Unhelpful Beliefs in Pregnancy/Postpartum
“It is my fault/I’m responsible [if something goes wrong]” is a very common unhelpful thought/belief.
There are a variety of reasons this unhelpful belief is developed, including:
You felt your parents were different/kinder with other people than with you, leading you to feel like you are the problem.
You were blamed for things that were not your responsibility, such as a parent spilling milk and blaming it on you because you were ‘distracting’ them.
Getting yelled at by your parents without any follow-up and repair, leaving you to believe whatever happened was your ‘fault’
This unhelpful belief is also VERY common in pregnancy.
When we are pregnant, there is so much outside of our control. The baby, and the body, are in control.
There is only so much we can do to contribute to the health of the pregnancy and the baby.
But something I have seen people experience during pregnancy, is blaming themselves when something goes ‘wrong’, including when the pregnant person:
Is gaining ‘too much’ or ‘too little’ weight, leading to concerns for the baby’s growth and development
Develops a condition during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia
Goes into preterm labor
“It is my fault” was one unhelpful belief present in my first pregnancy.
Before becoming pregnant, I was an avid runner.
Running was a means of self-care I developed during grad school, and has since been a source of calm, creativity, and joy.
However, when I became pregnant, I became cautious.
Even though my body was used to running, and it is proven to be safe to continue running during pregnancy, I was so afraid I would do something that could potentially ‘hurt’ my baby.
Logically, I *knew* this fear was not valid. However, emotionally, the fear *felt* real.
So, I did something to help me to stay motivated to keep running. I signed up for a 5k race for every month of my pregnancy.
While there was incentive to keep my body moving for a healthier pregnancy, this goal was also about moving through the fear of the unknown.
If you resonate with any of this, and you are interested in identifying, and changing, your own unhelpful thoughts and beliefs…
Click here to try my FREE eBook, What’s Holding You Back?: 10 Common Limiting Beliefs in Parenthood!
