Pregnancy and your body

Your body has taken on the job of incubator to a very important person: your unborn child. This is no time for heroics. As a pregnant woman you wouldn’t overlook some physical ailment you may experience during this time. So, too, should you defend your emotional health and tackle any difficulties of this nature that may well present themselves at this time.
Although pregnancy itself is generally an incredible time, it certainly can cause chaos on the emotional front for many moms-to-be. Apart from the obvious fears so many women experience during those nine months’ protecting their unborn children as they develop in readiness for the world, pregnancy invokes a rollercoaster of emotions thanks to constantly fluctuating hormone levels, lifestyle changes and adjustments on a physical level.
First and foremost: don’t panic. You are not losing your mind when you switch from joyful laughing to opening the flood gates! Secondly: find comfort knowing your own personality will undoubtedly return!
For many pregnant women emotions will follow closely to the pattern her hormones set, and this can, in many cases, be quite radical. If you finds it impossible to achieve any good grasp on the situation, it is best you pay the doctor or your local health clinic a visit, as such a situation could lead to life-threatening circumstances for both you and your unborn child.

Nasty side effects from pregnancy

The overwhelming onslaught of fears that may overcome you are likely to play havoc with your emotions and could result in experiences such as depression, angry outbursts, feelings of loneliness, confusion, tearfulness, severe mood swings, stress or sporadic or permanent anxiety.
Emotional health is just as important as physical health is to all of us, but especially to pregnant mums and their unborn babies, but far too often, sadly ignored.

Re-condition thinking patterns

Unless your emotional condition is one needing professional intervention, there are many ways you can re-condition your thinking patterns and thereby heal yourself of this attack of negativity.

• Firstly, accept that the emotions you are feeling are part and parcel of bringing life into this world. Acknowledge the difficulties these feelings may bring to you and try to establish positive methods to alleviate the severity of them. For example, if you find your mood alters because of certain circumstances, try to avoid them. If they sneak up on you at the same time each day do something just for you like taking a swim, tend to your plants, play relaxing music or phone a friend. Try to start these positive patterns just before you know the negative invasion will arrive.
• With pregnancy comes the need for adequate, good sleep so be sure not to skimp here
• Believe it or not, but diet can have a strong impact on your emotions so be sure you are never hungry and always eat balanced meals with healthy snacks in between
• Of course, physical fitness goes hand-in-hand with a healthy diet so ensure your muscles and organs are fed as well
• Take care of your appearance as this will uplift you
• Be sure not to pick up extra kilos – you will just feel awful and they may stay on after the birth.

The medical option

In severe cases of stress, depression and mood swings you may need medication to help things along. Many pregnant women take antidepressants during their pregnancies but these should only be prescribed by a doctor as he will know the type and doses that are safe for both you and your baby. This route is not recommended, however, as few of these drugs have undergone rigorous trials in pregnant women.
If you are dead-set against this, however, you could well benefit from counselling with a trained counsellor or psychologist. Psychotherapy, or counselling, is extremely beneficial and obviously drug-free.
If you find it too difficult to do for yourself the positive things, try to focus on your growing baby, knowing that looking after both your physical and emotional health in such a positive light can only benefit your child’s development in leaps and bounds, giving him the healthiest start possible in life.