Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy

by Parijat Deshpande

An empowering approach to managing stress quickly and effectively during a high-risk pregnancyNot enough women are told how profoundly stress impacts their pregnancy, especially if they are high-risk—but the truth is that stress, if left unmanaged, becomes a serious risk factor for pregnancy complications from preeclampsia and gestational diabetes to preterm labor and poor blood flow to the baby. In this cutting-edge resource—the first of its kind meant specifically for women with high-risk pregnancies—Parijat Deshpande explains why effective stress management is a critical component to prenatal care in order to manage and prevent pregnancy complications. Through peer-reviewed, evidence-based research, powerful true stories and Parijat’s compelling personal journey through a very high-risk pregnancy, Pregnancy Brain presents a groundbreaking understanding of the effects of stress and stress management on pregnancy and fetal health and empowers women to take charge of their health and lower their risk of pregnancy complications and preterm birth.In a refreshingly down-to-earth book, Pregnancy Brain How mental and emotional stress translate into physiological changes during pregnancy predisposing you to pregnancy complications>>The power of a self-repair mechanism that’s naturally built into your body can help manage and prevent pregnancy complications>>The difference between anxiety and fear and why that matters for pregnancy health>>How reshaping your relationship and experience of your body can turn off the stress response (which underlies pregnancy complications)>>How trusting the “early warning whispers” from your body can impact the course of your pregnancy>>How to build a rock-solid medical team that alleviates—instead of exacerbates—anxietyBy the end of of Pregnancy Brain, you’ll find a radical new model for stress management for a healthy pregnancy. You’ll understand how much power your body has to help you get through your high-risk pregnancy and how you can help your body stay pregnant as long as possible. Through gentle exercises and tools designed to swiftly manage your stress, Pregnancy Brain offers hope for creating miracles during a complicated pregnancy.

258 pages, Paperback

Published July 7, 2018

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re trying to get pregnant, currently pregnant, have had a loss, or are just interested in the fascinating mind-body connection (and the power we truly have over our bodies) you need to read Pregnancy Brain.

This book is a beautifully accessible blend of evidence-based techniques along with the author's own story and those of her clients. Through openly and vulnerably sharing her own pregnancy story, she shows that it is possible to take control of your high-risk pregnancy. While the focus is on women with high-risk pregnancies, the strategies shared for stress management are transferable to all women, and really anyone in a stressful time in their life.

As I read, I found myself laughing and crying (both happy and sad tears), and not only thinking about the strategies in each book, but actually practicing them as I went along. Doctors should be handing this book out to all their pregnant patients — not just the high-risk ones — and encouraging their partners to read as well.

Definitely required reading if you’re looking for straight-forward, specific strategies to help reduce stress and anxiety during your pregnancy.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not pregnant, I haven’t been pregnant in nearly 8 years, and I don’t plan on being pregnant again. Still, I read this brilliant book, am planning to buy copies for my OB and RE and am mentally high-fiving the author from the other side of the country. Parijat’s wisdom is digging into parts of me that I’ve struggled with since my days fighting infertility that morphed into days, hours and minutes fighting to stay pregnant that morphed into each minute hoping for three preemies to just keep breathing and developing that morphed into months and years of hopeful watchfulness over the health and well-being of three lives I have battled to protect and support, up to and including last week’s haunting overnight experience with my son following a cardiology procedure. I fully admit to not properly addressing my mountain of issues. Ever. The mere idea of shopping for the right professional is the last thing I even want to consider, so I’ve done the best I could, adding tools I encounter along the way. Pregnancy Brain is the newest in my toolbox, and I’ve been carrying it around, untouched, for weeks. I bought it to support my friend’s hard work (yes, I know the author), but I had no idea that this work would actually support me, too, giving me useful information to tend to old wounds and store in my brain for future pregnant women I will one day support.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anybody dealing with anxiety with trying to get pregnant or struggling to stay pregnant. P does and amazing job of creating a seamless flow between sharing her own experiences and sharing the tools she used to handle her own anxiety’s. She approaches each chapter and each new skill in a way that helps women, who are currently in a high risk pregnancy, stay calm and not cause more anxiety or more guilt for past losses.
She shares details from her own high risk pregnancy bag resulted in a early delivery and a nicu baby that she did bring home.
Her book empowers women and their partners to take control of their situations and learn to better communicate with doctors and to really realize their body’s full potential and remind them that ultimately their bodies are natural programmed to keep them and their baby safe and if you can push aside your fears and anxieties to listen to your body and learn that your body will let you know what it needs and what you can do to have the longest most healthy pregnancy possible.

[Radhika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. I don't have any children, nor have I ever been pregnant, but I have had multiple close friends who have had a lot of trouble getting pregnant, difficult pregnancies, or premature births. This book is written so it's very relatable and easy to understand. The author alternates between her own personal fertility and extremely difficult pregnancy experience and research, techniques, and encouragement. I found myself touched and moved as well as at some points, literally laughing out loud. There are tangible exercises and techniques but you also leave this book really feeling like the author GETS it and what so many women are experiencing and struggling with. Highly recommend this book!

[Bryna Zumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book for a holistic, empowering approach to dealing with high-stress or high-risk situations during pregnancy. The main gist of the book is you should listen to your body and trust your body (even if, perhaps, professionals are saying something different), and that the key to physical/mental health (and a positive pregnancy/medical experience) is *feeling safe in your own body and feeling that you can trust your body.* These are the main things that the author works on. The only reason I’m giving 4 stars is because she does repeat that message a lot, so the book can get kind of redundant.

[Cecilia Småvik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve experienced a stillbirth at 6 months. Reading this now gives me so much peace and joy. The event of been pregnant again is no longer so scary. This book is awesome.
It can help you to get a bit of closure over earlier losses and help you into the next pregnancy.
The back of the book contains some nice exercises

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interested and intrigued by some of the information in this book, and found some of it helpful, but was distracted by the poor copy editing felt like it maybe took away from the legitimacy of the information she was sharing...

[monica jonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I was looking for a book to help me feel not crazy during pregnancy. Instead, I found a book that said yes, pregnancy can make you worry, but there is a way to work through it. Her story is powerful, and while a woman's pregnancy story can be hard to hear, it was inspiring and relatable.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of this didn't exactly pertain to my situation, but there were also a lot of helpful aspects. I enjoyed the author's personal story and how she interspersed it into her advice.

[LinaS · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chatty read for risky pregnancy situations. Not very useful in practice but nice to feel understood with what you're going through.