What's happening to me? Emotional Changes*It is not only your body that alters during pregnancy, your emotions will fluctuate rapidly and you will experience feelings you have never had before. It is important to recognize that you will feel upset from time to time, that all pregnant women do, and that there are things that you can do that will help with your mood swings. Your swinging hormone levels lead to mood changes from elation to depression. Your changing body shape disturbs your self-image. And we are all occasionally beset by fears about our suitability as parents. Emotionally, pregnancy can be very difficult. Conflicting Feelings*Even with the most positive attitudes about pregnancy it is normal to have conflicting feelings. One moment you are thrilled at the prospect of a new baby, the next minute you are terrified of your new responsibilities. Becoming a parent is a time of reassessment and change, worries and fears. The first and most important psychological task you have is to accept the pregnancy. This may sound obvious but there are women who blithely sail through the early months of pregnancy giving it as little thought as possible, which is especially easy until the baby begins to show. Conflicting feelings are sure to surface once you begin to accept the pending realities. Let me reassure you that it's good to have conflicting feelings. It is normal to feel this way and you shouldn't worry about it. It means that you are genuinely coming to terms with the situation. You won't have the horrible shock some people do, who wait to face all this until the baby is at home. Fears*You may be worried about labour – whether you will be able to cope with the pain, whether you will scream or defecate, or lose control, or need an episiotomy or emergency Caesarean. Most women worry about these things, but there’s really no need. Labour is usually straightforward and how you behave will be of little or no importance. You may be surprised at how calm you are; you may not be calm at all, and that’s okay too. Just remember that your birth attendants have seen it all before, so there is nothing for you to feel embarrassed about. You may worry about how good a parent you’ll be, whether you will hurt or harm your baby, or not care for her properly. These are quite common feelings and represent legitimate fears. Like many modern women, you probably do not know much about baby care and are worried about doing a good job. The answer is to get some hands-on experience – handle and care for a newborn baby if you can. Perhaps you could baby-sit for a friend’s baby, or spend some time with her. If you change and feed her, you will probably gain confidence. Try to get these fears into perspective – you probably had similar worries about starting a job. Dreams*Dreams may become more frequent and even frightening, in the last trimester. There are many common themes reported by pregnant women and all express deep feelings and concerns that are entirely natural – everybody worries at one time or another that something will be wrong or go wrong with their baby. You may have dreams about losing the baby; and this is usually an expression of fear about miscarrying or having a stillborn baby. Dreams like these may be a psychological preparation for an unwanted outcome and also a way of bringing these feelings to the surface. In a way, they act as a release for your anxieties. Dreams, nightmares, and thoughts in general may be a way of expressing hostility to your unborn child. She is going to overtake your life, disrupt your privacy and comfortable routine. They may express feelings you may not be able to cope with or may not be consciously aware of. Again, don’t make the mistake of taking dreams literally and then feeling guilty or frightened. Will My Mood Affect My Baby?*You may worry that your swinging emotional changes will somehow affect your baby. Although your baby reacts to your moods, such as kicking when you are angry or upset, your changeable emotions appear to have no detrimental effect on your baby. Dreams and nightmares can be very vivid, and you may find that you wake up abruptly – hot, drenched in sweat, and with your heart racing. Be assured that this will not harm your baby. On the other hand, your baby really enjoys your good moods – your excitement, your happiness, and your elation. When you feel good, your baby feels good. When you’re relaxed, your baby is also feeling tranquil. If some activity makes you content and happy – listening to music, dancing gently, painting – do as much of it as you can and share the feeling with your baby. Hormonal Changes*Enormous changes occur in your body during pregnancy and, because of this your mood is likely to swing frequently. It is not unusual to find yourself becoming hypercritical and irritable, your reactions to minor events will be exaggerated, you will feel unsure of yourself and panicky sometimes, and you may even have bouts of depression and crying. It is normal to feel all these things, because you are less in control of your feelings than usual. The swinging levels of hormones have taken over and are controlling your moods the way a conductor controls an orchestra. So there is no reason to feel guilty or ashamed if you show irritation, anger, or frustration. If you explain the situation, most people will understand. At work, you may have to struggle to preserve a veneer of calm. This effort will definitely pay off, especially if you plan to return to your job after the birth of your baby. Changing Body Shape*
Thinking of pregnant women as fat, therefore ugly, is essentially an Anglo-Saxon attitude: many cultures see pregnant women as sensuous and beautiful. Rather than view your increasing curves with despair, think of them as a reaffirmation of life; see the roundness as ripeness, and glory in your body's fertility. Feel confident and proud of your shape and fertility. * Dr Miriam Stoppard MD FRCP, Conception, Pregnancy & Birth, Dorling Kindersley, Australia 2002 |
sign infor exclusive content 
Expert Tips
from Alex - NSW Midwives Assoc.During breast feeding you need to have a balanced diet, including calcium. |
|
 |
Under normal circumstances it takes quite a long time to adjust to a change in body image, such as going from blond to brunette or losing or gaining weight. In pregnancy you are not given time to adjust to the shape of your body, and you may feel strange, even unrelated to the body in which you find yourself. You may also worry that you are putting on too much weight and that you will become fat and unattractive during or after pregnancy.
