Today there is substantial evidence, which suggests that a mother's physical and mental wellness during pregnancy can affect not only the outcome of her pregnancy but also the well being of the child later in life.

Your relationship with your baby begins at the moment of conception. Apart from the physical factors, there are many other things that can affect your pregnancy. Stress is one of the more common problems many pregnant mothers face at some point during their pregnancy. While stress itself isn't always bad, prolonged stress can be damaging to a pregnancy.

Most people associate stress that is harmful during pregnancy with physical labor. But emotional stress may be just as damaging. Stress actually causes certain hormones in the body to be produced, and some scientists have suggested that these hormones can promote miscarriage or even bring on pre-term labor.

The best thing you can do to ensure the well being of your baby is to minimize both physical and emotional stress as much as possible. Here are some stress-reducing tips you can engage in during your pregnancy.

• Love the fact that you are pregnant. Working to a punishing schedule is fine when you are not yet pregnant, but once you are, you need to slow down. You are a mother by choice and you need to give pregnancy and motherhood its due attention. Consider this a great time to prepare yourself for the life you are about to bring into the world. Give yourself more time for rest and relaxation during the week. This can be the time that you spend just with yourself and your baby, without having to share it with the world around you.
• Give up your control fixation. Having a baby changes everything. If you are the type of person that likes to be in control of everything, remember that there are many things related to pregnancy that will be totally out of your control. For instance, you won't be able to sail through pregnancy without any aches and pains. You can work to minimize them though.
• You may have other symptoms such as fatigue and nausea that don't go away. Simply recognizing that some things are not under your control will help you get a better grip on your pregnancy and arm you to face the challenges that lie ahead.
• Expect the unexpected. You just never know what will happen when you are pregnant. Your baby for example, might decide to come a few weeks early. You may find that midway through your pregnancy your physician recommends bed rest. If you prepare for the unexpected ahead of time, when it happens, it won't seem like such a challenge and you will be better prepared to handle it.
• Stay in close touch. Maintain close ties with friends, family and loved ones. Pregnancy is an emotional time. The more people you have around you to lean on, the less likely you will be to feel stressed.
• Accept help. Let people know when you need help. You don't have to manage everything alone during pregnancy. If people offer to help you out and relieve some of the burden you are facing, be glad that there are people around you that love you enough to help out.
• Stay connected. It is particularly important that you keep the lines of communication open with your partner during pregnancy. Remember that this is a very emotional time. You would be acting in ways you normally wouldn't. Don't assume that your partner is a mind reader and knows exactly what you are going through. This assumption has negatively impacted many relationships. Be sure you share your feelings with your loved ones and let them know what you are experiencing physically and emotionally. This will help them learn the best way to help you during your pregnancy.
• Meditate. Meditation is a most powerful way to relax the mind and promotes a greater ability to cope with stress, shock and trauma. The increased awareness experienced during meditation is medically supported by a definite pattern of electrical activity in the 'thinking' part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. The brainwaves associated with this electrical activity are called alpha waves. Similar waves are found in calm, dreamy states, such as sleep. It is thought that these brainwaves have a beneficial effect on the body's natural control processes, slowing the heart and lowering the blood pressure.

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