How might my pregnancy affect my mental health?

It’s completely normal for pregnant women to experience lots of different emotions and mood swings, as the hormone changes happening in your body can impact how you feel. However, if you are experiencing extreme mood changes such as depression, especially after you have given birth, you may be experiencing postpartum depression. If you are struggling, reach out to your healthcare provider or a therapist who can help you keep your feelings and emotions from getting to be too much to handle alone.

Pregnancy is stressing me out! What can I do?

Many expectant mothers feel overwhelmed by the pressure to eat or not eat certain foods, exercise a certain way, deal with morning sickness, give birth a certain way, etc. If you are feeling distressed and bombarded with this unwanted feedback, give yourself space to breathe. Acknowledging that this unwelcome advice may happen can help you prepare and lessen the stress inflicted on you. If someone close to you is one of the people pressuring you, talk to them. Explain how you’re feeling and suggest that they let you make the decisions about your own body and your future child. If you aren’t in a position to communicate with those expressing their suggestions, it may be worth seeing a counselor or meeting with a friend who you can talk to about this so you don’t feel quite as overwhelmed and bottled up. Click here to schedule an appointment with a clinician at CARE.

Resources

Pregnancy and Mental Health Basics

What is “normal” pregnancy?