Many women constantly worry about their baby, or themselves, during pregnancy. It is only natural! But there are things you can do to calm your anxiety, plan ahead and improve your chances of having a happy pregnancy, and a healthy baby.

We are not medical experts 😊, but we listen to what our valued customers are saying. So, here’s our roundup of the ‘most worried about worries’ and how you can deal with them.

Worry 1. That the baby will have a birth defect

About 97 of every 100 babies arrive without a birth defect. It is important to remember that most birth defects are minor and very treatable.

If you are not in a high-risk group, the chances that you will have a baby with a birth defect may be even lower. Risk factors include diabetes, epilepsy, smoking, drinking alcohol, and obesity, although for 70 percent of all birth defects, the cause is unknown.

Here are some tips to keep your worries at bay:

• You could consider an early scan from providers such as Ultrasound.
• Take at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to reduce the risk of defects, such as Spina Bifida.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
• Avoid fish that contain mercury.
• Stop drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and be careful about your over-the-counter drug intake.
• Do not eat undercooked meat or change the cat's litter box (both are possible sources of toxoplasmosis, an infection that can cause birth defects).
• Lose weight, if needed; and make sure your blood sugar levels are normal.

Worry 2. That you will have a miscarriage

The risk of miscarriage is probably lower than you think. For women younger than 35, it is 10 to 12 percent; for 35-to 39-year-olds, it is 18 percent. (It does rise to 34 percent for women 40 to 44 years old.) But a great many pregnancies are lost so early that a woman never even realises that she conceived. What is even more reassuring is that by the time you see a heartbeat on an Ultrasound Scan (usually by week six or seven), the chance of having a miscarriage drops to less than 5 percent.

Here are some tips to keep your worries at bay:

• Most miscarriages occur because of chromosomal abnormalities that cannot be prevented. Research does not show that exercise or sex can cause a miscarriage.
• Recent studies have shown that drinking two or more cups of coffee a day may increase your risk, as may contracting certain infections, including sexually transmitted diseases and gum disease.

Worry 3. That the baby will be premature

Prematurity is a legitimate concern. However, the great majority of babies are born after 37 weeks, which is considered full term. An estimated 12 percent are born preterm, which increases their risk of health problems, but keep in mind that 70 percent of them are born between weeks 34 and 37. These so-called "late-term" babies still have increased risks, but they are less vulnerable than the tiniest ones. The biggest risk factors for preterm birth are having had a previous premature delivery, being pregnant with multiple babies, and having certain uterine or cervical abnormalities. Still, about half of women who deliver prematurely do not fall into any high-risk category.

Here are some tips to keep your worries at bay:

• Obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes are risk factors for prematurity, so try to maintain a healthy weight.
• Make sure your blood sugar and blood pressure levels are normal.
• Avoid smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs (all are linked to prematurity).
• Get good prenatal care and make sure you have all your necessary immunizations and have any infections (even minor ones) treated promptly.
• Avoid stress as this can also lead to a pre-term baby and treat severe anxiety or depression.

Worry 4. That your labour pain will be horrendous

The uterus is a muscular organ that contracts powerfully to squeeze your baby out, and it is these contractions that are the source of the pain. Besides intense muscle tightening throughout your abdomen and, sometimes, your entire torso and pelvic area, you may feel pressure on your back, perineum, bladder, and bowels. All that combines to increase up pain.

Here are some tips to keep your worries at bay:

• If you want to avoid medication, there is much you can do to reduce the pain and the anxiety surrounding it, such as laboring in a tub of water, changing positions often during labor and practicing relaxation techniques like guided imagery.
• Or you may want to opt for pain meds. If you are worried about the risks, today's epidurals are safer and mom friendly.

Worry 5. Losing the pregnancy weight

Many women gain too much weight during pregnancy. It is easy to throw caution to the wind and ‘eat for two’, but you need to be careful about what you consume during pregnancy.

If you are normal weight (your body mass index, or BMI, is 18.5 to 24.9), gain 25 to 35 pounds; if you are underweight (BMI less than 18.5), gain 28 to 40 pounds; if you're overweight (BMI 25 to 29.9), gain 15 to 25 pounds; and if you're obese (BMI 30 or higher) gain 11 to 20 pounds.

Here are some tips to keep your worries at bay:

• Give it a bit of time and do not be put off by Instagram pics of women who are perfect and skinny after giving birth. Most people regain their shape, but it can take a bit of time, so take it slowly and do not beat yourself up about it.
• Try to stay active during your pregnancy and start exercising after giving birth as soon as you get the green light from your Ob-Gyn. Try boiled eggs, canned fish (which is low in mercury), home-made soups and bananas!
• Breast feeding will also have a huge impact on weight loss.

Worry 6. Getting to the hospital on time

Though it always makes the news when a woman delivers in a taxi or on the bathroom floor, in real life, it is rare. In a study from England, 137 out of 31,140 babies were born before they arrived at a hospital over a five-year period - that is less than a 1 percent chance. If it is your first baby, you should have plenty of time. From the time your cervix is dilated 4 centimeters (when experts say you should head to the hospital) you still face an average of six hours for the first stage of labour (when your cervix dilates to 10 centimeters) plus another two hours of serious pushing before your baby is born.

Here are some tips to keep your worries at bay:

• If you had a very quick labor previously or you live far from a hospital, you should check in with your doctor or midwife sooner rather than later.
• You should have your baby bag waiting and ready to go.
• You should make sure you always have someone who is fit and able to take you to the hospital.
• Or, you should have the number of a taxi company you trust close at hand.
• Knowing where you are going and how to get there will relieve some of the stress in the car.
• Bringing along something to keep you comfortable in the car is a great idea. If you are worried that you will forget it, then leave a small kit in the car. Try a pillow, a blanket, and anything else that you might find comfortable. If you are worried about your water breaking while you are in the car, or if it has been broken prior to getting in the car, you may worry about how to deal with the leaking. You can either wear a large pad in your underwear, use plastic-backed pads or even towels to cover your seats.
• If you are not driving fairly normally, then you should put your hazards on. This allows other drivers to know that something is up.
• Avoid bumps, construction, and railroad tracks if you can. This is not always possible. When it is not possible, you should go as slowly as possible to minimize the pain for mom.