Psychological changes during pregnancy and their treatment are among the topics frequently discussed by my clients lately. Pregnancy is a special and different experience for every woman. Expectant mothers may experience conflicting emotions from the moment they learn that they are pregnant. It is obvious that women take on a different psychology and experience emotional fluctuations during pregnancy. The most common psychological change we encounter is depression.
Hormones secreted during pregnancy cause women to experience psychological and physiological changes during pregnancy. Physical changes such as stretch marks in the abdomen and leg areas may disturb some pregnant women. The expectant mother's body is programmed to protect and nourish the baby. This may leave the expectant mother tired and weak.
The reason why women experience psychological changes during pregnancy is not only due to hormonal changes. Factors such as the type of birth and the baby's health condition may trigger the expectant mother to experience emotions such as stress, sadness and anxiety. Feelings such as tiredness, helplessness and frustration in the face of other roles in life may be felt due to having assumed lifelong responsibility for the baby you have given birth to. These feelings and thoughts are normal reactions that have been experienced throughout human history.
Psychological changes can become inevitable during pregnancy when combined with body hormone secretions against many changes that occur both physically and psychologically. It is expected to experience opposite emotions such as joy, excitement, anxiety and sadness at the same time. Depressive mood is observed in 15% of pregnant women. At the same time, after the baby is born, more serious psychiatric symptoms may occur, although they are rare. Chief among these are psychological conditions such as depression, fear, or not accepting the baby or not taking care of the baby. In such cases, a psychiatrist's opinion must be obtained.
What are the Psychological Changes During Pregnancy?
Psychological changes during pregnancy may occur mostly when women feel uncomfortable with their physical changes. Most psychological feelings that occur after both physical changes and hormone fluctuations can be considered completely normal as long as they do not impair functionality. However, in this process, psychological changes that require intervention should not be overlooked, which can progress from severe depression to suicide. In this period of both physical and hormonal chaos, many women may encounter problems such as not being able to accept pregnancy. Some problems experienced by pregnant women during this period are listed below:
*There may be anxiety about not being liked by one's spouse because of the weight gained.
*Stretch marks and excess weight are a situation that causes a pregnant woman to experience great stress.
*Problems such as dizziness, fatigue, and excessive sleepiness, which are seen in many pregnant women, also affect expectant mothers psychologically.
*Pregnancies that occur during an extremely stressful period in family life may lead to psychological changes.
*As the birth approaches, the expectant mother may become stressed about how she will give birth, whether it will be a cesarean section or a normal birth.
*Mothers who have gone through a traumatic or extremely stressful pregnancy may begin to worry about holding their babies in their arms.
*As the birth approaches, expectant mothers may begin to question whether they can be a good mother.
*Mothers-to-be who have gone through physical changes may also encounter negativities such as not liking themselves as ugly in appearance.
*Pregnant women may experience negative thoughts or concerns, such as whether they will establish a proper bond with their expectant fathers when their babies are born.
*Negativity and psychological problems of expectant mothers also affect the people living around them.
*It is known that expectant mothers who have previously experienced psychological problems are more likely to experience negative effects such as stress and irritability.
*Many factors such as lack of sexual reluctance, excessive crying, tension and fatigue also affect expectant mothers psychologically.
*The effects of women's psychological changes during pregnancy may be felt by the baby over time. In this case, in addition to spouse, family and social support, it is necessary to get help from a psychiatrist.
Do Psychological Changes During Pregnancy Affect the Baby?
Expectant mothers may encounter psychological problems for many reasons. So, how this situation affects the unborn baby is one of the issues that expectant mothers are most curious about.
The baby in the womb feels everything, negative or positive, which includes many reasons such as the expectant mother's eating, drinking, stress, sadness and anxiety. The extreme happiness experienced by expectant mothers is reflected in their hormones.
