Psychological Phases of Pregnancy

By Dr. Sibilla Segatto, Psychologist and Family Mediator, www.studio-psicologo.it

Generality

On a physiological level the nine months of gestation are a preparatory time both because the embryo and the fetus can mature and grow up to become an individual ready to face life outside the maternal uterus, both because the mother's body can gradually prepare to welcome a small body that grows and change to help its birth.

Alongside this set of dense physiological changes, the equally intense psychological changes that the mother goes through during pregnancy are never to be forgotten, which are to be considered preparatory to making her, also from the psychological point of view, a mother ready to take loving care of her her baby. Imagine, absurdly, that the pregnancy takes place over a week. In this case our species would have had very little chance of reaching the present day. In such a short time it would not be possible to develop the sense of attachment so profoundly that a mother and a child bind in the nine months of gestation and that allow the child to be able to count on a care that will constantly accompany him especially in the first years of life. Even in nature, the longer the gestation period in animal species, the more puppies need long maternal care even after birth, before becoming autonomous individuals. This is why the psychological time of gestation is a key factor on which every pregnant woman should stop and think.

During these long months the pregnant woman sees very different psychological phases alternating.

First quarter

The first quarter is a moment of shock and a sudden need for adjustment under new balances. On the one hand the rapid hormonal and physiological changes that immediately affect the female body (although often not yet visible) can create certain difficulties for the woman such as tiredness, nausea, mood changes, and on the other hand the delicacy of this first stage of pregnancy does not fully allow the woman to enjoy the event that is happening to her. It is relatively common in this period to witness spontaneous and early pregnancy interruptions. The anxiety that can occur this eventuality, accompanied by the lack of signals from the body that can make the child feel alive, are elements that most women share in this phase.

There are also concerns about the health of your child. Very common moods are the concern that the child grows adequately, that it has no genetic diseases, malformations or other diseases. From this point of view, being constantly followed by medical or obstetric personnel is a way to find answers to doubts and fears that are completely legitimate and understandable. It is very important during pregnancy to be accompanied along the way by people, both from a professional and a human point of view, able to accept without concern the concerns and moods of the mother.

Second quarter

The second quarter looks like a distinctly different period. On the one hand it is possible to clear up more about the possibility of a miscarriage (an event much less frequent in this phase) and therefore "to allow oneself to mentalize" really the idea that one is about to become parents. On the other hand, even the physical state of the mother finds renewed well-being and energy, which make these months of pregnancy as perhaps the best both physically and psychologically.

Also from the point of view of sexuality, the couple's relationship could find a benefit. In the early stages the fear of being able to harm the embryo in a highly delicate phase conditions many couples by having a satisfying sex life. The second trimester would seem to be the most appropriate moment also to find again a greater intimacy, thanks to the fact that still the woman's body allows a certain agility in the movements.

In this period we then witness an extraordinary change in maternal psychology. The perception of fetal movements within one's body finally makes the child "alive and real". This constant intrauterine communication between the mother and the child, made up of exchanges and perceptions, is a cornerstone of the psychological relationship between the two and becomes so even between the child and the father, when the movements begin to be perceptible also from the outside. From these first jolts and blows the foundations are laid for the formation of that inseparable emotional bond that unites a child to its parents.

Latest stages of pregnancy

The last phase of pregnancy still sees ups and downs. The time of childbirth is approaching and so is the idea of ​​being able to really know one's child. During pregnancy, the parents' mind has built within itself an "imaginary child", fruit of the fantasies matured over the months. With the birth of the child, the parents will instead encounter their "real child", which in most cases will be different from what they had imagined or hoped for. This phase can create some upheavals, which require a much higher psychological processing time, the greater the deviation from what was expected (think of the hope of having a healthy child and seeing a child born with some difficulties or diseases).

The last part of the pregnancy then confronts the subject of childbirth. The woman's body becomes more and more "cumbersome", physical fatigue is felt and in the mind of the woman the thought of labor and childbirth becomes more and more present. While many women live this wait naturally and as a physiologically integral part of the process, other women suffer from a real anxiety at the idea of ​​feeling pain, losing control of their body, being hospitalized or afraid of the idea that their own body can be irreversibly transformed or torn. Also in this case the courses of preparation for childbirth are fundamental both to give practical notions useful to quell the sense of anxiety or concern, and to approach psychologically in time for this event.

In all these alternating psychological phases of pregnancy, it is necessary to underline the indispensable role that the woman's partner plays during the entire journey. Being able to constantly count on a sensitive, empathetic and welcoming companion is one of the key aspects that makes the woman "strong" feel when crossing the fragile and swinging psychological "swings" of pregnancy.