How to be emotionally stable during pregnancy?

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Are you having terrible mood swings and emotional breakdowns quite frequently? Well, being pregnant is not an easy task. It is possibly one of the most difficult times you go through being a mother. When you go for a consultation with your gynecologist, family physician or your friends, you receive more advice on physical fitness. It is a major concern, as of course, your and your baby’s health is quite a factor.

However, what about your emotional wellbeing? Isn’t that important? How do you deal with mood swings? You can easily display your physical elements in front of others, but what about inner self? Your continuous mood swings and emotional instability is as much a challenge as your physical symptoms.

What do you think makes you so emotionally vulnerable during pregnancy? How to cope with this myriad range of emotions and mental states that you come across? If your pregnancy is a planned one, then such mood fluctuations are still under control. The main problem arises when you surprisingly get pregnant. The whole halo of anticipation takes a new level altogether, surpassing the emotional states of a planned pregnancy.

However, do not get anxious or nervous about your pregnancy. There are certain ways to deal with mood swings and vulnerable emotional states. You are not the only one in this condition, so do not worry. Being pregnant is a beautiful thing, apart from being a tough moment. You are both excited as well as stressed about your pregnancy, which is causing all the chaos in your mind.

What are the reasons behind mood swings?

Pregnancy is a life-altering affair that makes you go through all sorts of physical and mental changes. Try comprehending these alterations in the initial stages of pregnancy, then the rest of the journey becomes a bit easier. However, if you panic at the beginning itself, everything will go wrong.

To help get a positive outlook in this entire scenario, try talking to a professional or a close friend. It will boost your inner self and also make you undergo an optimistic experience during pregnancy.

Usually, you ask yourself some typical questions that eventually makes you anxious and messes up your mind about your pregnancy. Some of the questions are:

  1. Are you going to be a good mother?
  2. Will your baby come out all healthy?
  3. How to manage your family financially?
  4. Are you doing all the correct things while preparing for your baby’s birth?

You experience mood swings because of the physical stress that your body undergoes at the time of pregnancy. You feel tired due to changes in your metabolic rate, and hormonal balances of progesterone and estrogen. Significant alterations in the secretion of these hormones can largely contribute to the functionality of neurotransmitters, and their levels. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that work on your brain cells and control your moods. When you are in the first trimester (6-10 weeks of pregnancy), you experience the maximum of mood swings. The second trimester is the time where you are kind of adapted to the altered moods. Next is the third trimester, which gives you the ultimate mood swings while preparing your body for childbirth.

What happens during mood swings?

You feel a lot of emotions at the same time, which are not always negative. Some common feelings that you may share have been listed below.

  • Excessive happiness and excitement
  • Anxiety and uncertainty
  • Calmness
  • Feeling clueless and lost
  • Irritability
  • A sense of pride for accomplishing such a miracle
  • Being more dependent on your family member, most importantly your partner
  • Willing to be the center of attention all the time
  • Crying at no specific reasons at frequent intervals
  • Being impatient about your pregnancy, as if you are going to be pregnant forever
  • Sadness in losing things that you normally didn’t give much importance
  • Developing excessive love for your unborn child (a sense of attachment)
  • Daydreaming about your child
  • Becoming oversensitive to someone’s words very easily
  • Worrying about financial support for your family, and equation with your partner after your baby is born

How should you manage mood swings?

While treating emotional wellbeing, always ensure that you are not alone in the house or feel isolated at a party. It is very important to have a proper company, who is always by your side at the time of pregnancy. Whenever you are left out all by yourself, you start getting all weird, unnecessary thoughts crawling up your mind. Always know whatever you are going through as without knowing the root cause, you can never solve a problem.

  1. Try getting a good amount of sleep.
  2. If you ever feel tired, do not hesitate to take a quick nap.
  3. Eat properly throughout the day.
  4. Do some yoga and other exercises permissible during pregnancy.
  5. Remember to get ample breaks during the whole day for relaxation.
  6. Watch movies or any other forms of entertainment to keep yourself engaged.
  7. Go for morning and evening walks.
  8. Don’t let your emotions overmaster you.
  9. Meditate before going to sleep at night.
  10. Spend quality time with friends, family and your partner.
  11. Get a body massage to pamper yourself and feel good.

When should go for professional help?

Mood swings and emotional breakdowns during pregnancy can give rise to immense depression. If you see that your mood swings are not going away within the initial 2 weeks, call for professional help. Talk to your doctor about what exactly you are going through. If you are depressed, get immediate help. Certain common signs of depression during pregnancy are:

  • Short term loss in memory
  • Disturbed sleeping cycles
  • Frequent anxiety attacks
  • Irritated mood all the time
  • The difference in eating behaviors
  • Unable to concentrate or focus on things for a longer time

If you feel that you are becoming extremely vulnerable in terms of emotional states, speak to a health professional. Do not ignore if these problems become quite regular and strong with each passing day.