Those awful mood swing during pregnancy

Your husband can be intensely annoying all of a sudden. Since you're pregnant, you've been alternating between feelings of extreme love, extreme annoyance, crying jags and outbursts of anger. Mood swings, in other words. What to do?

Those poor pregnant women and partners

All these terrible mood swings since you are pregnant. Your emotions are everywhere. Gee, why would that be? Yep, hormones. And the worst part is, you don't even realise it's your hormones at the moment. Or at least you don't want to. You really think you are in the right; that you are reasonable. So there is nothing more irritating than hearing: "Are your hormones acting up again?" No, it is not my hormones. An angry outburst, or maybe a crying fit, follows. Why doesn't anyone understand you? You cry about everything. You freak out at the slightest thing. The last chocolate is sacred; if it suddenly disappears, someone's got a real problem there. For the next hour you stay in a terrible mood. Then you burst out laughing again. You have the feeling that you have lost all control over your emotions. But most of all, you suffer unpredictable and, above all, unreasonable outbursts of rage. That poor partner of yours....

The causes of your mood swings

As we said, your hormones! The changes in your body, and the increase in hCG, oestrogen and progesterone, mean that your emotional stability is constantly changing.

• Estrogen increases the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin affects your sleep, eating rhythm, pain sensations, self-confidence and mood.
• Estrogen influences the production of endorphins in the brain. This can have an analgesic effect or cause a feeling of happiness.
• Progesterone stimulates the production of opatates in your brain, which can have a positive and calming effect on your mood.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, when your hormones rise the most, your mood swings are often the most intense. But also after this period, you may experience mood swings from time to time. It is not only your hormones that play a role in your mood swings. Apart from that, being pregnant can be pretty tough! All those annoying ailments, it's not surprising that you can be irritable from time to time. In addition, you may, consciously or unconsciously, also experience tension, stress and uncertainty. After all, a baby is coming! You will have a whole new life and are starting to feel the responsibility.

What can you do about mood swings?

There is not really an easy solution. However, you can make sure you get enough rest, relaxation and sleep. Do you sleep poorly at night? Then try to find time for an afternoon nap. Feeling rested will make your mood fluctuate less. Try not to take it too hard, it's just part of being pregnant. Do you notice that your emotions fluctuate a lot? It may have something to do with your uncertainty about the pregnancy or perhaps the anxiety of becoming a mother. More contact moments with your baby (with other words: ultrasounds) can be affective. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing your baby and every time you do, it creates extra closeness to your baby and an intense feeling of love. You also feel reassured once you see that everything is going well. So are you feeling misserable? Consider an extra ultrasound appointment or make ultrasounds at home with your partner in a relaxed atmosphere.

Relax, take a moment and make your own ultrasounds at home when you feel like it!

Read more about the Babywatcher

Do you think it will not happen to you because you normally are so relaxed? Think again. Those terrible mood swings during pregnancy can happen to anyone. So hang in there for a few months. You've got this!

Sometimes there's more going on and you're simply not excited about your pregnancy. Read what might be going on. Tips for the partner. How do you deal with your pregnant wife?