Can there be a bad mood for pregnancy. Mood swings in pregnancy. How to improve your mood during pregnancy

mood during pregnancy early dates can change like a sinusoid, from strong to weak, from joyful to depressed, from confidence to fear about the future. Changes in the body and the conditions of your life play a big role in this.

Internal physiological changes accompanying the onset of pregnancy play a primary and key role. The restructuring of the body and the emotional state during pregnancy in the early stages are inseparable from each other:

  • . Taste sensations change. As a result, the mood can also change. Some products (even previously loved ones) can be unbearable in taste, up to disgust. On the contrary, other foods will cause a passionate desire to eat them and as much as possible. You may also want to either not eat anything at all, or the feeling of hunger will haunt you all day long. In both cases, you should eat as recommended by your doctor - changes in mood and appetite in early pregnancy should not greatly affect the diet necessary for your health and the health of the baby.
  • Restructuring in the central nervous system. The brain (or rather, its small but very important structural part - the hypothalamus) qualitatively and quantitatively controls the regulation of hormones. And hormones - mood, and quite long. It is impossible to regulate the work of the hypothalamus on your own, so you need to adapt and be prepared for the fact that the mood can change very much: from irritability and even anger to tears of happiness. An event and details that previously did not affect you can cause a very strong emotional reaction, and something that previously worried, disturbed or pleased you may no longer affect you. By the way, this may also apply to the perception of sounds, you may want to listen to certain music more often, or maybe you will be comfortable mostly in silence.
  • Metamorphoses of smell. Closely associated with changes in the central nervous system. Previously beloved perfumes can at best cause rejection and misunderstanding of how they could previously be used and admired. The same goes for food and cooking.

Smell is the strongest stimulant of memories and mood. If there have been changes in the perception of smells, you should surround yourself with those smells that cause, if not admiration, but at least a neutral attitude. Buy new perfumes, change something in the kitchen. You can’t ignore it: mood swings due to smell can be a cause of stress.

pathology in the mood

Far from always emotional swings and changes in mood can be explained solely by physiological reasons.

  • Asthenia is a severe decline, weakness and general constant drowsiness. Those tasks and responsibilities that were previously easy to do, seem impossible. Possible pallor and circles under the eyes. It is better to overcome this condition with rest and sleep, regular meals, walking on fresh air. The main thing is not to bother yourself with activities that require strong emotional or physical involvement, so as not to expend energy that should be spent on restoring a healthy state.
  • Stress during pregnancy in the early stages is a normal and frequent occurrence, since pregnancy, although natural, is very stressful. And you should organize your day so that pregnancy remains the only strong load. The severity of stress in each person is individual and does not change much over the course of life. If you feel stressed, you should either sleep or switch to a pleasant activity, such as a hobby. This will distract you, and pleasant and desirable activities in themselves are not sources of stress.
  • Depression in early pregnancy is actually rare. More often, a depressive syndrome occurs after childbirth (the so-called postpartum depression).

Depression

A serious psychiatric diagnosis that is treated with medication: often requires the simultaneous intervention of both a psychiatrist and a psychologist.

What causes depression:

  • depressed mood after waking from sleep. Often the mood improves significantly with the onset of the late evening;
  • simultaneous feeling of irritability and weakness;
  • the feeling that the world has lost its colors, everything may seem gray;
  • reluctance and a feeling of physical impossibility to do something. Severely weakened will.
  • regular self-deprecating thoughts (“I am a bad woman and mother”, “I do not deserve life on earth”, “My whole life is terrible and meaningless”);
  • suicidal thoughts and plans;
  • self-harm attempts.

The above signs are also typical for asthenia and for the usual. These are sufficient reasons to consult a specialist.

Depression is a disease that needs to be treated. If most of the symptoms described above have been observed for more than two weeks (or the last three have only made themselves felt), you should immediately contact a psychotherapist. If a woman has harmed herself or attempted suicide, immediate psychiatric help is needed.

How to deal with depression

We recommend that you accept changes in your mood as normal. Self-acceptance is often the best medicine. A change in mood during early pregnancy is a normal and correct signal, indicating that the necessary restructuring of the body is taking place.

