I just entered my 14th week of pregnancy and I've suddenly developed depression and severe mood swings. Every little thing sets me off and I end up getting in huge screaming matches with my poor husband who has no clue how to handle my angry fits. I don't want to take any anti-depressants and was just wondering if any other mothers out there have experienced this, if it tends to go away, and if there is anything I can do to prevent it besides taking meds. Thanks for all the help!
Thank you all so very much for all the suggestions and advice you offered. I called my doctor and, bless his heart, he's getting me in tomorrow to discuss the depression and mood swings. I appreciate everyone who responded and your kind words. It's nice to know that I'm not alone through all of this and that even though my husband is clueless, I have all of you lovely ladies to count on. Thank you so much!
I was not prone to any depression before either, but I did experience some dark thoughts and moodiness for a few weeks. My doctor gave me a prescription for an anti-depressant, but I never had it filled. The depression went away after about 2 weeks after that. I'm glad I waited.
Good luck!
Oh dear! Preggo and angry! Please explain to your hubby the issue and make sure he understand that it's not personal. This too shall pass. You should be taking DHA for the babe anyways, that should help. I took (and am still taking PrimaCare One prenatals that have all the DHA and included to you don't have to remember more than one pill. Ask your doc.
YOUR NORMAL! It's called baby brain!
I'm not saying this will cure everything, follow the other advice too, but cleaning up your diet can really help. Eat lots of salads, fiber (pears, plums and peaches), shop the produce section. Cut out table sugar as much as you can (I have even found breads that are made with honey instead of sugar, they are more common than you think). Eliminate preservatives and anything artificial. Don't eat the boxed dinners and prepare as much of your own food as possible. Lara bars are one of my favorite snacks, they actually taste good. Check them out below, and of course keep up on the omega 3's.
http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?N=0&am...
One more thought. A study was done on girls with eating disorders. Half received massages (I don't know how many) and half did not. The half who did overwhelmingly got over their eating disorders. You do the math.
I'm also pregnant with our first at just about 14 weeks. I can't say that I went through a depression, but I did start having anxiety about "what I was getting into," and would cry for no reason. I would get hurt by any little thing my hubby said and the dog barking would make me feel like a failure. I started making sure I had good sleep schedules and ate right and that worked for me before I made it back into my practictioner. Definitely mention it to him/her. If it truly is depression, it's not good for either of you. Have you tried pregnancy yoga or lying down with lights off and relaxing? (I know that's hard with two little ones at home.) Keep talking to people! Consult your doctor to be sure though.
Hi A.- I am now 32 weeks pregnant and I understand the mood thing. One thing you might find comfort in is knowing that you are naturally hormonal and NOT crazy. I get up early before my husband goes to work and power walk for 45 minutes. It makes such a difference in my mood. Give it a try. Also SLEEP and drink tons of water and eat well. Good luck.
I have read several medical articles citing the use of DHA & EPA fish oil supplements during and after pregnancy to ward off depression. DHA and EPA are essential fatty acids typically found in fish like salmon. 14 weeks is about when a lot of the brain development begin in the baby and if you don't have sufficient stores in your body (because you require it too), the baby will take it from you and potentially cause the mood swings and depression. Depression tends to run in my family and I think I suffered from mild post-partum depression in my first pregnancy. During my 2nd, I began taking a high-potency DHA/EPA supplement and continued during the entire time that I breastfed. I am 20 weeks into my 3rd pregnancy and have consistently been taking it and haven't had a problem with depression at all. The brand I found is NOW High Potency DHA-250 at the vitamin store for about $20. It's a cheap fix and I don't have to eat salmon 3 times per day!
I am pregnant with my 4th child and felt the same feelings this pregnancy. I had never experienced that before. I am 17 weeks and just started feeling somewhat better. We do have a lot going on right now in our lives and I personally had to make myself get out more (by myself or with a friend- NO KIDS!) and try to relax. I also would suggest some yoga and make sure you are forcing yourself to get plenty of sleep. I know it is hard, trust me. But it will help and will get better. Hang in there and GOOD LUCK! Enjoy your first pregnancy...
Have you had blood work done to check your iron levels? I became anemic during pregnancy and started taking iron supplements. My doc told me that low iron can be one of the causes of depression.
I agree with Kristin M---my doctor has recommended the same supplements and I am finishing up my fourth pregnancy and not having nearly the emotional issues I had before. The prenatal vitamins have the DHA but that alone may not be enough---check with your doctor, but I was recommended to take between 2000-3000 mg per day. Check the source as well---there are supplements out there that are plant derived vs. from fish and depending on the quality from the fish, there may be concerns for mercury in the supplements.
The amount of sleep you get also factors into this. Subjectively for me, I also found myself more emotional when I was pregnant with my daughter and felt like I was PMSing for 9 months---double the female hormones I guess.
Best wishes. This will pass and tell your hubby to hang in there.
That also happened to me. You need to get out of the house. Try walks and even a yoga or swim class. You also need to do something just for you. I hope this helps and i wish you the best.K. M
Mother of four, and two are step children that I raise. I would say that you are normal with a very stressful situation. Freshly married with step children is a tall order no matter how great it is and then being hormonal due to pregnancy....you are going to find that you will be okay. When you freak out and know it is your hormones breath and tell them you are sorry when you cool down. Admitting that you were emotional to the people you love will go a long way for them and yourself. This way you aren't carrying the guilt around and they are able to hear that they aren't the problem and you know it but can't control your emotions due to the pregnancy at the moment but you want to. I would also go out of my way to tell them how much they mean to you when you are feeling okay. I would also talk to my doctor about any suggestion they may have.
