Mood swings during pregnancy

Mood swings: Emotions take a rollercoaster ride

During the first trimester of pregnancy  many women experience mood swings. They are easily irritable and react sensitively to external influences. Smell and taste now smell and taste what others hardly notice. This sometimes leads to nausea . The skin also reacts more sensitively to touch. This is often a difficult time, especially for your partner, because the intense perception of your surroundings can quickly get on your nerves and you can suddenly cry first and then laugh about the same thing.

Perhaps you are also thinking a lot about pregnancy and what your life with a small baby will be like. Not only your body, but also your psyche has to process the new situation first and it is completely okay if contradictory feelings arise in you.

Consciously allow emotions

It is important that you also allow negative feelings and talk to people you trust in your environment. In a conversation with your partner, friends or your midwife, fears may turn out to be completely unfounded. Talking also helps to bond you and your partner, because he will certainly be thinking about the future too. You can help each other to become familiar with parenting early on.

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to counteract hormonal mood swings. Try to find a balance that drives away the gloomy thoughts. Getting enough sleep, healthy meals and some exercise will make you more balanced and happier. If everything is too much for you, simply treat yourself to a break, for example by taking a relaxing bath.

pregnancy depression

If your mood swings are more than normal, or if you were already suffering from anxiety and depression before you became pregnant, it is strongly advisable to seek help. About 8 to 10 percent of the mothers who took part in our survey also suffered from depressive moods. One sign, for example, is excessive tiredness. You feel weak, listless and cry a lot. Get help. You are not alone in this!

Professional help can take the form of trying to find out what is troubling you with a psychotherapist. Once revealed, fears and worries can be addressed in a targeted manner. If you have specific medical concerns, for example due to previous complicated pregnancies or an illness, you can ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist. Even if your fears are not completely dispelled, every partial success will help you to be able to enjoy the pregnancy more.