Mood swings are common in early pregnancy due to hormonal changes and physical symptoms. Some women may experience severe mood swings, but a healthy lifestyle can help alleviate symptoms. Antidepressants may be necessary in rare cases. Symptoms usually improve in the second trimester.
Signs of mood swings in early pregnancy are hard to miss and can include crying for no reason, irritability, and moments of extreme joy. Some women may experience one predominant emotion and others may go through cycles of them all. Most women experience mood swings to some degree, although some have them more severely than others.
Mood swings during pregnancy are caused by spikes in certain hormones. They can be exacerbated by physical symptoms that tend to occur simultaneously. For example, many women experience insomnia during parts of their pregnancies, and this can make irritability worse. There isn’t much a woman can do medically to alleviate these symptoms, but following a healthy lifestyle can help for some.
It is not known why some women experience severe mood swings in early pregnancy and others do not. A woman may also experience varying degrees of symptoms from one pregnancy to the next. Mood instability is most common during the first and third trimesters, when hormonal changes are most dramatic.
For some women, moodiness can be debilitating. They may have difficulty functioning day to day and in severe cases may become severely depressed. This is relatively rare and most women are able to deal with the roller coaster of emotions during pregnancy very well. For those who feel like they can’t cope, however, some antidepressants have been approved for use during pregnancy when it’s determined they’re needed.
Those who continue to exercise and eat a healthy diet may experience fewer mood swings in early pregnancy. This is because some symptoms can be relieved in those who follow these healthy lifestyle habits. Exercise also releases endorphins which can help fight symptoms of depression.
Most women experience symptom relief during the second trimester. Hormones usually stabilize to some degree at this point and many women start to suffer fewer bouts with morning sickness and other physical symptoms. Because every woman is different and may respond to her pregnancy in her own way, there’s no way to predict which one will be affected by mood swings in early pregnancy. It’s best to continue practicing healthy habits so that she’s prepared if she experiences mood swings.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
