Navigating Anxiety in Pregnancy: A Gentle Winter Guide for Calming Your Mind, Body & Heart

The holidays can be beautiful… and also overwhelming.
And when you’re pregnant, that combination hits differently.

This season brings more stimulation, more gatherings, more expectations, more decisions, and often—more emotional noise. Add a growing belly, shifting hormones, and a tender nervous system, and many mamas tell me they find themselves feeling anxious, overstimulated, or simply “not themselves.”

If that’s you, please hear this with your whole heart:

You are not alone, and nothing is wrong with you.

Pregnancy is already a profound transformation. Adding holiday stress on top of it can make even the strongest women feel unsteady.

As a holistic midwife, I want to offer you a safe, grounded place to rest for a moment… and a few gentle ways to support yourself.

Anxiety in Pregnancy Is Common — and Not a Personal Failing

You are growing life.

Your body is stretching, shifting, expanding.

Your identity is evolving.

Your heart is opening.

This is an enormous emotional landscape.
Anxiety is simply your nervous system asking for more care, more spaciousness, more breath. You are not “too sensitive.” You are wise and aware in a season where everything is heightened. You deserve gentleness!

Start Here: Slow Down and Honor Your Pace

This month invites us to move quickly—gift lists, travel, work deadlines, family expectations.

But your pregnant body whispers something different:

Slow.
Steady.
Soft.
Spacious.

Give yourself permission to decline what doesn’t support your well-being. You’re not “letting people down” — you’re protecting your baby’s nervous system and your own. That is sacred work.

A few grounding questions to ask yourself:

1. Does this feel nourishing, or draining?

2. Does my body tense or soften when I imagine this plan?

3. Am I doing this out of obligation… or from love?

Listen to your inner yes and no. You can trust them.

Create a Calm, Safe Environment Around You

An anxious mind often softens when the physical environment becomes more supportive. Try:

1. Lowering lights in the evening

2. Using warm lamps, salt lamps, or candles

3. Diffusing lavender or chamomile

4. Decluttering one small area

5. Keeping your phone out of your bedroom

6. Playing soft music (I love Tibetan bowls, piano, or gentle acoustic)

Your space influences your state.

Your Breath Is Your Medicine

Your breath is one of the most powerful tools you have—during pregnancy, birth, and motherhood.
Here are three simple practices that help regulate your nervous system:

1. Soft Belly Breathing

Inhale for 4

Exhale for 6

Repeat 10 times

The long exhale signals safety to your body.

2. Hand-to-Heart + Hand-to-Belly

One hand on your heartbeat, one hand on baby.

Breathe slowly.

Feel your connection.

Let yourself settle.

3. Gentle Forced Exhale

Blow all the air out…

Let the inhale come in naturally.

Repeat for a few minutes.

A beautiful way to release tension and overthinking.

Honor Your Emotional Body

Pregnancy brings up old memories, fears, unresolved wounds, and sometimes grief. This is normal, you are opening on every level.

When anxiety rises, try:

1. Journaling without editing

2. Taking a short walk outside

3. Placing your feet on the ground and imagining energy releasing downward

4. Talking to someone who feels calm and trustworthy

5. Bringing hands to your womb and speaking softly to your baby

You don’t have to “fix” everything.

Just let feelings move through with compassion.

Gentle Holistic Supports

These are safe, simple practices I often recommend (and always, check in with your provider):

Herbal Teas

1. Chamomile

2. Lemon balm

3. Lavender

4. Oat straw

5. A mild nighttime blend

Sip slowly. Let your exhale lengthen.

Nervine Herbs (after first trimester, if appropriate)

1. Motherwort

2. Skullcap

3. Passionflower

These are soothing to the nervous system, grounding for an overactive mind, and can be taken as tea or tincture. Again — please consult your practitioner if you’re unsure.

Magnesium

Magnesium glycinate or citrate can help relax muscles, support sleep, and ease tension.

Warm Baths

Epsom salt + lavender.

Even 10 minutes can shift everything.

Set Boundaries With Love (Yes, Even During the Holidays)

You don’t owe anyone your energy.

Protect the softness you’re cultivating by:

1. Leaving events early

2. Saying “no” without explaining

3. Avoiding difficult conversations for now

4. Creating smaller, quieter celebrations

5. Asking your partner or loved ones to buffer when needed

Boundaries are not walls.

They are bridges to inner peace.

A Note About Anxiety That Feels Big or Unmanageable

If your anxiety feels heavy, constant, or is interfering with your daily life, please reach out to a mental health provider, trauma-informed therapist, or a holistic practitioner who understands pregnancy. Support is not a sign of weakness.

It is profound wisdom.

You deserve to feel held.

Your Pregnancy Is a Sacred Time—Even When It Feels Hard

Please remember this:

You are doing beautifully, even on the days that don’t feel beautiful.
Your body is wise.
Your baby is safe.
Your feelings are valid.
And you are so incredibly capable.

Let this season be one of softness, rest, healing, and deeper connection…to yourself, to your baby, and to the life you are growing.

You are not meant to do this alone.

You are meant to be supported.

Want Deeper Tools to Calm Your Mind & Prepare for Birth?

In my Love Your Birth Online Childbirth Course, I guide you through breathwork, mindset practices, emotional preparation, and gentle tools to help you feel grounded, confident, and deeply connected throughout pregnancy and birth.

If anxiety is part of your journey, the course offers a nurturing, empowering roadmap to help you feel steady and supported—all the way into postpartum.

You can explore it here when you’re ready!!