When do mood swings kick in during pregnancy

Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Depression during and after pregnancy fact sheet. Office on Women's Health. Merck Manual. Physical changes during pregnancy. UNC School of Medicine. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Center for Women's Mood Disorders. Join now to personalize. Photo credit: iStock. What are pregnancy mood swings? Sources BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. Susan LaCroix. Featured video. This is the dark side of pregnancy no one talks about. Down syndrome screening.

How to manage pregnancy anxiety. How to manage depression during pregnancy. Fatigue during pregnancy. Why it's hard to sleep well during pregnancy.

The following list includes ways to manage your stress level: Get plenty of sleep Take a break during the day to relax Get regular physical activity Eat well Spend time with your partner Take a nap. Some symptoms of depression include: Recurrent anxiety and increased irritability Sleep disturbances Change in eating habits Inability to concentrate on anything for very long Short-term memory loss If your mood swings become more frequent and intense, it is crucial that you speak with your health care provider about options for dealing with severe mood swings, anxiety or depression.

Want to Know More? Can I get pregnant if…? Share this post:. Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter. Share on linkedin LinkedIn. Share on email Email. Similar Post. Healthy Pregnancy. Is it Safe While Pregnant. Is Sex Safe During Pregnancy? Pregnancy Health and Wellness. With all that's going on in a pregnant woman's body and all the thoughts running through her mind, it makes sense that a woman may not be remembering some things, Kimmel said. But other reasons for forgetfulness could be that a woman is prioritizing things differently and doing more multitasking, Kimmel suggested.

Some pregnant women may find themselves unexpectedly crying at a sappy commercial or bursting into tears after throwing up due to morning sickness. Women may cry more easily and frequently when they're expecting and in the early stages of new motherhood because these experiences involve a complex mix of emotions, Kimmel said. Sometimes tearfulness is how our emotions come out, she explained. Fluctuating hormone levels may also contribute to crying spells.

Depression during and after pregnancy is a serious condition, with health consequences for mother and baby. Doctors encourage women to seek help if they think they may be depressed.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers free and confidential crisis counseling available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on at TALK Online chat is also available. During the second and third trimesters, as a woman's baby bump becomes more visible and she gains more weight, she may feel dissatisfied with her body and its appearance, and this may affect her self-esteem.

Some pregnant women marvel at their rapidly changing bodies and feel radiant, while others worry about the weight gain and regaining their figures after delivering. Related: Having a baby: Stages of pregnancy. These changes to a woman's looks, shape and perceived attractiveness may bring up a complicated mix of feelings, Kimmel said.

In order to address some of these body-image concerns , pregnant women must accept that they are pregnant and that their bodies are changing as a result, she said.

A study about body dissatisfaction during pregnancy, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders , found that Fat Talk influenced how individual women felt about their changing bodies and their emotional state during pregnancy. There is conflicting evidence when it comes to whether a "nesting instinct" is a real occurrence during pregnancy, Kimmel said. Research has shown that toward the end of pregnancy, the brain's reward system ramps up in preparation for the baby's arrival, and this helps make parenting a rewarding experience, Kimmel said.

This may reinforce a parent's nesting instinct. There are also social activities and preparations for motherhood, such as attending a baby shower, baby-proofing the house and decorating the nursery, which can all contribute to the urge to "nest.

However, a review published in the journal Women's Studies International Forum , argued that "nesting" is a response to gender stereotypes and is linked to the social pressures a mother faces during pregnancy.