Since mother's are the only ones who really know their emotional states (sorry, guys!)



Do you think that you had a lot of stress during your pregnancy with your autistic child?



Just curious, because I felt very stressed out during my pregnancy to the point where I was shaking, crying, driving around in the middle of the night. Similar to what I felt when I was a teen and had hyperthyroidism. The ob-gyn assured me that I couldn't have a thyroid problem and get pregnant.

People said that the stress wasn't good for the baby, but I thought, "What could possibly happen?" Now I feel like I have found out. I was reading a book called Parenting from the Inside Out, and it said a child's cortisol level has been shown to damage the neurons in the brain. Suddenly, I thought back to my pregnancy and wonder if the mother's stress hormone can do the same in utero.

TIA for your replies.

i wasn't stressed out at all while pregnant with my asd son. (if i was anymore laid back i'de be dead.) although, i think most mothers with a special needs child goes over her pregnancy and thinks it may have been something she did. so here's my thing:

1. couldn't stop eating processed cr*p. (packaged cookies, cakes,) no wonder i gained 70 pounds during that pregancy.

2. a lot of amniotic fluid. doc sent me for a test and everything came back ok.

3. traumatic birth. my son came fast and furious. i was induced and couldn't believe how quickly things progressed. i was given a lot of different drugs to get me started. (can't stop thinking about all those drugs).

No stress during pregnancy. Actually it was one of my happiest times of my life.

Thanks for your replies. Yes, I am definitely going over what I could've done wrong.

I guess I will get over it now.

Just to respond to Mom23angels, I ate really healthy. I followed the Bradley diet to a T, so I don't think eating a bunch of junk food had anything to do with it.

I was induced with pitocin only, but the birth was not traumatic for the baby whatsoever, as far as I know. He was suctioned out at the end because he was extremely large for my body, though. The only other drug I had was something for my bloodpressure.