How to Ease Pregnancy Mood Swings

Pregnancy can be a wild ride of changing moods and emotions. Without warning, a pregnant woman can feel angry, extremely anxious, depressed, and lethargic. Many of these feelings can even take place in a single day.

During pregnancy, your mood fluctuates to extreme emotions for many different reasons and is not usually the most fun experience for anyone. Being pregnant is an experience that you should enjoy and learn and grow as a person. It is a special time for new moms to experience creating a new life. However, oftentimes many things like extreme mood swings can ruin the journey for some. Easing these mood swings can help you try and enjoy your pregnancy journey.

Why Pregnant Women Have Mood Swings

Hormones

The first culprit that affects a pregnant woman's extreme highs and lows are the ever-fluctuating hormones. During pregnancy, women experience a significant increase of different hormones. Estrogen targets the mood centers of the brain, so high estrogen levels are to blame for your heightened anxiety or depression. The other partner in crime is progesterone, which helps to relax your muscles but which in turn leads to feeling sluggish and sometimes increased sadness.

Fatigue

Another reason pregnant women have these notorious mood swings is due to minimal sleep, tiredness, and irritability. After carrying around that extra weight for several months, you may also be feeling achy, which does not help with sleep. It can be hard to sleep well in your new body, and it may feel impossible for pregnant women to get a full night's rest. Like everyone, if you aren’t getting enough rest, you will get up feeling exhausted and more irritable.

Stress

Pregnancy can cause stress, especially for new moms. Women may worry about little things that they would not otherwise think about before getting pregnant. Having a baby is a big deal, and there are several challenges and thoughts that can cause stress in a pregnant woman. It is normal to think about all the what-ifs and planning thoughts for when the baby comes, but when it leads to high levels of stress, this is problematic. Increased stress levels also affect your mood and your heightened nerves throughout pregnancy.

Body Changes

Your body changes drastically and quickly during pregnancy, and this can be a big shock for many women. It can be difficult to adjust to your larger, more challenging to move your body around, and this can also lead to frustration, stress, and sadness as well. These significant physical changes can manipulate how you feel during pregnancy.

What You Can Do To Help

Different women have different levels of mood fluctuations, some more extreme than others. Also, at various stages of pregnancy, a woman may have surges of extreme moods, with other periods of the pregnancy being more mellow.

Mood swings are not fun for anyone. It is exhausting for a woman and for the people surrounding them during their pregnancy. It is helpful, first, for everyone to understand why these mood swings happen and, to a certain extent, they are inevitable. However, there are a few things a woman can do that have been shown to minimize these extreme mood swings and help her enjoy her pregnancy.

These are a few ideas of ways you can reduce these awful mood swings.

Nutritious Diet

Getting the nutrition that your body needs, especially when carrying a baby, is very important. Remembering to eat and eating healthy foods will help increase your energy levels and fuel your brain and body, which will, in turn, help the baby develop.

Exercise

Proper exercise helps to reduce stress and increase hormone levels that improve mood. Tailor your exercise to your physical ability and to how you are feeling that day, but even a walk outside will increase positivity.

Put yourself First

Prioritize yourself during your pregnancy and try not to give yourself grief about small things. It is okay to be a little selfish throughout this special time; it is meant to be enjoyed. Try to remember it is not only for your own sake but also for the health and safety of your child.

Talk to Someone

Pregnancy can be overwhelming. When you are feeling like it is too much, don’t be afraid to let it out. Let people know how you are feeling, and often talking about it will ease some of the worries. You may have a close loved one that can help be there to support you, or you may feel more comfortable speaking to a therapist. Either way, knowing that someone is listening and supporting you in how you are feeling can be really empowering and help you lighten your mood.

Sleep Often

Like many bodily stressors, getting enough sleep is often the key. It can be hard to get enough sleep while pregnant, but focusing on regular and sufficient sleep now will put your body in gear for getting rest once the baby is here. Try fitting a nap into your day, having a scheduled bedtime, and a pre-bedtime routine that helps you relax and wind down.

Enjoy The Ride

Mood swings are not fun. They are, however, something that often happens during pregnancy for several normal reasons. Minimizing your negative moods will help you enjoy your pregnancy and better focus on you and your baby

During and after pregnancy can be made much more enjoyable with a few self-care tips and maybe even splurging on some pregnancy and postpartum goodies. We recommend indulging every so often, enjoy it and try not to stress too much. For example, treating yourself to the foods you are craving for enjoyment is better than stressing over avoiding all “unhealthy” foods. Postpartum, your body, and mind are still going through many changes, while you may feel you are supposed to turn all your attention to your child. While it may be true that your priorities will change, perhaps you can buy yourself some jewelry or a postpartum girdle to boost your confidence and increase your positive moods.