How Partners Can Support Anxiety During Pregnancy
Pregnancy anxiety doesn’t just affect the person carrying the baby — partners often want to help but aren’t sure how. We have already discussed how normal it is to be anxious during pregnancy and ways for you to help cope with anxious feelings, but it’s also important to remember that you are not alone in pregnancy and your support people will also want to help you. Let’s dive in;
Support doesn’t require perfect words or fixing every worry. Small, consistent and supportive actions matter most.
1. Listen without trying to solve
Sometimes the most helpful response is simply: “That sounds really hard.”, “Thanks for telling me”, or “We’re going to get through this together.”
2. Offer practical support
Taking over small tasks, attending appointments, or helping research trusted information can reduce mental load. Being pregnant can already feel like a massive increase in responsibility that your partner might not have felt yet, so communicating this with them and asking them to pick up other responsibilities can both ease your mental burden and also help them feel like they are contributing.
3. Encourage breaks from worry
Gentle distractions like walks, movies, or shared activities can give the mind a rest. Get out there and do it together, and be present with what you’re doing - talk about things other than the baby and pregnancy.
4. Learn calming techniques together
Breathing exercises or grounding practices can be more effective when done as a team, and also can be fantastic preparation for birth. Your partner might be the one coaching you through your breathing when you’re in labour, so practicing now is great way to build confidence in these techniques for each of you.
Anxiety can feel isolating when all that worry is trapped and spiralling around in your head. Feeling supported and understood can make a significant difference in how manageable it feels, and learning how to support each other in pregnancy is going to leave you in great stead for when the baby arrives and you’re learning to become parents together too. Remember, even though one of you is pregnant you’re both becoming parents and you’re in it together.
With love from,
The Nest.