Emotions Pregnant Women Experience

4 minutes

Learn about some of the many emotions pregnant women experience during this beautiful stage of life.

Last update: 10 February, 2019

During pregnancy, women experience an avalanche of psychological changes that can be disconcerting. This occurs due to the temporary increase in hormones. Drastic mood changes or sudden crying for no apparent reason are just a few emotions pregnant women experience.

Pregnant women experience not just physical changes, but emotional ones as well. Sometimes, a woman’s personality changes so much that her partner feels like he’s living with a stranger.

It’s important not to let yourself get carried away by this transitory phase. Learn more about the emotions pregnant women experience in this article.

Causes of emotional changes in pregnant women

First of all, it’s important that you don’t feel embarrassed or guilty if you’re experiencing a given mood. There are several factors that may affect you during this stage:

Hormonal changes

The increased production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone has a direct influence on your emotions. As a result, it’s possible that a woman’s brain has a diminished ability to manage abrupt mood changes.

Stressful situations

These may include worry about the baby’s future, the circumstances that led to the pregnancy, or your family situation. These are all aspects that can affect your emotional stability and distract you, even from your own personal care.

Physical changes

Some women experience physical discomfort during pregnancy. These can include pain, constipation, or vomiting. This affects their emotional health.

Additionally, the fact that when you look in the mirror you see all the changes in your body can make you feel less attractive.

Exhaustion

Whether from the inconveniences of pregnancy or from stress, some women feel fatigued from lack of sleep. This has a profound impact on mood, which can prolong the period of emotional change.

Types of emotions pregnant women experience

From the moment pregnancy begins, women experience a series of varied emotional changes. It can be frustrating and stressful to go from one emotion to another without being able to explain why and how you’re feeling.

These are the most common mood variations that pregnant women experience:

Happiness and sadness

What you wanted so badly is now in reach; having a child fills you with indescribable happiness. Sharing your joy with your loved ones fills you with positive feelings.

On the other hand, when you’re alone, the physical discomfort, maybe from sleeping poorly or being in pain, can make you feel sad.

Crying after you laugh

It’s absurd to try to find a logical explanation for why you suddenly have a silly smile on your face or why you start to cry unexpectedly. The causes of these changes are the hormonal irregularities that affect neurotransmitters in pregnant women.

“The increased production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone has a direct effect on your emotions.”

Fear and anxiety

You probably want to know lots of things about giving birth or about the baby. As a result, not knowing the answers to your questions and concerns frightens you.

For example, many first-time mothers are afraid that their child might be born with some genetic malformation. Fear of the unknown is the cause of much anxiety.

Forgetting everyday things

It’s normal for pregnant women to have moments when you feel lost and forget even who you just talked to on the phone. One suggestion: take things calmly and don’t pay much mind to this experience.

Activities to help manage your emotions

The emotions pregnant women experience can seem overwhelming. However, there are ways to combat them and make them less intense.

A few suggestions for improving your mood are:

Getting eight hours of quality sleep can support emotional stability. Choose the most comfortable position for you and the baby.
Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet that includes natural ingredients. Avoid processed foods.
If you’re feeling down, make a list of positive thoughts that make you feel good about yourself.
If you do a sport, keep doing it. However, if you’re usually sedentary, enjoy taking a little walk every day.
Reading about pregnancy or things that make you feel positive.

Without a doubt, pregnancy is a beautiful, special time. However, it’s a good idea to be prepared in every way possible, including emotionally.

It’s important to respond in a positive and healthy way to the variety of feelings that you’ll experience while pregnant, given that they’re a normal part of this beautiful time.