A–Z Glossary

Guided imagery

A coping technique that uses repeated mental images, such as waves or a safe room, to create calm and increase perceived safety.

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Reducing anxiety during testing

Reducing anxiety during testing

Why testing can feel so intense in pregnancy Even when a test is routine, your nervous system may treat it as a threat. That response is understandable. Testing often includes uncertainty, a sense of lack of control, and a waiting period in which your mind may jump ahead to worst-case scenarios. During pregnancy, those thoughts […]

How to stay calm and mentally focused during contractions

How to stay calm and mentally focused during contractions

Understand what calm means during labor During a contraction, the autonomic nervous system responds to nociceptive input, cervical change, pressure, fatigue, and emotional context. Adrenaline can increase alertness and muscle tension, while fear may narrow attention toward alarming thoughts such as “I cannot do this” or “something is wrong.” These reactions are understandable protective responses, […]

Mind-body techniques and staying calm during labor

Mind-body techniques and staying calm during labor

Calm as a physiologic skill Labor pain is generated by several mechanisms, including uterine contractions, cervical dilation, pelvic pressure, tissue stretch, and, later, pressure from fetal descent. The brain does not receive these signals passively. Pain perception is shaped by fear, fatigue, prior trauma, expectations, the clinical environment, and the sense of being supported or […]

Mental preparation for labor

Mental preparation for labor

Why mental preparation matters Labor activates both physiologic and psychological systems. Uterine contractions, cervical dilation, pelvic pressure, fatigue, and hormonal shifts occur alongside appraisal: “Am I safe?”, “Can I do this?”, “Are my baby and I okay?” When the brain interprets sensations as threatening, sympathetic arousal can intensify muscle tension, hypervigilance, and the subjective experience […]