Emotional Health During Pregnancy

Tips to staying emotionally healthy during your pregnancy.

If you’re a mother-to-be, the “expectation” while expecting is that you should feel happiness and even joy at the profound experience of bringing life into the world. Reality check: if you’re a normal, pregnant woman, you’re going to feel pretty crazy sometimes, especially with the increased hormones, mood swings, and even bouts of anxiety and depression. Have no fear…this just means that you are experiencing the expected. This change in your emotional health during pregnancy is easily remedied if you have the right tools in your stretched tool belt.

Some ideas to get you started are below. Some tips are as simple as changing your routine, while others may take more of a sustained effort as you battle each trimester. However, the sooner you get started, the saner and healthier you will feel, and you will be on your way to a happy and healthy pregnancy. Once you have changed a few of your routines and habits, you’ll find these tips helpful in your child’s first nine months, as well.

Lullaby and Good Night

One of the easiest ways to feel better while pregnant is to take showers at night. A hot, soothing shower with lavender soap will help you fall asleep faster, a fete that is much harder in the second and third trimester for stomach-sleepers. Another popular trick is to take cat naps when you feel tired, which will leave you energized instead of cranky. When you feel a mood swing coming, take a quick nap for 20 minutes, and you will wake up feeling like yourself again.

Getting in a New Kind of Shape

There are benefits to both you and your unborn child if you include a small amount of physical activity in your day, such as a gentle walk first thing in the morning or some light yoga. Many yoga studios cater (and pamper) the pregnant mother-to-be, and joining a class or two is a great way to meet other moms-to-be in your area.

Diary of an Expectant Mother

A diary is a helpful way to keep your emotions in check, and if you keep the language clean enough, it’s a great document to show your child in the future. Writing down your thoughts while pregnant is also a good way to gauge your emotional triggers. Keep your journal at your side for those late-night or stop-light moments when you need a few minutes to yourself. It’s cheaper than therapy and will have similar results if you’re honest about your emotions while writing. If you do not know what to write about, try asking yourself specific questions in print and then answering them as honestly as you can.

Schedule a Play Date with Yourself

A woman’s time during pregnancy is the perfect time to spend time alone—and you’ll need the you- time in nine months. The next time you feel frustrated or anxious, take yourself out to something just for you, like some retail therapy, a fun afternoon movie or a TV DVD marathon.

Emotional health during pregnancy is beneficial for you as well as your baby. When things become too much and you need help, a pregnant woman’s best friend may be just that: a close, best friend to listen over that cup of (decaffeinated) tea.

How are you staying emotionally healthy during your pregnancy? Let us know by leaving a comment!