Your partner’s pregnancy emotions

Why are my partner’s emotions changing?

It’s completely normal for a mum-to-be to have pregnancy mood swings – after all, morning sickness and exhaustion aren’t much fun. During pregnancy, hormones go crazy and these can affect her emotions in different ways. One day she may feel delighted about having a baby, and the next she could be riddled with fears and insecurities. In fact, she’s probably finding her swinging moods as unpredictable as you are.

What can I do to help?

If your partner’s being emotional or unreasonable you may know it’s just her hormones. She may even know it’s just her hormones. But whatever you do, it’s best not to tell her that! Remember, however irrational they may seem, at that moment her feelings are very real to her. So just let her talk if she wants to, reassure her if she needs it and wait for her to calm down and laugh about it with you later – hopefully!

Doing things your partner loves can help blow the blues away. Take her to the cinema or out for dinner. Bring her flowers and cook her tea while she puts her feet up. And encourage her to spend time with other people she loves, like family and friends.

Reassure her

Behind her swinging pregnancy emotions your partner may well have some real fears. So, in a calm moment, ask her if there’s anything she’s worried about and talk it through together. She may be worrying how you’ll all cope as a family, or need reassurance that you still find her attractive now that she has a bump.

I’m worried it’s more than just hormones

If you think your partner’s suffering from more than just the normal pregnancy hormones and worries, talk to her about seeing her doctor. About 10% of mums-to-be can suffer from mild to moderate depression, but there’s plenty of help out there.