Little Steps For Dealing With Emotions During Pregnancy

Mood changes can occur frequently during pregnancy. The reason behind mood swings is the hormonal, physical, and emotional changes that you experience. Although these symptoms are unavoidable, there are a few measures you can take to cope with them.

But first, let’s try to understand the exact causes of mood swings, and what you will experience trimester-wise. 

Causes of Mood Swings During Pregnancy

One of the major causes of mood swings during pregnancy is hormonal fluctuation. During pregnancy, the body produces an excess of pregnancy hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone, resulting in feelings of anxiety, sadness, fear, and frustration.

Insufficient sleep also accounts for one of the causes of mood swings. As your belly is rapidly growing, you may find discomfort while sleeping. This can make you irritated or cranky.

In addition to this, health conditions such as gestational diabetes, or hypothyroidism can be responsible for mood swings as well. 

There are different triggers of mood swings, depending on your trimester. Let’s have a look at some of them below.

Early Pregnancy Mood Swing Triggers

Hormonal changes are not the only triggers for mood swings in the first trimester. Various bodily discomforts, such as morning sickness can make you feel irritated as well. Moreover, you can experience morning sickness at any time of the day, making matters even worse.

Severe morning sickness can also lead to the constant feeling of nausea and even vomitting. This puts a lot of strain on your body and you may end up feeling exhausted, which can add to your feeling of distress.

Additionally, the first trimester is an extremely crucial period for expecting mums, as this is when most of the pregnancy losses occur. Therefore, mums who have already experienced miscarriages, or have fertility issues might live in constant fear of losing the baby. 

Factors Affecting Mood Swings in the Second Trimester

Although the body is still going through hormonal changes, it’s lesser compared to the first three months. During this time, mums have a little more energy and some relief from morning sickness.

However, as the belly grows bigger, women may begin to experience changes in their appearance. While some women feel excited about these changes, others might feel insecure about gaining weight and become anxious. 

Also, there is a slew of prenatal tests that are performed during the second trimester. Getting the tests done and waiting for the results to drive can make the mums nervous and cranky. They are worried about any complications that might get detected and may feel sad during this time.

On the brighter side, there is an increase in sexual desire among women during the second trimester. This could be a good time to connect with your partner in an intimate manner.

Factors Affecting Mood Swings in the Third Trimester

By the third trimester, your belly grows up to the size of a watermelon. This makes sleeping at night difficult and extremely uncomfortable. Insufficient sleep can lead to fatigue and mood swings.

Moreover, as your due date arrives closer, you will be constantly worried about the turn of events, labour pain, and the possibility of complications. This again can lead to feelings of fear and sadness.

Also, mums may experience a phase called ‘nesting’ in their third trimester. You may feel a sudden urge to organise, clean, and physically prepare for the baby. But, be informed that not every mum experiences this phenomenon.

Nesting is mostly a positive experience, but for some mums, things might take a different turn. They might feel that they don’t have enough to provide for their baby and that can lead to feelings of anxiety and fear.

Why Do Some Women Feel Angry During Pregnancy?

Some women may struggle with feelings of frustration, anger, and irritability during pregnancy. Well, one of the reasons why this occurs is hormonal changes. Other factors include fatigue and physical discomforts.

When you are functioning on minimum sleep your tolerance towards everything will automatically become lower. But if you are unable to cope with your anger, and find it interferring with your daily life, you may need to consult your doctor.

Moreover, prenatal anger can have a negative effect on your unborn child. Research suggests that it even causes reduced fetus growth. To avoid that, it’s best you take precautions way ahead and seek therapy on time.

How to Cope With Mood Swings During Pregnancy?

A few lifestyle changes, combined with a healthy diet can help you relax and manage your mood better. Follow these steps:

• Get Adequate Sleep: Lack of sleep is a common cause of mood swings. We suggest you minimise all kinds of sleep disturbances and wear loose-fitting clothes to create a comfortable sleeping environment. 

Try to get an afternoon nap plus eight hours of sleep daily.

• Indulge In Yoga And Meditation: According to various studies, meditation and yoga sessions can reduce symptoms of sadness, anxiety, and depression.

• Pamper Yourself: Consider trying simple and fun activities such as going to a spa, indulging in the food that you are craving, or going for a walk with your partner. Anything that can make you happy will help greatly in coping with your emotions.

• Get A Prenatal Massage: This will aid in the functioning of the circulatory and lymphatic systems and reduce your muscle and joint pain. This can improve your mood and help you stay composed.

• Try to Stay Healthy: Health conditions such as high blood pressure, anaemia, or the possibility of complications can make you stressed out. But do not overthink. Just take the medications, visit your doctor timely, and focus on following their suggestions.

• Talk to Your Partner: Discuss your feelings with your partner. Sometimes just talking about things can uplift your mood and reduce stress. Vent out if you need to, trust us, this will make you feel better.

• Keep Yourself Informed About Pregnancy-related Aspects: You might have a lot of fears regarding pregnancy and childbirth. But know, that a lot of them may not be valid. It’s best to talk to your doctor and clear any doubts you have. This will stop you from overthinking and you will feel at ease.

• Take A Childbirth Course: During pregnancy, your mind can be riddled with thoughts about what your delivery process would look like. To reduce anxiety, you can sign up for a childbirth course as it can help answer a lot of queries and boost your confidence.

• See A Therapist: Sometimes your mood swings can be difficult for you to cope with alone, and you may need professional help. Moreover, your mood may also impact your family and kids as well. Seek help from a professional counsellor and mention your concerns with them. They will guide you through this phase in an adequate manner.

• Connect With Other Expecting Mums: Join social media groups or other forums that are dedicated to the well-being of mums. Interact with fellow expecting mums and talk to them about your worries. 

Most importantly, just know that it’s absolutely okay to feel this way during pregnancy. Accept your feelings and focus on following the tips mentioned above.