When most women imagine taking an early pregnancy test, what they see in their minds are hugs and kisses, congratulations and lots of happiness and joy. For many, they assume that those feelings will continue all the way up until the birth of the baby. The sad reality is that after a period of time, sometimes days, sometimes weeks, and sometimes even hours, fear can start to creep in.

It is hard to image that small things will start to worry you. These worries can be physical. Perhaps you're worried that you have too much morning sickness, or not enough. Maybe you're worried over every twinge you feel, praying that you aren't about to miscarry.

Some fears are practical. These concerns might be about how will you afford a baby. Do you need baby things? What will it cost to have the baby? Do you need a bigger space? How will your pets feel about the new baby? Will your older child(ren) be upset?

Or perhaps you are experiencing emotional concerns. Am I ready to be a parent? Have we made a mistake in getting pregnant? (Yes, this happens, even after people have gone through years of fertility treatments, it's difficult and scary.) You might even worry about your relationship with your partner.

These fears can really begin to eat away at you. Some women feel like the strain of the stress from the worrying causes more damage to them than pregnancy symptoms. Are you completely exhausted because you are pregnant, or because you worry all of the time. Do you find yourself unable to get back to sleep because you are worrying or can't shut your brain off?

A few things to think about to help you gestate in peace:

1. Get Informed
   Taking an early pregnancy class, getting your hands on a great pregnancy book (Not one of the scary ones.), finding a good doctor or midwife and talking to your practitioner are all great ways to help calm your fears. Facts are great combatants of fear. A class can also be a great way to find a group of people going through similar experiences to yourself.
    
   
2. Build a Support Network
   Just as you should seek about physical advice from professionals, talking to other moms who have been there can be very helpful. Asking the questions that may seem silly is great. It can also just be good to blow of steam about life in general. Sometimes just going out with friends is balm for the soul, even if you don't specifically talk about pregnancy.
    
   
3. Have a Positive Mindset
   Being pregnant can be so draining when everyone wants to share their horror stories with you. Try to figure out what your strategy will be to deal with this type of over-sharing. Seek out sources of information who offer realistic and positive information. Consider using pregnancy affirmations to help you.
    
   
4. Get Professional Help if You Need It
   Sometimes the concerns become so great that you develop depression in pregnancy. This is not uncommon, but most don't think of depression is something that crops up in pregnancy, just because our mindset is that pregnant women are happy women. Use a worry doll. Find a good therapist if you need one. They can really help you find a good path for you and your family. This can also help prevent or reduce the risks of postpartum depression, or at least you will have a support system in place.

Remember that the vast majority of pregnancies proceed without physical problems. This doesn't mean that you don't worry about them, simply that they aren't always going to manifest themselves. A set of good skills and tricks will help you get back on board with enjoying at least part of your pregnancy.