Welcome to the wonderful world of pregnancy hormones. If you are your spouse is going through pregnancy, chances are you’ve probably had dealt with mood swings. You are definitely not alone as experiencing mood swings during pregnancy are common. While you may feel excited about the new coming baby, you may also be stressed and overwhelmed with a load of emotions. As pregnancy is a life changing event that is full of emotional and physical changes, knowing how to handle mood swings during pregnancy will help lift stress from your pregnancy experience.
What is the Cause of Mood Swings during Pregnancy?
Mood swings during pregnancy may be caused by fatigue, physical stress, changes by the hormones estrogen and progesterone and in your metabolism. Significant changes in hormone levels and alter the level of neurotransmitters with regulating your mood. You may experience mood swings during the 1st trimester between six to ten weeks and in the 3rd trimester as your body prepares itself to give birth. The physical symptoms of pregnancy include heartburn, frequent urination, and fatigue.
Also read: http://www.safeandhealthylife.com/stress-in-pregnancy-10-tips-to-control/
How to Handle Mood Swings during Pregnancy
While you may experience these emotions and think you are alone, it’s important to understand that you are not. Having mood swings is just another common aspect of pregnancy. Knowing that what you may be experiencing is normal may help you cope. While the mood hormones start to settle down in the second and third trimesters, you may still expect to continue riding the emotional roller coaster with your spouse.
Here are ways on how to handle mood swings during pregnancy:
- Get plenty of rest
- Take a break and relax
- Exercise
- Eat right
- Spend quality time with your partner
- Go for a walk
- Take a nap
- Enjoy a night out with friends
- Try meditation or pregnancy yoga class
- Get a massage
In most cases, you can your partner can work together to limit the intensity of the mood swings. As one size doesn’t fit all, these approaches should help determine what does and doesn’t work for you and your partner.
Normalize and Educate
Confirm the normal mood swings during pregnancy. If you are not yet familiar with the physical changes that cause mood swings, be sure to read more on the topic and encourage your partner to do the same. Educating yourself about the many causes of mood swings during pregnancy can help normalize the occurrence.
Be Patient
Just like any other symptom of pregnancy, mood swings come and go. Pregnancy won’t last forever. Learn to be patient during the process and remind yourself and each other that the main outcome is your new baby. Of course, mood swings might sometimes get the best of you. The main idea isn’t just to be patient but to recognize and understand that this is a waiting game for your sweet joy to arrive.
Don’t Take it Personally
Pregnant women tend to have sudden outbursts, even about the little things. Don’t take her outburst personally or hold them against her. When the sudden mood swings kick in, remember that it’s the hormones talking – and crying, and yellowing and nagging for no apparent reason. When you respond to anger with more anger, you will only provoke more of the issues.
Learning to understand and not take each sudden mood swing personally will only reward you will a relatively grateful and calmer spouse. This will make the entire experience well worth the hard symptoms for the next few months.
Bond with your Spouse
Letting your partner know how you feel will help them avoid taking outburst personally. Make sure to spend plenty of time with each other and continue to nurture your relationship. Strengthen the connection with your spouse and family. This will provide vital support for you and the baby.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you find yourself suffering from mood swings for more than two weeks without improvement, you may want to contact your healthcare provider. They should refer you to a counselor. Each year, over 11 million women in America are affected by depression. It is the most prevalent during the woman’s childbearing years and may occur at any age. Here are some of the most common symptoms of depression:
- Sleep disturbances
- Change in eating habits
- Recurrent anxiety
- Increased irritability
- Inability to focus
- Short-term memory loss
If your mood swings have become more intense and frequent, it is crucial that you speak with your doctor about options for dealing with anxiety, depression, or severe mood swings. Once you suspect you have any of these conditions, it is important that you get professional treatment while you’re pregnant. Research has shown that untreated emotional and mental health problems can affect the physical well-being of your baby and increase the risk of postpartum depression and preterm labor.
Author Bio
Meighan Sembrano has done her Mass Communication degree. In her free time, she likes to write about Health, Lifestyle Fitness and Beauty. She is an author at Consumer Health Digest since 2012. To know more about her, follow her on Twitter, Facebook