Managing Mood Swings During Pregnancy: Tips and Insights

It’s a few weeks into your pregnancy, and suddenly, a paper cut, the wrong latte order, or the tone of that cheery dating app commercial are making you want to break down in tears—or scream in frustration. What gives?

Whether it’s sadness, anger, anxiety, or something else, pregnancy mood swings are normal for a pregnant woman. They’re led by a mix of pregnancy hormones, life stress, and what can be, at times, a uniquely uncomfortable period of life. However, there are occasions when feelings can become unmanageable, or even dangerous for expecting parents.

If you’re struggling with mood swings during pregnancy, understanding the biological and environmental causes behind them can help you know when and how to intervene. Below, we’ll break down ways to help cope with pregnancy mood swings, as well as mood swing signs that you could benefit from more attentive support.

What causes mood swings during pregnancy?

Here’s the good news—in most cases, emotional ups and downs are most prominent in the first trimester of a healthy pregnancy. Often, expecting parents hit their emotional stride in the second trimester when physical symptoms ease, and feelings of excitement, joy, and even bliss sidle in.

It’s thought that those first-trimester mood swings result from a blend of chemical and physical forces that combine to create conditions for a more volatile mood swing.

Pregnancy Hormones

Like most other pregnancy symptoms, mood fluctuations during pregnancy are in large part related to hormones and hormonal changes. The two key hormones to note in this case are:

• Estrogen – Estrogen is most commonly associated with good feelings during pregnancy—that joyful, optimistic, blissed-out feelings lots of parents-to-be enjoy in their second trimester. Elevated estrogen may also make pregnant women feel more energized, creating a sense of physical wellness that supports emotional balance.

When estrogen fluctuates, though—as it often does in early pregnancy—it can cause major changes in the production of serotonin. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, irritability, and other mood swings, making it that much harder to self-regulate your emotions. For those experiencing heightened stress, understanding tips for pregnancy anxiety can offer practical advice and support to foster a healthier mindset.

• Progesterone – Where estrogen fluctuations can raise feelings of stress and emotional reactivity, progesterone tends to create the opposite effect in a pregnant woman. It’s best known as a chemical responsible for relaxation—specifically, the easing of your muscles and smooth tissues (like those in your uterus). However, progesterone’s ups and downs can also cause mood changes. In fact, many expecting parents report feeling sad, lethargic, and devitalized with the highs and lows of progesterone.

Physical Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnant or not, feeling sick, achy, or physically uncomfortable can make anyone more vulnerable to inconsistent moods.

Early pregnancy, in particular, is associated with several less-than-optimal physical complaints, including:

• Morning sickness (nausea)
• Headaches
• Swollen, tender breasts
• Bloating
• Cramping
• Constipation
• Nasal congestion
• Fatigue
• Appetite changes
• Frequent urination

As wonderful as having a child on the horizon can feel, plenty of people struggle with these physical changes when they first become pregnant: It’s perfectly natural to feel emotionally out-of-whack as a result.

Fortunately, as you progress through your healthy pregnancy, using coping mechanisms (which we’ll detail below) can help you find your footing—and get to know yourself better in the process.

Emotions in Pregnancy: What’s Not Normal

For most people, some degree of mood swings are inevitable during pregnancy. However, it’s important to understand normal emotional ups and downs, and those which may require more support to manage.

For instance, it’s thought that between 10 and 20% of pregnant individuals struggle with perinatal depression, a mood disorder that develops during pregnancy and may evolve into postpartum depression.

Symptoms of perinatal depression include:

• Weight loss, low appetite, or changes in eating changes
• Changes in sleeping habits
• Trouble with focus, motivation, or memory
• Feelings of deep sadness or emptiness
• Struggles with self-worth
• Persistent worry or anxiety
• Persistent dissatisfaction with preferred hobbies or interests
• Suicidal ideation

While perinatal depression can impact anyone, some people may be at a higher risk of developing it. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recognizes that both genetics and environmental factors can play a role, as well as the following risk factors:

• Life stressors, like a demanding job, financial pressures, or health concerns
• A personal or family history of mental health disorders (especially depression or bipolar disorder)
• A history of trauma
• A history of mood dysregulation in a previous pregnancy

If you’ve struggled with a mental health condition or mood dysregulation before, it’s a good idea to bring it up with your healthcare team at the start of your pregnancy. Developing a physical and emotional health plan with your providers can help you mentally prepare for potential mood swings and mental health struggles—even if they don’t turn out to be a part of your pregnancy.

