#108: Managing Political Anxiety While Pregnant or Parenting: How to Stay Engaged Without the Anxiety Spiral
- Clara O'Rourke
- 9 hours ago
- 6 min read
If you’ve been feeling waves of anxiety while following the news — especially around immigration, civil rights, political instability, or the recent escalation of ICE enforcement across the U.S. — you are not alone. Many pregnant people and parents are feeling the emotional weight of this moment. With so much happening, it’s completely normal to feel a deep urge to take action and an equally strong need to protect your mental and emotional well-being.
In today’s episode of The Mindful Womb Podcast, we explore how to stay engaged, compassionate, and active during this intense political climate without spiraling into fear, overwhelm, or nervous-system burnout.
We’ll walk through practical tools to balance:
🎧 Staying informed
✊ Stepping into meaningful advocacy
🧘 Keeping your stress levels in check
💗 Protecting your pregnancy and your family’s well-being
Listen to the episode now:
We are living in a moment of profound collective stress. The news is heavy. Political tension is high. Stories of injustice, violence, and systemic harm are unavoidable. And if you are pregnant—or parenting—it often lands differently.
When you are carrying new life, you are not only processing what is happening to you, but also imagining the world your child is entering. That can feel terrifying, activating, and deeply emotional.
Pregnant people are often told:
“Just don’t stress.”
“Avoid the news.”
“Protect your peace.”
While well-intentioned, these messages can feel dismissive and unrealistic. They suggest a false choice: either you care about the world or you care for your nervous system.
The truth is far more nuanced—and far more empowering.
You do not have to choose between caring about injustice and caring for your body, your pregnancy, and your mental health. You can stay engaged and stay regulated. You can take meaningful action without burning yourself out. And you can protect your nervous system while honoring your values.
This post explores how.
Why Political and Social Stress Hits Differently During Pregnancy
Pregnancy naturally changes how your nervous system operates. This is not a weakness—it is biology doing its job.
During pregnancy:
Your nervous system becomes more attuned to potential threats
Your emotional sensitivity often increases
Your brain is wired to prioritize safety and protection
This heightened vigilance is adaptive. It exists to help keep you and your baby safe.
However, constant exposure to political crisis, injustice, or violence can tip that adaptive alertness into chronic stress. Chronic stress is associated with:
Increased inflammation
Sleep disruption
Anxiety and mood disorders
Physical tension and exhaustion
Feeling anxious does not mean you are failing at pregnancy. It means your empathy is functioning exactly as it should.
The goal is not to shut down your awareness—it is to support your nervous system so it is not carrying this weight alone
How to Go From “Checking Out” to Intentional, Sustainable Engagement
Rather than asking:
“Should I be informed or should I protect my mental health?”
A more helpful reframe is:
“How can I engage intentionally and sustainably?”
This approach allows you to stay informed without overwhelming your body.
1. Set Clear Boundaries Around News Consumption
Staying informed matters—especially when civil liberties and human rights are at stake.
But constant exposure is not required for meaningful engagement.
Consider:
Choosing one or two trusted news sources
Limiting news intake to designated windows (for example, 15 minutes in the morning)
Avoiding news consumption before bed
Turning off push notifications, especially political ones
This reduces nervous system overload while keeping you grounded in reality.
Another important distinction: There is a difference between learning facts and repeatedly consuming emotionally charged reactions to those facts.
Intentional consumption means asking:
Is this helping me understand what’s happening?
Or is it amplifying stress without adding clarity?
Both discernment and boundaries are acts of self-care—not avoidance.
Curating Your Digital Environment Without Silencing Yourself
Your nervous system responds to what it repeatedly takes in.
You are allowed to:
Mute or unfollow accounts that increase anxiety
Seek out creators who emphasize action steps over despair
Limit exposure to graphic or traumatic content
This is not censorship. It is intentional regulation.
Many educators and advocates choose to share ways to act rather than reposting traumatizing footage, recognizing that pregnant people and parents are already carrying heightened emotional loads
Setting Boundaries in Conversations (Yes, Even With Loved Ones)
Connection is regulating—but constant repetition of stressful conversations can be draining.
You are allowed to say:
“I care deeply about this, but I need to talk about it in a way that doesn’t dysregulate me.”
“I’ve reached my capacity for this conversation today—can we change the subject?”
“Can we set a time limit on how long we talk about this?”
