, says Dr. Randy Fink, an OB/GYN in private practice in Miami, Fla., and a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "One of the first things I tell a pregnant mom is to expect that suddenly everyone will have an opinion, everyone will have a story about what went wrong, everyone will have some tidbit that she just can't live without. This can become very stressful."

The impending arrival of Baby can also awaken worries about familial conflicts, says Dr. Fink. "Pregnant women are often more sensitive to their surroundings and their interactions with others, so even little troubles can become major tribulations," he says. There are also strong issues regarding body image.

Little comments may actually be hurtful and can reinforce a woman's negative feelings about herself. "Observations like, 'Oh my heavens! You're SO BIG!,' 'My gosh! They don't even let you dye your hair?' or 'I had terrible stretch marks like you,' may not be taken by a pregnant mom with the same spirit of empathy with which they were delivered," says Dr. Fink.

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