Crying During Pregnancy: Causes And Effects On Unborn Baby

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Several hormonal and physical changes can cause crying in pregnancy. These changes bring a lot of stress to women, and some women may find it more difficult to cope with stress than others.Pregnancy can be overwhelming and lead to mood swings and make you cry.

While crying does not have significant side effects for most pregnant women, excessive and persistent crying during pregnancy may indicate other underlying mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. Read on the post as we discuss the causes, side effects, and management of crying during pregnancy.

What Are The Causes Of Increased Crying In Pregnancy?

The following causes could lead to crying in pregnancy:

1. Hormonal changes

Increasing levels of estrogen and progesterone can make a pregnant woman experience strong emotions and make them tearful often.Once the body adapts to the fluctuating hormonal levels, the emotions may settle down. However, some women may continue to undergo emotional instability throughout the pregnancy (1).

2. Mood swings

Physical stress, fatigue, changes in metabolism, and pregnancy hormones can cause many mood swings in pregnant women. They are more common in the first trimester, between six and ten weeks. These mood swings may reappear in thethird trimester(2).

3. Stress

Stress arising from the thoughts of labor, childbirth, childcare, finances, etc., can cause stress at any stage of pregnancy and is more common with the first child.It may lead to crying during pregnancy (3).

4. Physical changes

The following physical changes could make an expecting mother tearful:

• Skin changes such as stretch markscould make it difficult for some women to accept the changes in their bodies.

• Discomforts of pregnancysuch as nausea or vomiting during thefirst trimester(or throughout the pregnancy), sleep disturbances, frequent urination during the night, and exhaustion of carrying excess weight could trigger crying spells.

5. Emotional moments

Some examples of emotional situations that could make an expectant mother cry include:

• Watching anemotional scenein a movie or a TV show.

• Going through thephotographsof a young baby or parent-child relationships.

• Watchingvideosof baby animals in trouble.

• Witnessing the preciouspregnancy milestonessuch as seeing the baby’s heartbeat for the first time, seeing the baby on an ultrasound, or feeling the baby’s kick can make it difficult for you to hold back your tears.

• People commentingon your womb being too small or too big, on your changed appearance in pregnancy, or about how having a baby will change your life, career, and relationship with your spouse may bring an expectant mother in tears.

• During thesecond trimester, some women may no longer fit in their regular clothes but are still small for their maternity clothes.Havingno good clothes to wearduring important social events or official meetings may leave a woman in crying spells.

• Going past your due dateand not having any signs of upcoming labor can make a pregnant mother feel impatient and frustrated.

When Is Crying During Pregnancy A Serious Problem?

While crying, emotional distress and breakdowns during pregnancy are not uncommon, in some cases, crying may also be a symptom of a serious underlying mental condition such as depression.

Depression in pregnancy is called perinatal or prenatal depression. It is one of the common pregnancy conditions and may affect about one in seven women. The signs and symptoms of prenatal depression include (4):

• Sadness, hopelessness, or feeling overwhelmed.
• Restlessness
• Moody behavior
• Weeping or sobbing or crying most of the time
• Feeling guilty or worthless
• Having self-harm or suicidal thoughts
• Changes in appetite

• Problems with decision-making, focusing, or remembering things
• Loss of interest in activities that you liked earlier
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Losing interest in things that were liked previously
• Feeling weak, tired, and lethargic most of the time
• Complaining of headache, stomachache, orother painsthat do not go away.

Inform your healthcare provider if you notice these symptoms and get the necessary help.

Can Crying And Depression Affect An Unborn Baby?

虽然偶尔哭不会引起任何不良effects on the developing baby, depression during pregnancy may have harmful effects on the developing baby.

Prenatal depression may increase the risk for the following (4).

• Premature birth

• Babies born small for their gestational age (SGA).

• Babies born with low birth weight (less than five pounds eight ounces).

• Babies may exhibit behaviors such as increased irritability, reduced activity levels, reduced attention, and lesser facial expressions.

• Babies may experience learning difficulties, behavior problems, developmental problems, and mental health conditions after they grow up.

• Mothers suffering from depression may not pay attention to their nutrition and prenatal checkups. It may cause an impact on the baby’s growth and development.

• While occasional crying does not harm the mother or the child, a study performed on a small group suggests that negative emotions or life events will increase the pregnant woman’srisk for miscarriage(5).

How To Cope With Crying Spells During Pregnancy?

The following tips may help you manage the crying episodes during pregnancy.

• Get enough sleep

Little or insufficient sleep can increase stress and make you cry more often.

• Indulge in permissible physical activities

Gentle exercises can boost your mood and energy. A brisk walk, swim session, a low-impact aerobic class, yoga sessions, etc., can help improve your mood and happiness levels. Exercising reduces therisk of anxietyand depression. However, the doctor may ask you to stop doing exercises in some health conditions (6).

• Talk to other pregnant mothers

Doing so can help you feel that you are not alone. It may ease your fears and apprehensions associated with pregnancy. Local or online mom support groups can help you share each others’ experiences, personal stories, advice and provide you with the needed emotional support.

• Do not overwhelm

孩子不要表土自己准备essentials before they arrive. Let your friends and family members help you. Excessive mental pressure can cause fatigue, frustration, guilt, and eventually crying episodes.

Crying in pregnancy is a common occurrence mainly caused by the ongoing hormonal changes in the body. Pregnancy can be an overwhelming period for a woman, considering the new responsibilities she will have to take up after the birth of her child. Thus, you should consider ask for help from your partner, family, or a medical professional to deal with the situation. However, if you feel like you may be prone to depression during this period, consult a psychotherapist immediately, as ignoring the condition may adversely affect the fetus’s well-being.

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