How are you feeling during pregnancy?

American writer and Counsellor, Eda LeShan said of pregnancy:

“A new baby is like the beginning of all things – wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.”

May we add here that a new baby is also the beginning of you swinging like a pendulum; from euphoria and elation one morning to teary eyes and irritability the next?

If you’ve been feeling a little unstable lately let us assure you this isn’t your fault. The culprits on the other hand are those extremely important but naughty hormones playing round-the-clock games with your mind. This hormone overdrive happens because your body is producing these chemicals in excessive quantities during these nine months so your pregnancy is secured and retained.

One such hormone is the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG), which spikes quickly in the first trimester only to fall again around the fourth month. While it plants the baby into your uterine lining firmly, the overdose will very often be the reason for your exhaustion and morning sickness during the first trimester. Other hormones such as Oestrogen and Progesterone continue to rise during the entire nine months arousing happy feelings one moment and creating a dramatic mood swing the next.

While first-time expecting mothers will naturally bubble over with excitement, ups and downs in mental states are common during this time with emotions fluctuating between delight and wonder to sadness, irritability, and anxiety.

In the first trimester, most expecting mothers will ride a roller-coaster of emotions, zig-zagging between excitement, delight, fear and worry. Expect bursts of hysterical sobbing, food cravings, worries about finances or being the ideal mother, and forgetfulness of the most unusual kind, where you laid out the veggies in the kitchen but never got down to cooking them; simply because you forgot they were there; still waiting to be cooked.

In the second trimester, the storm has passed making way for radiant sunshine. The morning sickness is gone, your baby bump is showing, you’re the most talked-about celebrity in your family and your husband has fallen in love once again; with your glowing and ever so smiling self. You’re ravishing, confident, beaming with joy and oh-so-ready to become a mother.

Come the third trimester and some of that euphoria has vanished; now replaced by delivery worries; the baby is making it difficult for you to walk; ouch! you just felt that kick in your tummy in the middle of the night; worse of all; will your doctor go in for a vaginal delivery or a Caesarian section? You’re cranky and snapping at whosoever you find.

What’s more, since you can't control what isn't in your hands, it would do you a world of good to concentrate on things you can - for instance, preparing yourself to give birth with confidence, taking an informed decision to choose between vaginal delivery or Caesarian section, deciding whether you want an epidural or general anaesthesia - the Lamaze educational series at Birth N Beyond covers these important facets of childbirth and more.

Further, unless you’re crying continuously, feeling down, unworthy or hopeless for more than two weeks, which may be signs of major Depression, you really have nothing to worry about.

Laugh these behaviours off remembering that this is indeed the most wonderful time of your life. Take note that these moods have nothing to do with your capabilities as a mother. Know that there is nothing like a perfectly blissful pregnancy. Have a heart to heart conversation with your husband and with other mothers. Finally, remember to indulge yourself with a pampering massage, your favourite pregnancy snack or simply a good movie, music, a magazine or a book.

Research suggests that including Omega 3 Fatty Acids in your pregnancy diet may elevate mood problems. For those, who love a bit of exercise, especially non-exerting kinds, cardiovascular exercises like aerobics and breathing techniques, or a meditative exercise like yoga, asana, and pranayam regulate the inner mechanisms of your body and brain to give your moods a much-needed lift. For more information on our specially customised Pregnancy Exercise Programme click here or call +91 9820967012/ +91 9819831377