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Though a time of joy and excitement, pregnancy can prove to be stressful as well. Apart from the obvious physical changes, a pregnant mother goes through a lot of psychological changes as well. This might result in feelings of depression and anxiety. The very thought of the arrival of a baby can create hundreds of questions in your head, resulting in uncomfortable and restless feelings. However, the good news is that there is no reason to get overly worried about the mood swings that happen during pregnancy. Most of the would-be-mothers go through it and there are a few helpful tips as well to deal with them. Read on to know all the whats, whys, and hows of pregnancy mood swings and winning your way out of them.
What Exactly Are Pregnancy Mood Swings?
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Due to the hormones that affect the neurotransmitters in your brain, pregnant women often feel severe emotional highs and lows (1). Since every woman and their bodies are different, it is natural that their responses to such changes also vary from one to the other. While some sail through both the positive and negative emotions, some fall prey to depression and anxiety.
When Do The Mood Swings Start?
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A lot of pregnant women found their mood swings started in their first trimester, when they were around 6-10 weeks pregnant (2). Mood swings have also been seen to ease up around during the second trimester and then come back again as the due date comes closer.
How To Manage Your Pregnancy Mood Swings?
Managing pregnancy mood swings does sound extremely stressful but following the right tips might help you ease up the process. Here are some helpful tips to help you deal with your pregnancy mood swings.
1. Do Not Get Too Stressed
虽然它是自然的感觉当你不知所措re pregnant and going through a range of emotions, try not taking things too hard. Do not try to finish every pending task before you are due. You should remember that when you are pregnant, you and the child’s health are the only priority. If you remain depressed or anxious consistently, that would affect the child too. Therefore, try taking things slow and relax as much as you can.
2. Do Things That You Like
It is important to keep yourself happy when you are pregnant. While the hormonal upheavals make it difficult, doing things of your personal liking might help you to do better. Go back to things you have always wanted to do and spend more time doing them. If you like to read or be creative in any possible way, you can consider doing so when you are going through low phases. Doing activities of your liking will boost your mood and will help you feel better.
3. Try Spending Time With Your Loved Ones
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Since pregnancy means a lot of change in your life, it is important to keep your loved ones close. Being with them will help you remain calm and feel loved. It is important that you feel safe and cared for in the atmosphere you are in while being pregnant. When you are feeling anxious or depressed, talking to a loved one might help you and put your mind at ease.
4. Try Doing Some Exercises
While this one might sound like very conventional advice, exercising might actually help you to deal with your pregnancy stress. The release of various hormones often helps to destress yourself. Moreover, exercising also means that your health will be in good shape and you will not have trouble sleeping. These would ensure that you remain mentally happy and physically fit and therefore, fight the pregnancy mood swings well.
What To Do If The Mood Swings Get Uncontrollable?
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While a regular amount of mental distress is rather common for pregnant women, sometimes it might become extremely difficult to handle. If you are constantly attacked by violent bouts of anxiety and depression while you are pregnant and cannot seem to find ways to work your life around it, then consulting a professional might be a good idea. Having to go through prolonged periods of gloom and sadness will do harm to both you and baby and consulting your physician will give you better ideas to deal with these.
The journey of pregnancy is both exciting and scary. With a myriad of new emotions and hormones, it is natural that you will sometimes feel lost, angry, or sad. However, these feelings are not the end of the world and with the right support by your side, you will be able to win over them in no time. Do you have anything more to say about pregnancy mood swings or how they can be dealt with? Let us know in the comment section!
