The good news is that you are not to blame for your mood swings. The culprits are your hormones which cause those crazy mood swings that are seemingly uncontrollable. As soon as you realize there’s another being that is forming in your belly you are bound to become a bundle of emotions.
First Trimester: Euphoria, trepidation and more
Once you get over the excitement it creates, you could experience a lot of anxiety and restlessness. Moreover, the first trimester can really put you off, what with the nausea and the hormones working overtime, mood swings are a common occurrence. According to Lucy Puryear, MD., psychiatrist and best-selling author of Understanding your moods when you are Expecting, secretion of estrogen and progesterone are at peak levels during the onset of pregnancy. This in turn, directly has a bearing on your moods, leaving you sobbing and smiling in quick succession. This could leave you asking yourself “Is there anything wrong with me?” Rest assured there is nothing wrong because this is something almost every pregnant woman goes through.
Second Trimester: Bouts of Giddiness
If the first trimester left you throwing up at the hint of any smell or even otherwise, the second can make you experience bouts of giddiness. This is the stage when your pregnancy becomes obvious and everyone you meet is suddenly so nice and accommodating. You experience a feeling of awe when you feel the baby moving inside you and you feel a sense of relief that all’s well with your baby. Once you get to know whether it is a girl or boy, everything starts becoming so real and you are in seventh heaven. You are in very high spirits and can burst out laughing with no rhyme or reason.
Third Trimester: Weird reactions and restlessness
As the due date approaches the euphoria slowly dies down as you start thinking about the process of childbirth and start imagining all sorts of situations. You’ve grown a lot bigger and become clumsier. Your anxiety makes you snap at everything and everyone around you and your helpless partner bear the brunt silently. He’ll probably have no idea how to help you out and will readily try to fulfill all your whims and fancies. With hormonal changes taking place within you rapidly you are desperate to make some sense out of the chaos that you imagine is taking place.
You need to take control of yourself and stop blaming yourself and those around you for the way you are feeling. Being stressed out, happy, and restless with anxiety alternatively is quite normal. Try joining some moms’ groups and discussing your problems with like-minded moms-to-be. Try reading, and learn how to relax so that you can beat the postpartum depression when it is time.
Are you a mom-to-be who has had typical mood swings of late? If so do share your experiences below and we’ll do our best to suggest some solutions.