Small Stresses During Pregnancy Can Be Bad For Baby

Pregnancy comes with many stresses, especially for women without access to maternity insurance. These Moms In The Middle are providers, and they struggle with everything from affording proper prenatal care and putting food on the table to scheduling doctor appointments around work and managing social relations and family time. And according to this study (http://www.smh.com.au/news/lifeandstyle/parenting/pregnancy--birth/small-stresses-in-pregnancy-affects-child/2008/12/01/1227979932594.html), these stresses can have negative affects on the baby that present themselves after birth.

Conducted by The Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (http://www.ichr.uwa.edu.au/), the study demonstrated a link between stresses during pregnancy and an increase in disobedient and aggressive behavior during early childhood; concluding that such stresses as financial troubles, social conflict, job loss and pregnancy-related problems may affect the brains of developing fetuses and lead to such behavior.

It's a proven fact that women who do not have access to the tests, vitamins and knowledge afforded by proper prenatal care are much more likely to experience complications during pregnancy and delivery; and children of mothers who do not receive proper prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die (http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/prenatal-care.cfm).

But this study shows that such complications are not only brought on by the lack of prenatal care, but also the stresses that a mother faces when she fears she is not able to properly care for her unborn child, her already-born children, her home and her job. Financial stresses caused by the inability to afford prenatal care and the inaccessibility of prenatal insurance can be the root of problems that persist into preschool. Personal conflicts, such as when a mother is angry after being denied prenatal care or when arguing the balance of a maternity-related bill, can also cause undue stress and harm the unborn child.

With this information, it again seems as if doctors and hospitals are causing harm to these women and their unborn children by not allowing for affordable prenatal care payment plans for uninsured women -- thereby turning these women away and burdening them with financial stresses and personal conflict. This seems a hypocrisy from those who have taken the Hippocratic Oath.

It is important for women to remember that no matter how disheartening this scenario is, there are always opportunities to get help. Don't give up on getting proper prenatal care, and try not to stress out too much over the injustices of society. A mother's number one goal during pregnancy is to give birth to a healthy baby, a miraculous joy that even the most prudish practitioners cannot take away. For those who struggle with finances and conflict related to unaffordable or unavailable prenatal care, organizations like Maternity Health and Maternity Advantage are loaded with resources for educating oneself about the maternity medical billing system, how to get affordable prenatal care and how to negotiate pregnancy-related bills.

I am PRO MOM!!!
Aaron Bouren
Advocate Aaron