Tips for Maintaining Emotional Balance While You’re Pregnant

While emotions can feel unmanageable in the moment, it’s important to remember that most pregnant people struggle with mood swings. They have gotten through it, and you can too. Plus, no matter what you’re feeling, your emotions have a right to be there.

In fact, by allowing space for your feelings to arise—and keeping the following helpful pregnancy health tips in your back pocket—you can develop greater emotional resilience to support you on your pregnancy journey.

Take Care of Your Body

If pregnancy mood swings have any wisdom to impart, it’s the close connection between body and mind for emotional well-being. After all, your physical wellness lays the foundation for your emotional balance, so be sure to prioritize:

• Your nutrition – Balanced eating in pregnancy resembles balanced eating at any other period of life: a wholesome diet full of foods you genuinely enjoy. A prenatal vitamin can also help ensure you’re rounding out your nutrition to support both maternal well-being and fetal development.
• Daily movement – There’s no need to break a sweat every day, but giving yourself time and space to stretch, walk, or take your favorite workout class will benefit your physical body as well as your mental health.
• Bodily cues – Whether you’re craving a nap or a hamburger, show your body some love by listening to what it needs. At times, the pressing demands of pregnancy can feel inconvenient. However, learning to listen to your body’s physical cues can help you meet less resistance when it comes to listening to your emotions.

Find Healthy Outlets to Express Yourself

When feelings feel acute, lacking places to express them can create even more tension. It’s important to find ways to express your feelings both in the moment and as a strategy for emotional self-regulation.

If you’re not sure where to start, you might try:

• Using a feelings wheel – A feelings wheel is a graphic tool used to identify emotions with specificity. In principle, doing so can help you name exactly what you’re feeling so that you can better process the emotion, examine your triggers, and communicate your emotions to others.
• Journaling – Keeping a journal—whether to record your feelings or pregnancy experiences—is associated with several benefits related to emotional well-being. Journaling may help you relieve worry or anxious thoughts, help you process challenging feelings, and gain clarity and level your perspective on your experiences.
• Physical exercise – Moving your body can be an excellent way to express fiery emotions like anger and frustration. Just be sure to do it safely, in a way that won’t harm yourself or others (if you need to scream or punch, a pillow is your best friend!).
• Letting yourself cry – Whether the thing leaving you bleary-eyed seems silly or seismic, letting yourself physically respond to feelings in the moment can be a major relief. It can also help to remember that the impulse to scream when you’re angry or weep when you’re sad is biological: your body’s way of processing big feelings.

So, as long as you’re not harming someone else or yourself, it’s okay—and even beneficial—to let those emotions move through you.

Talk It Out

Whether it’s a partner, a friend, or a family member, communicating with others about your emotions can relieve some pressure and help you feel more connected to your network during and after pregnancy.

Alternatively, reach out to a mental health professional for the duration of your pregnancy. Even a few sessions can provide an outlet for any emotional challenges you’re feeling. Therapists can also provide resources and emotional self-regulation techniques to help you put some healthy space between you and the emotional roller coaster pregnancy can be.

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At SneakPeek, our commitment is to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information to empower our readers. Our content is thoroughly researched, reviewed by medical experts, and fact-checked to ensure its credibility. We prioritize the well-being and education of our readers, and our editorial policy adheres to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in all our articles.

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by:

Priscilla Jeng

Priscilla Jeng is an accomplished digital marketing expert, currently leading as the Associate Director of Digital Marketing at Gateway Genomics, the parent company of SneakPeek. With over four years at Gateway Genomics, Priscilla has played a pivotal role in amplifying the company's mission to develop innovative genetic tests. Her proficiency in digital marketing and her comprehensive understanding of the genomics industry position her as a key contributor to SneakPeek's marketing endeavors.

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