This doesn’t mean disengaging from the world. It means preserving your emotional bandwidth so you can remain present and connected in multiple areas of your life.
Nervous System Care: Grounding Yourself in the Present
Supporting your nervous system is not indulgent—it is foundational for pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
Breathwork: Your Most Accessible Regulation Tool
Slow, intentional breathing signals safety to the body and downshifts sympathetic (fight-or-flight) activation.
Helpful techniques include:
Box Breathing
Inhale for 4
Hold for 4
Exhale for 4
Hold empty for 4Repeat several cycles.
Extended Exhales
Inhale for 4
Exhale for 6–8Longer exhales activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
Humming Breaths
Inhale deeply
Exhale with a gentle hum
Humming stimulates the vagus nerve, which plays a central role in emotional regulation and pelvic floor function during pregnancy and birth
Movement and Somatic Release
Stress lives in the body. Gentle, safe movement helps release stored tension.
Examples:
Walking outdoors
Prenatal yoga
Stretching or intuitive movement
Even brief movement breaks can significantly shift mood and regulation.
Journaling to Reduce Cognitive Overload
Writing helps externalize racing thoughts and restore a sense of agency.
Helpful prompts include:
What is within my control right now?
What is mine to do today?
What do I need to feel safe in this moment?
These prompts are valuable not only during times of political stress, but throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
Grounding Rituals That Anchor You in the Body
Rituals bring you out of the mind and into sensation.
Consider:
Nature walks
Warm baths
Tea rituals
Aromatherapy
Sensory focus (touch, smell, sound)
Nature, in particular, has a powerful regulating effect and helps orient the nervous system toward the present moment
Why Nervous System Care Is a Form of Activism
A regulated body makes clearer, more sustainable decisions.
Burnout helps no one.
When you care for your nervous system, you are preserving your ability to:
Think critically
Act intentionally
Stay engaged over time
Regulation is not disengagement—it is preparation.
Taking Aligned Action Without Burning Out
We are living in times that ask something of us. Doing nothing often feels impossible—but doing everything is unsustainable.
A more supportive framework is:
“I can contribute in ways that match my current capacity.”
Capacity expands when you are regulated.
Meaningful Ways to Take Action
Volunteer locally (in ways that fit your physical energy)
Support organizations financially, even in small amounts
Attend community meetings or listening sessions, including virtual ones
Participate in mutual aid networks
Use your voice gently but consistently
Vote in local elections
Call representatives using tools like Five Calls
Taking action restores agency, and agency is deeply regulating
Quick Action & Advocacy Tools
5 Calls – Easy way to find your legislators and call them with pre-written scripts on current issues.
Resistbot – Text a keyword or use the web bot to send messages to your elected officials, find polling places, and more.
Action Network – A platform for organizing and taking action on progressive issues (petitions, emails, events).
Advocacy & Civic Engagement Organizations
Common Cause – Works for pro-democracy reforms and accountability in government; offers action opportunities and campaigns.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – People Power Network – A grassroots network organizing volunteers and supporters to protect civil liberties and rights.
MoveOn.org – Civic action and advocacy organization focusing on national issues and member-driven campaigns.
Additional Advocacy & Civic Engagement Resources
National Advocacy Resource List – A compilation of leading advocacy organizations across issue areas like civil rights, environment, women’s rights, etc. (e.g., ACLU, Human Rights Campaign, Sierra Club).
Participatory Politics Foundation – Nonprofit focused on increasing public participation in democracy through civic platforms and engagement tools.
When Anxiety Signals a Need for Additional Support
If anxiety is:
Disrupting sleep
Interfering with daily functioning
Affecting your ability to enjoy pregnancy
It is time to seek additional support.
Options include:
Talking with your medical provider
Working with a therapist or perinatal mental health specialist
Considering medication when appropriate (many are safe during pregnancy with proper guidance)
Postpartum Support International is an excellent resource for referrals and support groups
You are not broken for feeling this deeply.
Your empathy is not a flaw—it is a strength.
You can care about the world and care for your pregnancy. You can show up without sacrificing your well-being. Small, consistent actions matter. Gentle nervous systems change the world more sustainably than burned-out ones ever could.
Take a moment now:
Place a hand on your belly
Notice your breath
Remind yourself: I am here. I am doing enough.
Thank you for caring.Thank you for bringing new life into this world.And thank you for choosing to nurture compassion, resilience, and hope—both within yourself and for the generations to come.
Thank You for Listening
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