You should more often turn to what brings joy and satisfaction, which can distract from everything bad (for each woman, of course, this is individual): a walk in the fresh air, reading books, watching movies, going to the theater or museum, cooking, work ( working during pregnancy is not harmful, but it’s impossible to recycle, and if possible, if there is a choice between work and taking care of yourself and your health, you need to choose the second), hobbies and hobbies (moreover, new hobbies may appear during this period), (which , of course, cannot and should not replace everything). In some women, sexual desire fades in the early stages, and even for the entire period of pregnancy; and for some, on the contrary, libido only intensifies. If you are concerned about this issue, then talk to your doctor, almost always sex during pregnancy is harmless and rather beneficial.

Professional help

Sometimes there may be a need for the help of specialists: an observing doctor or a psychologist.

You are not alone in your experiences, a change in mood during pregnancy in the early stages occurs to one degree or another in every woman. Accept your changes as normal and natural. Do not self-diagnose - if you have doubts about your health or emotional state, do not hesitate to consult a doctor. Watch your diet and sleep patterns. Try to be in such conditions in which the mood, if it changes, is only for the better.

Before using any drugs, be sure to consult your doctor if there are any contraindications. You should not self-medicate!

It is well known that during pregnancy, a woman's well-being undergoes a wide variety of changes. The psycho-emotional sphere is no exception: new sensations, a sense of responsibility and excitement for the health of the baby cannot but affect the mood, reactions and behavior expectant mother. Mood changes are very individual and temporary; at right attitude to this question for the pregnant woman herself and her loved ones, emotional restructuring can go completely painlessly and imperceptibly.

Unfortunately, there are many persistent myths about the mood and behavior of a pregnant woman that create the wrong patterns of behavior for future parents. Sometimes such incorrect stereotypes cause expectant mothers and their loved ones much more trouble than real changes in emotional sphere.

Mood during pregnancy: I don’t want, I won’t

For some reason, it is generally accepted that the expectant mother is constantly in a state of “out of the fire and into the frying pan”: she cries, she laughs, she is offended, she gets angry for no reason. This behavior is really not uncommon for expectant mothers; however, it is a mistake to consider it the norm and an indispensable attribute of pregnancy.

The psycho-emotional sphere is the most subtle and individual area of ​​human physiology, therefore, there can be no talk of any template changes that are the same for all pregnant women. Of course, the emotional background of the future mother is changing relative to the usual rhythm; however, each woman has her own scale and nature of these changes.

At the beginning of pregnancy, when hormonal changes occur, the mood can really “jump” along with hormones. Normally, such emotional instability is felt within 1–2 weeks and is noticeable only to the most pregnant woman and the closest family members. Often during this period main character does not even know about his “interesting position”. However, even during this period, mood swings do not occur in all expectant mothers. Many women note a stable change in the emotional background, for example, a constantly high mood (euphoria) or a predominance of feelings of depression - a depressive state.

The stability of emotional changes indicates the establishment of the “dominant pregnancy” in the expectant mother. Psychological dominant is an emotional state that prevails over all other experiences of a person at a certain stage of his life.

In the emotional state of the expectant mother, not even one, but several dominants are distinguished; each of them usually corresponds to a certain stage of pregnancy. In this case, we are no longer talking about drops, that is, constant mood swings from one extreme to another for a short time, as is usually attributed to pregnant women. And finally, about 30?% of women do not notice any changes in the emotional sphere - neither at the beginning of pregnancy, nor at further stages of its development.

The situation when a woman during the entire period of pregnancy illustrates with her behavior the well-known lines of the classic “she will howl like a beast, then she will cry like a child”, indicates the need for consultation with a perinatal psychologist; this condition is not the norm and may indicate more serious deviations in the well-being of the expectant mother. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for such a fickle mood and behavior of a woman to be simply due to the influence of a psychological template: “I am pregnant, and I am supposed to show my feelings violently!”

The mood of a pregnant woman: Whims - a classic of the genre

In fact, this is not true; the opinion that the expectant mother is “supposed” to be capricious is not true and rather harmful: the influence of this myth significantly complicates the life of the pregnant woman herself and her loved ones. The classic vagaries of “pregnancy folklore” include sudden, overwhelming desires of the expectant mother that require immediate fulfillment, such as the requirement to buy oranges at two in the morning. Naturally, the failure to fulfill the whim is followed by resentment, tears and the accusation of relatives in the lack of sensitivity towards the lady in an “interesting position”.

