Adjusting to change

While pregnancy can be an exciting time it can also bring challenges as expecting parents adjust to their new future. Adjusting to the idea of becoming a parent can be complicated, confusing and even overwhelming. We know that expecting parents can experience a range of emotions, thoughts and feelings.

Joy and anticipation of what is to come can be mixed with anxiety about the unknown. Capable women and men who have built strong relationships and had working lives are suddenly facing a future filled with uncertainties and complexities they have not had to deal with before.

Types of changes

Relationships can change during pregnancy, including those with partners, family, friends and work colleagues. Some relationships might strengthen, others weaken, others evolve and become something new, while others fall away completely. Sometimes these changes can cause stress or anxiety.

We know that some expecting parents experience complex feelings of loss and grief. They are leaving one life behind, and moving into another. The life they are leaving behind has its own joys and complexities, as does the one ahead, and everyone processes this change differently. Issues in an expecting parent’s family can also have an impact. In fact, their whole idea of family can take on a new meaning. We know that families can be complicated, which can impact how people view the impending arrival of the baby.

Other issues can also affect how we deal with impending parenthood. Pregnancy can cause a career to stall, a family to move to one income, changes to a woman’s body shape and clothes sizes and even a change of one’s sense of self and one’s identity.

"I struggled with the changes that were impacting my body, and I began to feel extremely disconnected from the person I identified with and this led to feeling disconnected at times from my baby." - Read Olivia's story >

Be aware of what you are feeling

Having mixed emotions and experiencing complex changes is normal. However, it can also be confusing and scary. As expecting parents, being prepared for these changes and being open to talking about feelings and facing them head on can help you navigate your transition to parenthood.

Sometimes even being prepared to understand and embrace these changes is not enough. You might still develop antenatal anxiety or depression. If you feel that the changes that happen during your pregnancy are causing particularly difficult emotional and mental challenges, then it’s time to seek support.

Adjusting to change