WIP

Pregnancy is a very exciting time in which the anticipation of the birth is constantly growing. However, it is sometimes also a time of anxiety and stress. Especially in early pregnancy, anxiety and worry can accompany women. The effects of stress during pregnancy on the expectant mother, the birth and the (unborn) child have become increasingly recognised in recent years.

In this study, in co-operation with the Pränatal Practice, we would like to investigate the extent to which subjectively perceived stress is related to physiological stress markers in the blood. We are also interested in which factors (such as the mother's age or parity) influence the experience of stress. Studies are particularly scarce in the period of early pregnancy and therefore the aim of this study is to gain further insights here.

If you take part, you will be asked to fill in a few questionnaires about your current stress experience in the prenatal waiting room. This should take about 10 minutes to complete. You will also have an extra tube of blood taken when your blood sample is routinely taken as part of your first semester screening. There will be no study-related puncture site.

If you will be attending a prenatal screening appointment at the University Women's Hospital Düsseldorf and are interested in taking part in the study, please contact us (nora.schaal@hhu.de).