Addressing Emotions During Pregnancy Is Also Health
Fear, anxiety, joy, uncertainty … Emotions during pregnancy are sometimes one more challenge in this period in which changes are not always easy. During the 40 weeks each woman faces her own challenges and particular needs that it is necessary to understand and know how to handle.
Mental health is a pillar that, almost without realizing it, always comes second. Thus, when we see a pregnant woman, we take it for granted that she is having the best time of her life. Surely it is, it’s true. However, there is also the possibility that you are suffering in silence without knowing what to do or who to turn to.
During this period it is common that feelings fluctuate, that you feel more anxiety, that there are days when you just want to cry. There will be moments of infinite happiness and happiness, but bad moments are difficult to manage and that discomfort is not always the result of hormonal changes. Let’s understand a little more the psychological relief of these experiences during pregnancy.
Emotions during pregnancy
When a woman experiences her pregnancy, she attends, first of all, the physical changes. The most decisive thing is that everything progresses properly and that the reviews show us that, quarter by quarter, the baby is developing as it should.
Attention is paid to eating, doing some sports and even job performance is hurried, already thinking about the period that there will be maternity leave. However, emotions during pregnancy can make you live this period with better or worse spirits.
Neglecting this aspect and letting stress and anxiety be a constant, for example, can be a negative thing. Studies, such as those carried out at Columbia University, show that constant stress, depression and anxiety throughout the three trimesters affect the development of the fetus.
The mother’s persistent distress is equated with a state of malnutrition. We cannot forget that these adverse psychological states are associated with high levels of cortisol and adrenaline. All of this could be counterproductive for the baby.
There are women more sensitive to increased estrogen and progesterone
Not all women react in the same way to hormonal changes. Thus, the increase in the level of estrogen and progesterone can affect the mood. In many cases, what we know as emotional lability arises ; that is, there are moments when we feel like crying without knowing why and moments when we laugh almost for nothing.
On the other hand, hormonal changes can alter the functioning of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. This makes, for example, we feel less motivated, it is difficult for us to focus our attention or even that we suffer from sleep disturbances.
Each trimester presents emotional challenges
Not all trimesters during pregnancy are experienced the same. To the physical changes and the baby’s own development are also added challenges on an emotional level. Thus, on average, we can find the following situations:
- First trimester: if the pregnancy has been desired and sought, this first stage is experienced with great positivity. However, not all moms expected to be and there can be a period of doubts, stress and fear. On the other hand, these first months can be very hard on a physical level; there are those who suffer more discomfort, vomiting, dizziness, exhaustion. All of this makes the mother more irritable.
- Second trimester: the increase in progesterone and estrogens can make more of a dent in this period. To this is added a common factor: fear of loss, of abortion. Uncertainty, combined with euphoria and that illusion that swirls with fears is a constant.
- Third Trimester: The last trimester is the most exciting and the most distressing. The fear of childbirth appears and it is common for the mother to start wondering if she will be able to face all the challenges and enormous responsibilities of caring for a newborn. Doubts, restlessness and emotion at the proximity of birth pervade every moment.
Not all emotional disturbances during pregnancy are due to hormones
Emotions during pregnancy fluctuate; They make us laugh, cry, fill us with worries and even distress us. Thus, something common when we experience these situations is that they tell us that of “Don’t worry, it’s the hormones!” However, much of these experiences are not only due to the physical plane:
- Pregnancy involves a reformulation of one’s identity. We give way to a personal stage for which we are not always prepared.
- Doubts arise … what will my future job be like now? How will I combine parenting with the development of my profession?
- It is inevitable to be afraid of financial problems, of whether we can give the best to our son.
- In many cases, alterations in the emotional plane can also arise due to problems with the partner.
How to handle this merry-go-round of emotions during pregnancy?
The management of emotions is that pending matter that we always neglect. However, taking care of them is as relevant as taking care of health or promoting good life habits.
In this way, if every day you dress, take care of yourself, worry about the good development of the baby, it is essential that you take care of the well-being of your psychological health:
- A mother who takes care of and promotes her emotional well-being is a happy mother capable of giving the best to her child.
- It is necessary to understand that many of these variations in mood are caused by the organic changes that you are undergoing. Therefore, you are not losing control. It is a normal part of pregnancy.
- Emotions are not repressed, neglected, or saved for later. Every felt emotion has an end and you must understand its message. It is ideal that you keep, for example, your diary of thoughts and emotions. Describe what you feel and try to rationalize each fear, each anxiety.
- Lean on your partner. Pregnancy is a journey between two people in which daily support is important.
- Talk, share, unburden yourself with other close figures, especially with that friend or sister who has already gone through a pregnancy.
Understand, however, that each woman is a world and each body a unique universe. Everyone lives it in a way, but it is always necessary and healthy to be able to communicate what you feel with someone who knows how to listen. Don’t hesitate to use good emotional intelligence during your pregnancy.
