Does stress during pregnancy affect the baby?
Ordinary, everyday stress is part of every pregnancy, and the placenta has a built-in buffer that turns much of your stress hormone into an inactive form. The research that should get attention is about severe, long-lasting hardship and untreated depression or anxiety. Those respond to help. Sleep, movement, support and counseling when needed are what make the difference.
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The reassuring part first
Some days in pregnancy will be awful. The boss will be unreasonable, the car will make a noise, and you'll cry at a cereal commercial. If you've read a scary headline about stress hormones and the baby's brain, you may also be worrying about the worrying.
Here's what the research supports. Your body has a buffer built for ordinary bad days. The findings that deserve action are about severe hardship and untreated depression, and both respond to help. You can't skip the hard days, and the research doesn't ask you to.
What stress does inside a pregnancy
When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol, the main stress hormone. It's useful: it helps you rise to a challenge. Your baby is building their own stress system at the same time, the hormone circuit that will one day decide how quickly your child gets upset and how fast they settle.
The placenta stands guard. It makes an enzyme called 11β-HSD2 that turns much of the mother's cortisol into cortisone, an inactive form, before it reaches the baby. Scientists call it a barrier. Think of it as a bouncer at the door between your bloodstream and your baby's.
One thing can slip past the bouncer: real licorice. It contains glycyrrhizin, which blocks that enzyme. In a Finnish study of 378 children, heavy licorice intake in pregnancy (500 mg or more of glycyrrhizin a week) was linked with lower thinking-test scores and more attention problems at age 12. It's one observational study, so it can't prove cause, but it's an easy one to act on: skip licorice candy and licorice-root tea while pregnant, and check any herbal tea with your doctor or midwife.
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What the research shows, and what it doesn't
The most famous study came from a disaster. In January 1998, an ice storm hit Quebec and about 3 million people lost power, some for as long as 40 days. Researchers followed 89 children whose mothers were pregnant during the storm. Among them, a mother's high objective hardship (real losses and disruption) was linked with lower verbal IQ and language scores at age 5½. Their non-verbal problem-solving was unaffected.
The comforting detail: children of mothers who went through low or moderate hardship from the storm did not show the lower scores. Mothers in the high group lived through serious losses. A tough month at work is a different thing.
What about depression? A review of 193 studies found that a mother's depression was linked to more emotional and behavioral problems in children, but every link was small, and the causes are a mix of genes and environment. See depression during pregnancy for what helps.
Put together, the research points to three plain facts:
- Everyday stress is part of every pregnancy, and the placenta is built for it.
- Severe, long-lasting hardship and untreated depression or anxiety are what deserve action.
- Help works.
What actually helps
People. Support is one of the strongest tools, and one of the cheapest. In rural Pakistan, community health workers were trained to deliver a simple talk-based program to pregnant women with depression. In a trial of more than 900 mothers, 23% were still depressed six months after birth, compared with 53% in the comparison group. In the US, counseling for women at higher risk was linked to a 39% lower chance of developing depression in pregnancy or after birth. Tell two people you trust that "rough day" means "call me."
Movement. In an uncomplicated pregnancy, ACOG suggests about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, and notes it lowers the risk of postpartum depression. Outside when you can. See exercise in pregnancy.
Sleep. Keep the same wake-up time most days, ask your partner to take some early mornings, and put the phone across the room. Later in pregnancy, go to sleep on your side; our page on side sleeping explains why.
Partners. Swap "How are you?" for "What's the hardest part of today, and what can I take off your plate?" Then own one task completely, like dinner every Tuesday and Thursday.
Yoga and mindfulness. Use them because they feel good. When your mood needs real help, talking to a trained person has the strongest evidence.
A 10-minute daily calm routine
| Minutes | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | Breathe in through the nose for a count of 4, out through the mouth for a count of 6. |
| 2-4 | Drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw, roll your ankles. Settle onto your side if it's late in pregnancy. |
| 4-7 | Talk or hum to the bump. Tell the baby about your day, or read a page of your womb story. |
| 7-9 | Write one line: one thing that went okay today. |
| 9-10 | Make one ask for tomorrow: a walk with a friend, a task for your partner, a nap. |
Same time each day makes it stick. After dinner or just before bed works well, and partners can do it alongside you.
When stress is more than stress
Talk to your doctor or midwife if, for more than a couple of weeks, you feel low or hopeless most days, lose interest in things you enjoy, can't switch off worry, have panic attacks, or feel you can't cope. These are common and treatable, and asking early is a strength. In the US, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is free, confidential and open 24/7 by call or text: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).
Do this
- Do the 10-minute calm routine every evening this week.
- Name two people you'll text on a rough day, and tell them.
- Write four or five walks into this week's calendar, outside where you can.
- Give your partner one task to own completely, start to finish.
- Save 1-833-TLC-MAMA in your phone and your partner's.
When to ask your doctor
Check with your doctor or midwife first if…
- You already take medicine for depression or anxiety (don't stop it on your own; talk to your doctor first).
- You're starting a new exercise routine and weren't active before pregnancy.
- You want to try herbal teas or remedies for stress.
Call your doctor now if…
- You've felt low, hopeless or anxious most days for more than a couple of weeks.
- You have panic attacks or worry you can't switch off.
- You have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, or feel you can't keep yourself safe (call 911, or call or text 988, now).
This page is general information, not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every child is different. Ask your doctor, midwife or pediatrician before changing supplements, diet or care.
Grow a Genius
In the book: Chapter 13: Calm Mother, Calm Brain
Chapter 13 sets out what the stress research really shows, with the full sleep, movement and support plan, a partner's checklist and the signs that mean call today, and Calm Mom, Calm Baby adds a two-week stress-and-sleep reset.
- The 7 Genius Builders, stage by stage
- 16 printable guides, including the Prenatal Label Decoder
- Built on 500+ sources from 35+ countries
- 90-day Double Guarantee
People also ask
Can crying while pregnant hurt the baby?
Ordinary upset, including crying, is part of pregnancy, and the placenta turns much of your stress hormone into an inactive form. The research concerns are about severe, long-lasting hardship and untreated depression. If you feel low most days for more than a couple of weeks, talk to your doctor or midwife.
Can a stressful job affect my baby?
A tough stretch at work is not what the worrying studies looked at. In the Quebec ice storm study, only high hardship from the disaster was linked to lower child language scores. Protect your sleep, move most days and lean on support. Ask for help if stress becomes constant.
Why should I avoid licorice in pregnancy?
Real licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which blocks the placenta's cortisol-filtering enzyme. A Finnish study linked heavy licorice intake in pregnancy to lower thinking-test scores and more attention problems at age 12. It's one observational study, but skipping licorice candy and licorice-root tea is easy.
Does prenatal yoga reduce stress?
Many women find it calming, and modified yoga is on ACOG's list of safe activities (skip hot yoga and long poses flat on your back). For preventing depression, counseling has the strongest evidence. Use yoga because it feels good, and get real help when your mood needs it.