Pregnancy Mood Swings: Understanding & Dealing With These

by Puja
PMS Feature
  • Introduction
  • Reasons of pregnancy mood swings
  • How can you understand that you have mood swings?
  • Ways to cope up with mood swings
  • Conclusion

Pregnancy is a joyous phase of life. Every married couple yearns to get pregnant and embrace parenthood. Pregnancy is a beautiful journey, but there are ups and downs too. It is like an emotional roller coaster where women undergo various feelings and mood swings. They can become both happy and sad without any reason. These rapid emotional changes are not experienced by every pregnant woman, but those who experience them goes through a tough phase.

The people around them are not able to understand them and they react negatively. During pregnancy, every woman needs to be cared by because of the mood swings people try to maintain distance and they are left all alone. The best thing about mood swings is that they are temporary and will pass away with time.

Mood swings can be caused due to various reasons that include hormonal changes, worries of the future life change and discomforts of pregnancy. The estrogen levels increase during the initial 12 weeks of pregnancy and because it is associated with brain chemical serotonin, it plays a big role in causing mood swings. Today we would discuss elaborately about the pregnancy mood swings and how you can deal with it.

Reasons of pregnancy mood swings

There are many reasons why you may have mood swing during the time of pregnancy. Some of reasons are described below:

Change in the hormone level

Though there are various factors that contribute to mood swings but the biggest reason is the sudden rise in hormones. During the early days of pregnancy, a woman experiences a flood of progesterone and estrogen. These two hormones can demote the emotional health of the woman. Estrogen is active in that area of the brain, which regulated mood. So, this hormone is associated with depression, irritability and anxiety. Progesterone hormone looses your joints and muscles. Additionally it helps to prevent early contractions. This can cause sadness, sluggishness and fatigue.

Lack of sleep and fatigue

Sleep deprivation and fatigue adds fuel to the mood swings. When you are exhausted but cannot sleep, it will lead to frustration and moods swings are natural to happen. During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, no matter how much you rest, you will feel depleted all the time. This creates a pressure on your mind and body. Things get worse when you have to take care of the other child or manage the house on your own.

sleepless fatigue

Morning sickness

Intense physical symptoms can be caused because of the morning sickness. It can even have major psychological effects and cause nausea. Pregnant woman tend to feel bad about themselves because of the constant effects of morning sickness. It is never pleasant to throw up every now and then. Several inconvenient moments and vomiting can take a toll on your mood over the time. Your peaceful mindset is at stake when sadness and stress are at their peak.

Physical changes

The changes in your body can make you feel either happy or sad. Some pregnant women get delighted on watching their bellies expand whereas there are some who feel dismayed on watching their bodies changing shape. Women who has struggles with body size issues grow complicated feelings inside when they see their transforming bodies.

Stress and anxiety

Anxiety is normal among pregnant women because they have mixed feelings during this time. Stress about the future finances and life adjustments can make them feel worried and bitter. Several women face anxiety when they think about the delivery date and the labor pain. Fears about the delivery are rational and real. However, in some women, this anxiety becomes intrusive. If a woman has face miscarriage in the past, the stress level and anxiety spikes up even more. This emotional issues leads to constant mood swings.

How can you understand that you have mood swings?

Not all the pregnancy mood swings would look alike. Different women face varied kinds of mood swings and those are visible through their actions. You can experience moments of sadness and events of joviality at the same time. You can laugh without control and also get angry over the tiniest problem. At times, you would envy your partner or the non-pregnant friends who are able to lead normal lifestyles. You can even enhance your anxiety level by thinking about the delivery and the labor pain.

Mood Swings

Several kinds of thoughts pass by your mind when you think of delivery. You try to search answers for your “what ifs” and in the process you end up feeling frustrated. If you find happiness in building cribs, child proofing the cabinets and sharp edges of the furniture or laundering the tiny onies, then just enjoy the peaceful time of preparation and nurture the maternal intuition. During your pregnancy, you feel terribly sad, hopeless or dismayed; you should talk to your doctor about your health.

Ways to cope up with mood swings

Cope Up

Here are some of the easy ways to cope up with your mood swings during pregnancy:

  1. Prioritize sleep – This is one of the important things that you should do deal with mood swings. When you do not sleep well, you feel fatigue and tired throughout the day. This triggers mood swings and discomfort. Make your bedtime quiet and calm so that you can get some quality sleep. Sleep will promote relaxation and keep you fresh.
  2. Connect with other pregnant women – When you talk with other expecting moms about your worries and mood swings, you will feel normal. You will get to know that you are not alone and there are many who are going through the same problem. There are various social media groups and forum for the pregnant women. You can join them to know more about the emotional changes.
  3. Meditation and yoga – Meditation and yoga will positively help you to reduce anxiety from life and increase the feelings of well-being. Join yoga class or try any of free meditation apps online. Participate in restorative yoga classes and talk to the instructor before you start.
  4. Visit a counselor – If you think you are not able to lower the intensity of your mood swings, you can take help from a professional. Fix an appointment with the therapist or counselor and talk about your concerns.

Final Words

Mood swings adds to the long list of inconvenience during the time of pregnancy. You might get angry at time and sudden sadness might curb you. It is normal to get mood swings as your body is going through significant hormonal and physical changes.

You should just remember that all over these feelings are a part of the journey and will eventually come to an end. Depression and mood swings are not the same. You can follow the above-mentioned steps to cope up with the mood swings.

Anxiety or depression in pregnancy will increase the risk of postpartum depression. They can even have negative health effects on the new mommy and the baby. Whenever you realize that you are not able to cope up with the emotional struggles all by yourself, you should talk to your doctor and seek advice.

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