This is a touchy subject...even for us. Pregnant women go through a lot heck they're growing people, and that's no easy task! (Remember that carefully, husbands.) Irritability in pregnant women is common...VERY common. But they can't help it, seriously. Their bodies are playing host to a hormone festival, which means pregnant women can experience emotions (like irritability) at the drop of a hat and for no reason.
So, how do you get through this? Let's see if we can help...
Why are pregnant women irritable?
Firstly: Don't ever ask this question out loud because it is the number one way to make pregnant women irritable (even more so).
Irritability, depression, anxiety or mood swings are some of the emotional and mental states that most pregnant women experience. Due to an increased level of hormones, especially progesterone in the first trimester, pregnant women may become more irritable than usual. Emotional instability is hence a normal result of being pregnant, and it usually subsides during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Other factors that can lead to irritability while pregnant can be excessive nervousness and worrying about the outcome of the pregnancy. Being a first time mother can be a stressful period for some pregnant women, which leads to increased irritability or anxiety.
How common is it for pregnant women to be irritable?
Irritability is very common during pregnancy, unfortunately, and mood disorders are frequently diagnosed among pregnant women. A temper problem is not something to worry about, especially during the beginning of the pregnancy or just before giving birth. Besides all the extra hormones, pregnant women have a lot to deal with with their body changes, feeding an extra person and just trying to continue with their everyday lives as normally as possible.
If irritability is preventing you from functioning normally, or if it leads to many random anger bursts, then it is time to take action. Being too irritable all the time can create a vicious cycle of excessive hormonal activity. Also, emotional instability can affect your pregnancy, so try to keep that in mind as much as possible.
How to treat irritability during pregnancy?
Remember that being tense and irritable while pregnant is perfectly normal. If you feel that the irritability and stress are overwhelming, talk to your loved ones about it. You should also discuss this with your doctor and with other pregnant women that can offer their support. There are also simple measures that you can take in order to reduce irritability and mood swings:
- Keep yourself busy as much as possible, but don't exhaust yourself and dont do strenuous physical or mental activity that can affect your pregnancy.
- Talk to friends, join an online community for pregnant women, go out for walks, do pregnancy yoga or anything that can keep your focus on something other than your irritability.
- Avoid stressful situations, such as fighting with family or work related conflicts. Pregnancy should be a time when your healths baby is much more important than anything else.
- Get more sleep, as tiredness can be a main trigger of irritability in many cases.
- Eat plenty of fresh foods and avoid junk foods. Preservatives and other chemicals can overwhelm your body and can make you feel tired and depressed.
Always keep in mind that the emotional states of the mother will also affect the developing foetus. This is why it is imperative to manage irritability by avoiding the factors that trigger it. However, that said f your mood swings last for more than two weeks and don't seem to be getting any better, tell your Doctor as you may be suffering from prenatal depression.
