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cuteone47 · Jan 10, 2009, 07:24 AM

My son & girlfriend constantly are yelling & screaming at each other!
The baby is 28 weeks... Can this hurt the baby??

ashleyhdoucette · Jan 10, 2009, 07:52 AM

I can only assume that the girlfriend is pregnant and not you?

If so, then you should tell your son's girlfriend that the worst thing that it can do is bring on early labor... as far as I've been told. I'm 32 weeks pregnant and aside from hurting her throat or upping her amount of stress, it could cause premature labor. That is something scary in its own, especially at 28 weeks. You would be surprised as to how much the baby is protected living inside of her.

I know it is hard not to fight back, but I've been in a relationship in the past where all we did was fight. Tell her the best thing she can do is walk away. It is best for her and the baby.

excon · Jan 10, 2009, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by cuteone47

Can this hurt the baby?????

Hello cutie:

I don't know what you mean by "hurt". Will it cause physical problems? No. Will it cause psychological problems? Yes!

excon

southerngalps · Jan 10, 2009, 08:56 AM

It will not physically hurt the baby.

The baby can absolutely hear this yelling.

It will put stress on the baby.

DoulaLC · Jan 10, 2009, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by cuteone47

My son & girlfriend constantly are yelling & screaming at each other!
The baby is 28 weeks...Can this hurt the baby?????

It may in some subtle and not so subtle ways. Stress hormones may alter some of the baby's development in terms of stress response and possibly other health issues in later years. Just as any other chemical that enters the mother's body can play a role in the baby's development, so too can cortisol. A great deal of brain development occurs in the last trimester... while some stress is normal and can even be beneficial, too much can be cause for concern.

When things are calm... share your concerns and speak to your son and his girlfriend about learning and practicing other ways to deal with their anger and disagreements. How someone argues is often a learned response and becomes habit. Ask them if they really want to bring up a child in that sort of environment... to believe that way of talking to someone they love is healthy? A couples class may even be helpful if they feel it is too difficult to make changes on their own.