A common misconception about "a pregnant woman should want something like that" makes great amount women to artificially invent special desires for themselves, constantly puzzling their relatives with them and being in an offended and irritated state, since whims often turn out to be difficult to fulfill and do not always cause delight among others. To the question: “Who really wanted something irresistibly during pregnancy - they were drawn to salty, I wanted to listen only classical music and so on?” asked at a thematic forum on the Internet, only 13?% of the respondents answered positively.

On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with the desire of a pregnant woman to give herself small pleasures. In the end, it is useful for the expectant mother to experience positive emotions, because the hormones of joy that are released at the moment of pleasure speed up the metabolism and have a positive effect on the development of the baby. So you can allow yourself small whims from time to time - of course, if it does not turn into an obsession, does not terrorize the household and does not poison the existence of the "culprit" herself.

Fear of childbirth

This is a very stable myth about the emotional state of the expectant mother. It is believed that during the period of expectation of a baby, any pregnant woman should experience various phobias - fear for the course of pregnancy, for the development of the fetus, for her own health and the future health of the baby, and finally, the fear of childbirth.

Unfortunately, many believe that fear is a normal state of a pregnant woman, a completely logical reaction of a woman’s psyche to a “responsible” position and, therefore, no special actions are required from others to combat “pregnant” fears. This is an erroneous opinion: a feeling of fear cannot be the norm in any condition, especially during pregnancy. Fear is destructive in nature: it inhibits normal functioning nervous system, paralyzes the will, leads to the development of emotional stress and depression. The feeling of fear is accompanied by the release of adrenaline in the body of the future mother - a biologically active substance that adversely affects the functioning of the heart, blood circulation and the state of the nervous system.

Adrenaline, circulating in the blood of a person experiencing fear, causes a rapid heartbeat - tachycardia, an increase in blood pressure - hypertension, increases the excitability of the cerebral cortex. These changes in well-being are extremely undesirable for the expectant mother, since an increase in vascular tone and excitability of the nervous system directly leads to the development of uterine hypertonicity - the main factor in the threat of abortion and premature onset of labor.

With high blood pressure, placental blood flow suffers and, consequently, transport is impaired. nutrients and oxygen to the fetus. Against the background of a panic state, the risk of such dangerous pregnancy complications as preeclampsia, a toxic disruption of the kidneys on the later dates pregnancy, which manifests itself high pressure, an increase in edema and protein in the urine; acute fetoplacental insufficiency - a violation of blood flow in the placenta; premature detachment placenta. It is obvious that it is impossible to consider a condition that provokes such formidable complications as the norm.

Of course, it is common for expectant mothers to worry about the course and outcome of pregnancy. All women at various stages of the "interesting situation" are worried about their health, doubt their own abilities, worry about the baby. Of course, all expectant mothers are worried about the upcoming birth and sometimes even afraid of them. It is important that this natural excitement that occurs at times does not turn into constant uncontrollable stress caused by a panic feeling of fear.

The main reason for any panic is the fear of the unknown, the lack of timely and adequately provided information on a topic that has become a source of excitement. That's why The best way dealing with fears - finding answers to disturbing questions; An ideal source of such information are special magazines, books and courses for expectant parents.

Mood during pregnancy

A characteristic feature of the emotional background of pregnancy is the loss of a woman's ability to control her emotions. The pregnant woman herself suffers from such changes no less than those around her, complains that she literally “does not keep up” with her emotional reactions, which sometimes become too harsh. Similar behavior is characteristic of some women during premenstrual syndrome (PMS); the difference is that PMS lasts a few days at most, and emotional lability can manifest itself during the first trimester of pregnancy.

As before menstruation, at the beginning of pregnancy, irritability occurs as a result of powerful hormonal changes. The usual hormonal background of a woman, mainly consisting of the female sex hormones estrogens, begins to decline from the moment of fertilization, giving way to the "pregnancy hormone" progesterone. At first, the ratio of estrogens and progesterone in the blood of a pregnant woman changes every day; it is these changes “at the chemical level” that lead to mood instability and sharp emotional reactions of the expectant mother.

