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Emotional stress during pregnancy
Ever since the start of my pregnancy with my now five-month-old son, I have suffered from emotional stress. I’ve been tearful and very irritable with my partner. I had positive glucose intolerance test during the pregnancy - and I’ve noticed I feel particularly low after a night out and a few drinks. Do you think I have some continued imbalance or intolerance?
You have not said whether you also suffer from pre-menstrual tension but if you do, then one very likely cause of your problem is that you have low levels of progesterone says Zita West, a midwife and acupuncturist who specialises in women’s health and who is the founder of The Pregnancy Shop.
You really need to get tested to find out just what is going on but until then, avoid refined sugars, which will make an glucose intolerance worse, and try to eat four or five smaller snacks rather than just three big meals a day.
There is also, says West, a risk you are anaemic. If this is the problem, then in Chinese medicine, which treats the blood and the heart as the home of the spirit, it would make sense that you would then feel as low as you currently do.
Pregnancy is always an enormous drain on the mother’s zinc supplies but baby boys take five times more zinc from the mother than baby girls do so you need to rebuild your resources. Take 50mg a day. West also recommends a supplement called Pregvital.
*Zita West practises in Harley Street. She can be contacted on 0171-467 8475 or online at www.zitawest.com. Order Pregvital from The Pregnancy Shop (0870-1668899).