Feeling Overly Emotional?
Pregnancy is an emotional rollercoaster. From Day One the hormone levels in your body are changing with the increase in estrogen and progesterone. No wonder you may not have your emotions completely under control.
You may find yourself feeling sad and crying for an unknown reason and not being able to stop. Simple small things could set you off – perhaps you are watching a film where someone or something dies and you end up in floods of tears for hours afterwards, just at the thought of this.
I remember going shopping with a pregnant friend. We were casually walking around a department store when we came to the baby clothes section. She picked up some small clothes and just burst into tears because they were just so small and cute. It’s strange what triggers us sometimes.
Pregnancy and motherhood definitely makes women think differently about things in life. All of a sudden life takes on a different perspective and meaning. The world can be a mean place and our role is now to protect our child. That is actually quite a big thing to deal with and could be daunting for some women.
Feeling Anxious or Insecure During Pregnancy?
Or you might feel like your thoughts are overwhelming you and end up being bombarded with feelings of insecurity or of not being good enough or worthy:
- Will I be a good mother? How will I know what to do when baby arrives?
- What if I hurt my baby? I don’t know what I am doing and I might hurt her
- I’m giving up my career. Is it all worth it? Is it the end of my life and I will just end up being a mother and not have any feeling of relevance or importance left in my life?
Your insecurities and feelings could end up playing out as dreams and becoming more intense or twisted whilst you are asleep. It is normal to have vivid dreams during pregnancy – see dreams.
You might be feeling moody and getting angry or irritated at small things or have bursts of anger – see anger.
It’s a lot to get used to in pregnancy with fluctuating hormones, interrupted sleep or not enough long periods of deep sleep. It’s quite natural to be feeling out of sorts.
Recommendations for Calming Your Pregnancy Emotions
- Join prenatal courses and communities.
- Get chatting to other mothers to be. Surround yourself with other mothers to be as you will soon feel better when you realise it isn’t just you feeling this way.
- Share your feelings and circumstances. Being open about how you are feeling is always helpful and opens up doors. You may be surprised at just how many others will be able to empathise with you.
- Be active in online communities. Ask “is it just me?” (it won’t be !). Follow other pregnant mothers and their stories. Perhaps even start your own story or blog.
- Use relaxation techniques and essential oils.
- Clear you mind regularly with meditation.
- Take time out to relax and be quiet.