189: High-Risk Pregnancy Story and Support for Moms

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Having a high-risk pregnancy and being put on bed rest brings many challenges to a woman already in a heightened emotional state. These emotions carry a lot of anxiety and worry about the health of the mother and the baby. Join us to hear Shenee’s personal story.  Shenee Bend experienced a high-risk pregnancy that required her to be on hospital bed rest for a month. It was shortly after this time that she decided to focus her counseling work on pregnant and postpartum women. Shenee Bend is from California and now resides in Georgia with her husband and their two children. She is a licensed professional counselor who is trained in perinatal mental health. Shenee has an online practice serving pregnant and postpartum women in Georgia and Florida. Shenee will be sharing her bed rest pregnancy story along with coping skills to use if you are currently experiencing a high-risk pregnancy. Show Highlights: Shenee’s pregnancy story of her second pregnancy with her son, when things were going very smoothly . . . At 32 weeks, early morning bleeding caused some concern, so Shenee went to the hospital and prepared for a possible preterm delivery After a three-day stay, she was sent home with strict instructions With more bleeding in the next 24 hours, she returned to the hospital for what ended up being a month-long stay until her son was born Many emotions played into the acceptance of her fate and her anxiety about her son’s health and safety The difference between high-risk pregnancy(certain risk factors, like advanced age, multiples, and previous problems) and pregnancy complications(developing health issues, like high blood pressure, anemia, gestational diabetes, and mental health conditions) The link between mental health and pregnancy How Shenee was worried about her baby and sad for her body in the way it was experiencing pregnancy Shenee’s tips about coping skills: Feel all the feelings Forgive yourself Shift your perspective Keep a schedule Use positive affirmations Limit social media use Be selectively social with other people The danger in having negative thoughts How Shenee was induced at 37 weeks after a month in the hospital How to recognize the need for professional help in determining the difference between high-stress situations and clinical depression Hopeful messages from Shenee: “Remember that a bed rest situation is temporary, and you will get through it.” Resources: www.pregnancytherapist.com Check out Shenee’s three-part video series! @pregnancytherapist