When you are pregnant and expecting your first child, you may feel a range of different emotions, from excitement and anticipation to fear and anxiety.
Many women experience changing emotions during pregnancy as their hormones fluctuate, their bodies change and they prepare for their lives to transform.
In this article, we discuss the different emotions you may experience during pregnancy and how to manage them in a healthy way.
What causes emotions during pregnancy?
It is completely normal for women to experience pregnancy mood swings. Hormonal changes due to pregnancy, as well as changes in your personal circumstances (such as a new job, home or relationship), can all lead to emotional fluctuations.
When do pregnancy mood swings start, you might ask? Well, usually a few weeks after conception. This is because higher levels of estrogen and progesterone are produced by the body to maintain a healthy pregnancy. However, while important, this influx of hormones can leave women feeling emotionally unsettled – with mood swings in early pregnancy being particularly common.
Many women experience tearfulness, irritability and overexertion. If not treated properly, these feelings can turn into more serious symptoms such as anxiety and depression. According to Olivia Marcellino, Vice President of Research at Recovery.com, pregnancy can cause depression “due to a sudden change in hormones, stress and sleep deprivation after birth. Between 10-20% of new mothers experience depression.”
If you want to avoid the more serious emotional side effects of pregnancy, such as depression, being aware of the emotional changes that can occur during pregnancy is the first step in protecting your emotional well-being now and in the future.
Mood swings in pregnancy: Feelings you may experience
Let’s take a look at some of the emotions you may experience during your pregnancy and the best coping strategies.
Tear
When you first find out you’re pregnant, it’s the beginning of an emotional rollercoaster. You may feel everything from excitement to nervousness to overwhelming fear. These feelings are all perfectly normal.
However, feeling these emotions alongside the severe nausea and the surge of hormones common during the first trimester can lead to as many tearful moments as happy ones.
Try our Morning Nausea Tea to keep nausea at bay.
Irritable
First of all; your body is growing baby. From managing your emotions to managing your emotions pregnancy skin care regime, it’s a lot of work. Like, very. So it’s okay to feel grumpy and tired from time to time. You re not the only one.
Many women find that as their pregnancy progresses, they become increasingly uncomfortable. It becomes more difficult to sleep and the fears and worries that were tucked away in a box marked “worry about later” are now out in the open.
With all these thoughts and feelings running through your mind, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. You may find yourself becoming increasingly frustrated and impatient with those around you. Irritability is common during pregnancy and is often the result of frozen stress and anxiety.
Nesting instinct
As you realize that your whole world is about to change, you may feel a strong urge to prepare for your baby’s arrival. This strong desire to organize and prepare for the baby is often referred to as “nesting”.
The nesting instinct is very common and often reflects how you feel emotionally. Many women feel out of control during pregnancy. As everything is about to change, they try to find small things in their lives that they can control (like packing the hospital bag, decorating the baby’s room, and finding space for all those baby shower gifts).
Nesting is pretty normal (to a point), but if you find that your nesting instincts are getting a little out of hand (it’s probably not necessary to clean behind the freezer right now), it’s important to take some time for yourself if You can.
Worry
If you feel stressed during your pregnancy, you are not alone. In fact, 1 in 4 women experience clinically elevated levels of stress during their pregnancy.
Whether you’re feeling anxious about the birth, worried about becoming a mother, or unsure of how your life will change once your baby arrives, these kinds of anxieties are normal and expected.
However, if during pregnancy you suffer from anxiety that consumes you more and more, making it difficult for you to function on a daily basis, this should be addressed by a medical professional.
How to manage emotions during pregnancy
So, now that you know the emotions that are common during pregnancy, how do you go about protecting your mental well-being? Some great ways to manage these high emotional moments during your pregnancy include:
Get enough sleep: during the first trimester, what your body needs most is sleep (and lots of it!) In addition to helping your baby grow, getting enough sleep is a great way to manage these pregnancy mood swings. It ensures you are rested and ready to tackle the day.
Talk to others: no one should go through their pregnancy alone. Getting support from friends and family or online from local groups and social connections is a great way to manage your mood swings in pregnancy. It also ensures that you get the emotional support you need during this exciting and scary time.
Stay physically active: Many pregnant women find it difficult to stay physically active during pregnancy. However, keeping your body moving is one of the most important things you can do. There are plenty of gentle exercises, from walking to swimming, that have little impact on your body while still getting your heart pumping.
Ask for help: Being pregnant for the first time is a unique and wonderful experience. However, it can also feel extremely overwhelming. Instead of letting stress get the best of you, it’s important to seek help. You don’t have to do it all yourself. It’s okay (and good!) to ask others for support. Whether it’s helping with cleaning or cooking or just a listening ear, we all need people around us who can provide the encouragement and love we need.
Final Words
As you can see, mood swings in pregnancy are often experienced by women, especially in the early months of pregnancy. However, if you feel like your emotions are controlling you rather than the other way around, it’s time to talk to your doctor.
We hope the tips in this article have been helpful and we wish you the best of luck with your pregnancy and journey into motherhood.
About the Author: Sophie Bishop is a medical, wellness and lifestyle writer. Sophie aims to spread awareness through her writing on topics related to healthcare, wellbeing and sustainability and wants to connect with an engaged audience. Contact Sophie via her website: https://sophiebishop.uk/.