"Happy Pregnancy!" - How to Deal with Mood Swings During Pregnancy
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Photo by Ryan Franco on Unsplash
On cloud nine in the morning, down in the dumps by evening. As a pregnant woman, you can prepare for an emotional roller coaster. Only a few women are spared mood swings during pregnancy or experience them only to a minor extent. The fluctuations range from euphoria and bliss to confusion, uncertainty, and sadness. Such a jumble of feelings can be exhausting and confusing for you and your loved ones, but there are ways you can prevent it.
How do mood swings arise during pregnancy? Mood swings during pregnancy occur due to a disrupted hormone balance. To optimally prepare your body for pregnancy and birth, your ovaries and later your placenta produce the hormones progesterone and estrogen, which can significantly affect your emotional state.
In this article, we will not only reveal the origin of the infamous mood swings in pregnancy, but also show you how to deal with them in the best possible way.
Mood swings during pregnancy – how do they occur?
Whether and to what extent a woman will suffer from emotional highs and lows during pregnancy cannot be predicted. The emotional turmoil is caused by changes in the body’s hormone levels that accompany the onset of pregnancy.
Hormones, progesterone and estrogen, are normally produced in the ovaries. This process happens on its own and usually goes unnoticed. Some sensitive women notice a slight change in hormone concentration when their period is approaching, which manifests as tension or emotional upsets.
A similar process occurs when pregnancy begins, but to a much greater extent. If the egg has been successfully fertilized, the body starts producing pregnancy-sustaining hormones and works at full speed. This prepares the entire organism to enable the baby to have a healthy development.
As pregnancy progresses, the release of progesterone and estrogen increases further. While at the beginning only the ovaries are responsible for production, from the fifth month of pregnancy the placenta also becomes involved and takes over complete hormone production. While the placenta is being formed, it already participates to a small extent in the production of hormones. Because of this back-and-forth and the generally elevated levels of hormones, particularly in the first months of pregnancy there can be considerable mood swings.
How do mood swings manifest during pregnancy?
The disrupted hormonal balance leads to existing feelings being amplified and unprecedented worries being triggered. A wide variety of situations suddenly seem more difficult than they actually are, and the reactions to them are more emotional than usual.
Here, extremely positive feelings can alternate with equally strong negative feelings:
- Feelings of happiness and joy
- Excitement
- Calm and composure
- Pride in oneself
- Connectedness
- Positive body awareness
- Uncertainty and fear
- Negative body awareness
- Confusion
- Sadness
- Worries
- Impatience
- Hypersensitivity to comments or advice
- Frequent crying
- Stress
While you may find yourself crying at the sight of cute animal videos, suddenly exaggerated anger wells up when your partner loads the dishwasher the "wrong" way. Your emotions often seem magnified many times over, which can be burdensome not only for you yourself but also for the people around you. All the more important it is to educate yourself and to raise awareness among your loved ones. You can find out how best to deal with pregnancy-related mood swings further down in the article.
When do mood swings occur and how long do they last?
It is also only possible to determine vaguely the exact time when mood swings occur. They can appear as early as implantation and persist after birth. In the first trimester of pregnancy, the emotional turmoil often manifests most strongly, as this is when the greatest hormonal changes take place. In early pregnancy, irritability and sadness are particularly noticeable. Emerging fears also often play a major role here.
Even though hormone levels usually normalize after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the odd mood high or low may still appear over the course of the second and third trimesters. Toward the end of pregnancy, additional hormones such as prolactin and oxytocin are released, once again triggering strong emotions.
For a happy pregnancy: What to do about mood swings?
Of course, you cannot change the hormonal situation in your body. Below we share tips on how to best cope with their effects. These strategies have proven effective:
- A movie night or a trip to the theater with friends or acquaintances
- Open conversations with your partner, a friend, your midwife or OB-GYN
- Intentional relaxation, for example in a warm bath, with a cup of tea, or while reading a book
- Light physical activity
- Connecting with like-minded people
- Distraction in any form (short trip, spa day …)
Let it all out
The most important thing first: There is no point in fighting deep sadness or great elation. First and foremost, you should accept your state of mind as it is and try to keep it within bearable bounds. As a mom-to-be, you should not be too hard on yourself: It is okay to be “out of sorts”!
Allow your feelings. Do you feel like crying right now? Then let the tears flow. You will soon notice that things start looking up again. Also let everyone know when you are full of joy, and talk about your fears as well. You do not have to be ashamed of anything, and letting it all out is a better solution than desperately fighting against it.
Talk about your feelings
It often helps to say out loud what you feel and what you are thinking about. Your first point of contact should be your partner or your female partner , but close friends and relatives can support you as well. Your midwife is also a good person to talk to, as she has a lot of experience with fears, worries, and doubts during pregnancy.
Even if it seems like supposed trivialities or you are afraid of not being understood, you should get your worries off your chest. If you cannot open up in person, there are numerous groups for pregnant women on social media where people help one another.
Exercise and sport instead of lying on the couch
Exercise helps you clear your head and bring order to the chaos of your thoughts. Exercise also releases hormones that trigger feelings of happiness. When sadness washes over you, moving is definitely more helpful than staying in bed or on the couch and waiting for it to get better on its own. Depending on your mood, you may find it hard to motivate yourself. Remember that a little movement in the fresh air – even if it is just a short walk – is good not only for you but also for the growing baby.
Balanced diet
Your diet can also have a significant impact on your emotional well-being and influence mood swings during pregnancy. In particular, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins play a crucial role here. However, before you change your diet or turn to dietary supplements, you should urgently discuss this plan with your gynecologist.
Massages and meditation
Easier said than done, but when emotions are bubbling up inside you, relaxation can help. In addition to special pregnancy massages, you can also let your partner gently massage and pamper you. This way, they can actively help you and you both gain some quality couple time. Certain meditation techniques or yoga can help you normalize your mood and reduce stress.
Caution: When fear and sadness prevail
As you now know, mood swings during pregnancy are completely normal to a certain extent. However, if the boundaries of what is typical are exceeded and you experience prolonged periods of doubt, sadness, anger and/or anxiety, this may be an early sign of prenatal depression. Other typical symptoms include lack of motivation, poor concentration, loss of appetite, and negative thoughts.
Please always treat yourself with care and listen to your body. If you feel that your mood exceeds the bounds of typical mood swings and that the situation is becoming a real burden, you should talk to your midwife or your gynecologist. Depression during pregnancy can be well treated, especially if addressed early.
Photo by @soapbubbbles
Preparation builds anticipation
Almost every pregnant woman is affected by it sooner or later: the nesting instinct. Suddenly the apartment is rearranged, clothes and other products for the baby are bought, the washing machine runs on an endless loop – everything should be perfectly prepared for the baby’s arrival.
One thing that can be especially joyful is choosing the right diapers. At Judes we stand for sustainable, healthy and above all simple diapers. Our cloth diapers are made entirely without chemicals and are brilliantly designed. Our system consists of two parts – a diaper cover and an inner diaper – and is just as easy to use as a disposable diaper. Many parents even attest that it is easier to use.
Why does choosing our diapers contribute to your happy pregnancy? Judes’ color selection leaves little to be desired and makes our diapers much more attractive than disposable diapers. It is also certain: by buying Judes you are doing something good!
Because our cloth diapers are washed and reused after use, you actively contribute to waste reduction. If you also use our washcloths, you can even do without conventional wet wipes.
But you are not only doing something good for the planet. Our fabrics are entirely free of chemicals (in contrast to disposable diapers) and very skin-friendly. Just the right thing for delicate baby skin! The breathable fabrics also ensure good air circulation and thus prevent skin irritations.
