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Pregnancy reshapes your brain, your emotional regulation, your empathy, your attachment, and your caregiving. These are primarily driven by hormonal changes and physical strain. Some may expect pregnancy to be joyous and positive. You may feel disconnected or withdraw from activities. These are not really bad; they can be signs of changes happening inside you.
Emotional Changes During Pregnancy
Constantly adapting to the needs of pregnancy and surging hormones play a huge part in your emotional changes. Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and oxytocin surge and influence your mood and mental health.- Oestrogen influences the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, increasing emotional sensitivity.
- Progesterone calms the central nervous system, promoting relaxation and sleepiness. It dampens dopamine pathways and triggers fatigue and depression symptoms.
- Cortisol, a stress hormone, increases to support fetal lung growth increase in cortisol is linked to anxiety and prenatal depression.
- Oxytocin is a bonding hormone that surges in the later stages of pregnancy to help labour and increase attachment. It fights against cortisol and promotes calmness.
How Emotions Change During Each Trimester
- First Trimester: It is the most intense and vulnerable period. Rapid hormonal changes and physical symptoms disrupt serotonin and dopamine balance, resulting in mood swings, fatigue, and crying. Nausea, breast tenderness, sleep disruptions, and fatigue during the first trimester. Since this is a very delicate period, the risk of miscarriage is high, which increases anxiety.
- Second Trimester: Hormones start to stabilise, and physical discomfort starts to settle. The second trimester is often called the honeymoon period of pregnancy due to increased energy and emotional balance. Mothers may feel more connected, engaged and grounded.
- Third Trimester: The growing uterus puts pressure on the internal organs and changes walking and posture. Labour pain, delivery, responsibility, and caregiving may become difficult to handle. Nesting instinct kicks in, and you become protective of your baby.
Practices to Support a Happy Pregnancy
Avoid Fear of Miscarriage- Fear of miscarriage is prominent in the first trimester. Fear of losing your baby peaks in early pregnancy and increases anxiety and stress. Don't let this thought dominate your mind. Regular checkups, avoiding overstimulating or scary stories, and seeking evidence-based information help reduce catastrophic thinking.
- As your due date approaches, it's common to experience fear of labour and childbirth. High fear of childbirth may increase pain, labour duration, and risk of c-section. Relaxing through your cognitive-behavioural therapy, visualisation can help you prepare for a happy and healthy labour and childbirth.
- After birth, you might lose yourself in the daily needs of caregiving. Fear of identity change from individual to a caregiver is linked with parental depressive symptoms and can set the stage for postpartum depression. Instead of thinking of caregiving as a change, seeing it as an addition reduces depression and anxiety.
- A balanced diet stabilises blood sugar levels and neurotransmitter function, reducing mood swings driven by hormone surges. Instead of consuming one large meal, eat small, frequent meals with complex carbs, lean protein, and omega-3-rich foods. These support serotonin production and reduce inflammation. Drinking 2-3 litres of water, infused with herbs, lemon, or cucumber, to avoid dehydration, fatigue, and irritation.
- Add 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Include brisk walking and prenatal yoga to release endorphins and reduce cortisol. Cat-cow and butterfly poses increase pelvic circulation and emotional regulation. Gentle stretches, swimming, and pelvic tilts ease tension and provide relief. Daily breathing practice activates the parasympathetic system and lowers heart rate.
- Mindfulness is not just for yoga practitioners. Dedicate 10 minutes morning and evening to practice mindfulness meditation. Focus on breath, foetal movements, or head-to-toe to increase self-compassion and lower depressive symptoms. Practice breathwork, body-awareness technique or journaling.
- Prioritise 7-9 hours of predictable, long, restful sleep. Keep screens away for 1 hour before sleeping, and dim the lights to help regulate melatonin. Sleep on the left side to support blood circulation and reduce insomnia. Limit caffeine and heavy meals before bedtime to reduce reflux. Short breaks and naps help you cope with pregnancy challenges.
- For a happy pregnancy, avoid expectations. Don't watch curated social media content that shows unhealthy or unrealistic pregnant content. Instead of trying to perfect your life, prioritise happiness and self-care.
- Pregnancy indeed changes your body. Weight gain, stretch marks, breast enlargement, and after pregnancy scars from tears and incisions, and mommy pooch can stay even after postpartum. Seeing it through a positive lens activates the brain's reward centres.
- You alone can't make your pregnancy journey happy. You need support around you to enhance your pregnancy experience. Sharing your thoughts and expressing your needs helps you feel safe and secure. Involve your partner in checkups, meal times, exercises, and let them touch and feel foetal movements. Emotional intimacy is important during and after pregnancy for coping and healing.
- Mental and emotional well-being shapes your pregnancy journey. Just like how nutrition, hydration, sleep, and checkups are important, your mental health and your views about pregnancy also matter. Your body and your baby’s growth are interconnected. When you feel supported, safe, nourished, and happy, it promotes hormonal regulation, blood flow to the placenta, and better oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby. A happy pregnancy is listening to your body, seeking support, prioritising the right nutrition, hydration, and rest, and managing your mental and emotional health.
FAQs on How To Have A Happy Pregnancy Journey: An Essential Guide To Emotional & Physical Wellbeing During Pregnancy
- What is the golden rule for every pregnant woman?
Golden rule for every pregnant woman:- Listen to your doctor's advice
- Eating balanced, nutritious food
- Stay hydrated
- Prioritise rest and sleep
- Avoid smoking, alcohol and limit caffeine and sugar
- Aim for 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise
- Maintain a positive environment
- Can a fetus feel when mom is happy?
When a mother is happy, serotonin and oxytocin are released across the placenta and signal calm to the baby’s growing brain. Meanwhile, when a mother is stressed, the cortisol also reaches the baby and affects organ growth.