My emotions & mood swings are everywhere; why?!

You asked and you shall now receive. It’s only fair for us to share all of this stored up knowledge about having a baby and what is going on with your body during those nine (really ten) months. We now will answer, in a very public forum, all of those burning questions about having a baby. Each Monday, we will tackle a commonly-asked-question from the point of view of an expectant parent. Chiming in to give feedback will be an expert (you know someone who does this for a living). Earmark, share and add your own input to today’s question; it’s good karma.

My emotions and mood swings are getting worse – is this normal?

Ah…..pregnancy emotions! It seems we can go from worrying, to forgetting, to sentimental tears, grand elation, and woefulness all within our forty weeks of expecting, and sometimes all within the course of one day! As we grow our beautiful babies, hormonal changes in our estrogen and progesterone levels while pregnant make for the ebbs and flows in our sea of emotions. These hormonal adjustments shift brain chemicals that then alter our moods. (Helpful to forward to our partner when they ask what’s up!)

Some tips for coping and alleviating our swings:
– Get plenty of rest
– Drink plenty of fluids
– Stay nourished
– Go for a walk
– Build in quiet time each day
– Chat with other expectant moms

Navigating mood swings is part nutrition, part relaxation, part acceptance, and part patience. One day at a time until the day we meet our little ones.

Expert: Renee Sullivan

Renee Sullivan, parent coach and Founding Director of Mommybites support groups, works with moms each week to create their own personal parenting plan that is right for them, while making sure that each mom gets the support, resources, and community they need for their parenting journey. Drawing from her experience as an birth coach and educator, she guides moms – new, seasoned and expectant through the never – ending array of decisions that come with having a child. Weekly sessions that are “nurturing, informative, and fun” and her “calm-laid back personality” has made her a “dynamic resource” to the parenting community since 2006. Renee’s positive, warm and enthusiastic personality relaxes and guides new and expectant moms to enjoy the journey and her personal attention to detail allows all parents that work with her to quickly get the resources they need to feel at ease to make informed and educated decisions. Before joining Mommybites, she narrowly escaped the trenches of Corporate America where she was a Senior Project Manager for The New York Times, Morgan Stanley and Pfizer. She lives in New York City and is the mom of one happy kindergartener.