Mood swing is one of the common issues faced by pregnant women that occurs due to changes in metabolism, fatigue, stress or hormonal change. The change going through the body affects neurotransmitters on the women that affect brain chemicals regulating mood. Most of the mood swings can be experienced during the first trimester and thereafter, during the third trimester when your body prepares for birth. If you are facing constant mood swings during pregnancy, below mentioned points might be of some help and save you from it.
What Are Mood Swings during Pregnancy?
Mood swings can be referred to as abrupt changes in pregnant women behaviour and feelings. When pregnant, you may find yourself overjoyed at times for becoming a mother while other times, you may get stressed due to the same cause. Bursting out in tears or laughing out loud within a few moments is common in pregnancy and is called mood swings. While this may not make sense to the others, a pregnant woman will experience them, most commonly during their first trimester.
Are mood swings during pregnancy normal?
Pregnancy is one phase of life where we as a woman feel drastic changes in body, behaviour and feelings. With hormonal changes, we get bound to experience a sudden surge in emotions. A woman who experiences PMS may face constant mood swings as compared to the others. But there is no need to panic since mood swings are very common and treated normally during pregnancy. Just relax since your body is adjusting to the internal changes positively.
Why do we face mood swings during pregnancy?
As discussed, mood swings can be caused because of hormonal changes and adjustments made internally by our body. All such factors make our pregnancy an emotional roller coaster ride. But hormonal changes alone must not be attributed to mood swings rather there are many reasons we face mood swings during pregnancy.
Hormonal changes
We know that hormonal changes are the primary reasons behind mood swings during pregnancy, particularly during the first 3 months as progesterone and estrogen levels increase suddenly during this time. These hormones are essential for the growth of the placenta and as a result, the mother’s emotional well-being is disrupted. While estrogen is associated with mood swings like anxiety and irritability, progesterone relaxes the muscle and avoid early contractions. When both the hormones increase, it makes it difficult for the mother to adjust them simultaneously.
Uneasiness faced when sleeping
The abrupt rise in hormones not just affect the emotional level of mothers but also their physical outlook. The internal organs work very actively to adjust with fetal development and these affect the sleep pattern of the mother to a great extent. It is normal to face mood swings when you get affected by sleep deprivation or fatigue.
Stress due to changing dynamics
For most couples, pregnancy is like achieving a big milestone and a life-changing event that can impact their career, family goals and others. Consequently, mothers may feel overwhelmed when thinking about all of these and feel anxious and fearful, especially when deciding what to do after the baby is born. The financial conditions or household environment can also affect hormonal tissues, thereby causing mood swings.
Types of mood swings during pregnancy
Mood swings during the 1st trimester
The whole first trimester of pregnancy could be tough to deal with, notably for first-time mothers who are not used to undergoing such drastic changes. In most instances, mood fluctuations during pregnancy appear to be rather noticeable in the first trimester. Nonetheless, some women may encounter them later in life. Morning sickness to restlessness will all hit you at once, so make sure you give yourself a little break because your behaviour is normal.
Mood swings during the 2nd trimester
The second trimester will be the most peaceful stage of your pregnancy. If you have faced mood swings during the 1st trimester, relax and enjoy during the second stage. Even though many women do not experience mood swings during this phase, some may still experience them due to other physiological changes.
Mood swings during the 3rd trimester
Mood swings are anticipated to peak and usually increase during the third trimester of pregnancy. This is incredibly challenging for women because they are prone to gastritis, sleeplessness, and exhaustion at this period. As a result, it is likely to be the most difficult stage of pregnancy to deal with.
How to deal with mood swings during pregnancy?
Try to get good sleep
To lessen the mood swings, you can make your bedtime calm and quiet to get good quality sleep. You must sleep for a minimum of 8 hours. Since reduced sleep hours can cause physical and mental stress, it increases mood swings as well. If you use pillows and hot bags, you will be able to make yourself comfortable during the third trimester. Besides, taking a short nap during regular intervals can also help you regain the required energy.
Keep yourself hydrated
One of the key methods to maintain healthy pregnancy is being well-hydrated. You need to intake a large number of fluids that can aid in digestion. This will also circulate necessary nutrients in your body and combat heartburn. Some of the fluids you can try are soups, fruit juices and broth.
Intake healthy food
During pregnancy, consuming healthy fats is a necessity as they fuel the brain and balance mood swings. This is the easiest way to stabilize your mental state and hormones. Among the healthy fats, you can consume after discussing with your genealogist includes fatty fish, nuts, avocados, and seeds. You can also have snacks between meals to balance sugar levels ad overcome physical stress, nausea, fatigue and discomfort.
Meditation and prenatal yoga
The benefits of meditation and prenatal yoga include reducing anxiety and increasing wellbeing. You can try gentle prenatal yoga after consulting with a health professional to deal with mood swings and keep your body in optimal posture during pregnancy.
Talk to your Spouse
It is always better to talk to someone, especially with your partner in case you are feeling excessive mood swings. They need to understand your mental condition as well as other medical ailments. Moreover, partners can give you the best moral support and emotional help when you feel stressed because of pregnancy.
Involve in fun-loving activity or a gentle massage
Go out with friends to watch a movie or grab your favourite snacks you crave to eat. A spa treatment is also a good idea provided you can cope with its smell during pregnancy. A massage can even give you some relief when your body is undergoing physical changes. It can also be soothing for mothers to simply take a stroll during pregnancy. When you have a walk-in fresh air with your partner, your mood swing during pregnancy will decrease eventually and make your pregnancy an experience to cherish.
