The signs of mood swings in early pregnancy are hard to miss, and they may include crying for no reason, irritability, and moments of extreme joy. Some women may experience one predominate emotion, and others may go through cycles of all of them. 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 may be exacerbated by physical symptoms which tend to occur at the same time. For instance, many women have insomnia during portions of their pregnancies and this may make irritability worse. There isn’t much a woman can do medically to alleviate these symptoms, but following a healthy lifestyle may help for some.
There is no known reason why some women have severe mood swings in early pregnancy and others do not. A woman can also experience varying degrees of symptoms from one pregnancy to another. Mood instability is most common during the first and third trimesters when hormonal shifts are at their most dramatic.
For some women, the moodiness may become debilitating. They may find it hard to function day-to-day, and in severe cases they may become severely depressed. This is relatively uncommon, and most women are able to deal with the roller coaster of emotions during pregnancy very well. For those who feel as though they cannot cope, however, some antidepressants have been approved for use during pregnancy when it is determined that they are necessary.
Those who continue exercising and who eat a healthy diet may experience fewer mood swings in early pregnancy. That’s because some symptoms may be alleviated in those who follow these healthy lifestyle habits. Exercise also releases feel good endorphins which may help combat symptoms of depression.
Most women experience an alleviation of symptoms during the second trimester. Hormones usually stabilize to some degree by this time, and many women begin to suffer fewer bouts with morning sickness and other physical symptoms as well. Since every woman is different and may respond to pregnancy in her own way, there is no way to predict which will be affected by mood swings in early pregnancy. The best thing is TO continue to practice healthy habits so that she will be prepared if mood swings do occur.