First of all, it's important to mention that you aren't going crazy and there’s nothing wrong with you! The hormones that your body’s secreting are ensuring the healthy development of your baby. So the first thing to do is to accept that your emotions and thoughts are just probably going to be a little more volatile for the next few months. But to take it one step further, you can actually use this to your advantage.
Any experience in life can be used to learn and grow and discovering how to respond in healthy ways to situations that feel out of your control is an important skill to learn. Believe me, being a parent will place you in this type of situation repeatedly in the years to come. Here are a few ways to deal with your mood swings in healthy, appropriate ways:
1. What tends to set you off? Begin to become sensitive to your triggers. Is there an emotional issue between you and your husband that needs to be addressed? Perhaps your changing body image is bringing up self-worth issues. Or maybe you notice that when you’re hungry you’re more likely to lash out at those around you. For me, every one of these issues was going on under the surface. No wonder I felt like such a mess! But once I was able to notice my patterns, I was able to handle them much better.
2. Once you know what your patterns are, ask for support. My husband soon learned that when I reacted emotionally or was feeling especially tender, he asked himself, “What does she really need right now?” Sometimes it was as simple as a hug and an “I love you.” Sometimes, I needed him to change the channel away from the sexy lingerie commercials and make a funny comment about how those models needed a good cheeseburger and a milkshake. And everyone in my family soon learned that keeping my tummy filled with healthy food usually kept me in a good humor.
3. And finally, and most importantly, use this time to work out any underlying issues with your spouse. If you think that pregnancy hormones bring up issues, just wait until you’re sleep deprived and hormonal and you have a little baby hanging on to your every single move. Pregnancy is the perfect time to work with your partner to become the team that your baby needs to survive and thrive.
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