Later, when a constant hormonal background of pregnancy is established and the balance of hormones in the body is restored, mood swings should be less of a concern for the expectant mother. However, even in the early stages of pregnancy, irritability cannot in any way be considered the norm of the future mother's condition - rather, it is a common pathological reaction that certainly requires correction. Being irritated and nervous for a pregnant woman is just as harmful as worrying: such negative emotions, like fear, lead to an increase in adrenaline in the blood, the negative effect of which was mentioned above.

The best way to stabilize the emotional background of the expectant mother is to switch her attention to events or activities related to receiving positive emotions. During laughter, joy and pleasure, “happiness hormones” - endorphins - predominate in the blood of the expectant mother. These substances control the metabolic rate, oxygen saturation of the blood, as well as the supply of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and everything that is necessary for its full development to the fetus. So, a future mother who is in a good mood during pregnancy is more likely to have a healthy baby than women who are constantly nervous, irritated and crying during pregnancy.

In order to cope with irritability, it is necessary first of all to get rid of the physiological sources of discomfort. These include fatigue, beriberi, sleep disturbance, insufficient oxygen supply to the body of the expectant mother. In the fight against irritability, daily walks in the fresh air perfectly help, water procedures With sea ​​salt, swimming pool, yoga and Pilates classes. With an unmotivated change in the emotional background, it is very important to normalize night sleep.

In order to get enough sleep at night, before going to bed, it is recommended to walk in the fresh air for at least half an hour, ventilate the bedroom for 15 minutes, and take a warm bath. You can drink an infusion of motherwort at night, a sedative collection for pregnant women, or just a glass of warm milk with honey. If it is not possible to restore sleep and a stable mood by non-drug methods, you should consult a doctor about sedative therapy: the exhaustion of the nervous system associated with sleep disturbance affects not only the irritability of the expectant mother, but also an increase in blood pressure and uterine tone, and this can lead to serious pregnancy complications.

The vagaries of a pregnant woman: I can do everything

A pregnant woman can count on a special attitude from others; some future mothers begin to use their “interesting position” and manipulate loved ones with the help of scandals, insults and whims. Unfortunately, this situation is not uncommon - many of the fairer sex consider it shameless to use all the advantages of their special position to motivate care and attention from relatives. The desire to manipulate loved ones has nothing to do with the notorious instability of mood - it is caused not by the lack of the ability to control emotions, but by a conscious influence on others by imitation of violent feelings.

It also happens that the expectant mother simply ceases to control her emotions and behavior, believing that during this period everything is forgivable to her. In this case, of course, we are not talking about an attempt to deliberately manipulate others; however, such a position of "permissiveness" is also unacceptable. Within reasonable limits, control over emotions is still necessary: ​​the tone of the uterus and placental blood flow, which ensures breathing and nutrition of the fetus, depend on the status of the nervous system. In addition, the eccentric behavior of the expectant mother can do her a disservice: loved ones, tired of constant scandals, will soon stop responding to constant mood swings, tears and irritability. As a result, instead of a special relationship that the “capricious” pregnant woman was counting on, relations may cool in the family, resentment and quarrels will begin - and this is already a reason for real depression.

Today we will talk about a common problem in pregnant women - mood swings associated with various reasons. Pregnant for many people personifies the very tranquility, kindness and beauty.

Of course, if the pregnancy is desired and long-awaited, then the expectant mother can flutter with positive emotions in anticipation of the child, but not always.

Causes of mood swings in pregnant women

Often a woman in a position notices a sharp change in her mood, which was so unusual for her before pregnancy. She can be irritable, whiny, mischievous and hysterical, but literally in a moment she is joking, laughing and smiling.

The reasons that affect the mood of a pregnant woman may be:

  • doubts, fears and questions hovering in the beautiful head of the expectant mother, for example, will she be a good mother, what to do with work, will there be enough money to provide a child with a good upbringing, etc .;
  • increased levels of progesterone and estrogen hormones in the body of the expectant mother;
  • ailments in the form of heartburn, headaches, excessive nausea, or loss of consciousness;
  • inconveniences associated with pregnancy - frequent urination, pain in the lower abdomen, insomnia, a limited number of positions during sleep, tremors of the child;
  • fatigue. As a rule, until the 30th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother continues to work, meet friends, lack sleep;
  • appearance and lifestyle that change dramatically - especially at 7-9 months of pregnancy.

