Decision Fatigue in Pregnancy

I've heard it said that we make 35,000 decisions a day. I don't know if this is true or not, but it might be considering we make a lot of those decisions without much thought. For example, every time we take a step forward, that is a decision, but if we know we want to get from here to there, we need to keep taking steps and we do so without even really thinking about it. If we come to a puddle, or some other obstacle that we want to avoid, we make a conscious decision to walk around it or over it. So, I guess it's possible that we can make 35,000 decisions a day.

Considering the sheer number of decisions we make on a daily basis, it's no wonder that when a big life event, like pregnancy and birth, comes into the picture, we can very quickly get bogged down with even more decisions, leading to decision fatigue.

Decision fatigue is when your brain gets overloaded with all the choices and decisions that need to be made about a specific event that is over and above all of the daily decisions you need to make, that you can't make any decision at all. The reason that this happens often in pregnancy is that you not only have to decide what daily things that you need to change to have a healthy pregnancy, such as avoiding certain foods while eating more of other healthy options, prioritizing rest and hydration, or even choosing a good prenatal vitamin, but there are countless other decisions that need to be made regarding birth, motherhood and raising a child for the next 18 or so years!

Although there are countless decisions to be made during pregnancy and beyond, not all of them need to be decided immediately or by yourself. Many pregnant women look to their friends or family members that have been through pregnancy and birth to find out what worked for them or what they would do differently. This can be a great resource, but watch out for well intended advice or information that ends up causing fear or anxiety.

Another great resource is a doula. Not only can a doula help you make some of these decisions by giving you unbiased, educational information about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, and many other things depending on their specializations, they can put you in touch with any resources that may be helpful as well. Some doulas offer childbirth education classes, or other specialty classes that you and your partner can take to feel more confident navigating all the changes and decisions that such a big life event can bring.

Decision fatigue is common during pregnancy, but it doesn't have to halt your birth prep altogether. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a break from birth planning or thinking about your "to-do" list of things to finish before baby arrives. Spend some time in nature, get a massage or a pedicure, or just do something that you love that you haven't done in awhile that will give you a break from all the pregnancy, birth, and baby decisions. They will still be there when you are ready to come back to them and you might even have a different perspective when you do. After all, women have been having babies since the beginning of time under all sorts of conditions and with far few resources than we have today. You've got this mama!