On Mothers’ Day for mothers-to-be, here are some tips to move past some of the common worries that might affect you and look forward to being a mum. To do this, work on focussing on what is within your control rather than over thinking what isn’t.

1. ‘Will my baby be ok?’
Probably, an area where there is really good evidence of things you can do have a healthy baby. These include taking folic acid, following the recommended dietary guidelines, avoiding alcohol and nicotine and making sure your blood sugar levels are regulated. The good news is that around 97% babies are born healthy (even if you did eat and drink things not on the healthy list because you didn’t know you were pregnant) and with amazing advances in perinatal care you are in good hands.

2. ‘Am I be able to cope with the unknown?’
Learning some relaxation techniques from early pregnancy can help regulate your blood pressure and manage stress and uncertainty right from the start. Practicing a ‘grounding exercise’ where you focus on what’s around you and listen to the sounds you hear, focus on the colours you see, as you gently inhale you notice the smells around you is a soothing and calming exercise that also helps worries from escalating and may even help in labour.

3. ‘Will I ever be able to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes?’
Try and follow guidelines on health eating and activity during pregnancy and try and swap high sugar options with low sugar ones. As the saying goes eat ‘twice as healthy’ in pregnancy, not ‘twice as much.’ Breastfeeding does help with weight loss too.

4. ‘Will I be ok after I have my baby?”
If you have a history of depression, tell your midwife and medical team so they can support you to avoid getting postnatal depression. This can include one to one support during (and after) your pregnancy to iron out any worries and help strengthen a positive mindset, practical support in making the change into motherhood, medication (yes, it can be taken even when breastfeeding under the guidance of a specialist) and group support.