Advice for expectant mothers to avoid mood problems

So that excessive emotionality does not ruin the relationship of the expectant mother with her chosen one, relatives and friends, a woman is recommended:

  • more often walk in the fresh air, from one and a half hours a day and better with her husband;
  • rest;
  • exclude all diets, give preference to a full-fledged one with fruits, vegetables, cereals and, of course, treat yourself to ice cream or marshmallows;
  • avoid stressful situations;
  • meet other pregnant women - on the forum or in antenatal clinic and share their emotions, feelings and experiences with each other;
  • arrange shopping - buy something for yourself, your loved one, or start buying things for a child;
  • attend courses for pregnant women - learn a lot of new things and, perhaps, some fears will be dispelled;
  • do yoga, or Pilates - for new sensations and uplifting mood;
  • do the arrangement of the children's room - choose a crib, accessories, bedding or chest of drawers.

If a woman during pregnancy cannot independently cope with her emotions and psychological state, then you can turn to a psychologist for help or take, in agreement with your doctor, light medications without harm to the health of the baby, which helped to avoid mood swings in a pregnant woman.

The positive atmosphere that prevails around a pregnant woman has a positive effect on her mood. Close people can only calmly and without nerves perceive the oddities of the expectant mother, morally supporting her in any situation.

A woman in position and the people around her should understand that whims will go away with pregnancy. The habitual figure, the rhythm of life, sleep will return to normal, but only with a new small family member, and only bright happy memories will remain about the nine months of bearing a child.

Mood swings in pregnant women should always be endured calmly, both by the expectant mother herself and by her relatives.

Dear blog readers, if you had mood swings during pregnancy, and how you avoided them, leave comments or feedback. Someone will find this very useful!

Instruction

Most often, a woman's mood changes dramatically in the first trimester. This is due to medical reasons. The fact is that there is a serious restructuring of the body at the hormonal level, and hormones are entirely responsible for the mood of the expectant mother. To be convinced of this, it is enough to remember how teenagers behave during the period of subadult maturation, when hormones also begin to rage with terrible force.

Basically, the changes occur due to the fact that the level of the hormone progesterone rises several times, which makes it extremely difficult to keep yourself under control.

have a place to be and psychological reasons, after all, pregnancy is a stress for a woman, she begins to realize her new status On the one hand, this pleases her, and on the other hand, it causes certain fears. She feels both happy and unhappy, both weak and strong, hence all these emotional "swings" arise.

The second trimester is perhaps the most calm, it is during this period that the woman is most balanced, this is also due to the fact that the toxicosis has receded, the hormones have fallen into place. The pregnant woman has already got used to her condition, and begins to enjoy it to the fullest.

In the third trimester, severe anxiety often reappears. His appearance is also absolutely logical. The stomach began to grow very quickly and it becomes extremely uncomfortable with it, the date of birth is approaching, such troubles as swelling may occur. All this cannot but affect the emotional state of a woman in a position, so she can be overly irritable.

It is impossible to guess in advance how this or that woman will behave, sometimes, the new situation radically changes the ladies. The most calm and balanced, it would seem, a woman with the onset of pregnancy can literally become a hurricane, and vice versa.

Experts believe that if a woman experiences strong emotional swings during PMS, then most likely during pregnancy she will expect the same thing.

It was also noticed that during pregnancy, the character traits of a woman are significantly aggravated, that is, if she was sentimental in ordinary life, then when she became pregnant, it would be even easier to bring her to tears.

The manifestation of one's emotions is not dangerous either for a woman or for her child, on the contrary, it is not recommended to accumulate negativity in oneself, it is better to get rid of it, for example, by crying. But in any case, it is not recommended to bring the situation to the limit, you need to learn how to reduce the intensity of passions. You can go for a walk alone and just be alone with your thoughts and emotions, as a rule, this helps to restore emotional balance. You can do what you love, which also has a beneficial effect on the condition of a woman.