Between anticipation and fear: dealing with anxiety disorders during pregnancy

It is completely normal to worry during pregnancy and to feel anxious or uncertain from time to time. A pregnant woman takes on a responsible task: taking particularly good care of herself, as a new life is developing and growing inside her body.

During this time, there are numerous recommendations: to do certain things more, to clearly refrain from others. Knowing about the increased miscarriage rate in the first few months can also trigger fears of loss—especially if you or someone close to you has already experienced this.

Nevertheless, there is a clear difference between normal worries during pregnancy and fears that reach a clinically relevant level. An anxiety disorder is when fears become overwhelming, are difficult to control, and interfere with everyday life. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and social and specific phobias. Such disorders can occur for the first time during pregnancy or worsen if they already existed before.

In addition to these diagnosable disorders, many pregnant women also suffer from subliminal but clinically relevant fears – so-called pregnancy-related fears. We will discuss these at the end of the article.