Mood swings

Pregnancy can come with emotional changes as well as physical ones. You may feel cheerful one moment and tearful, worried, irritable or overwhelmed another. Mood swings can happen during pregnancy, and changing hormones, tiredness and the emotional demands of pregnancy can all play a part.

Still, not every change in mood should automatically be put down to pregnancy. If difficult feelings are persistent, intense or affecting everyday life, speak to your midwife or GP. Support is available during pregnancy, and you do not need to wait until things feel unmanageable before asking for it.

Are mood swings common during pregnancy?

The NHS notes that some mood changes, including feeling tired or irritable, can be normal during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a period of significant physical and emotional change, and there can be many reasons why your feelings seem less predictable than usual.

Hormonal changes can affect emotions, while tiredness, nausea, physical discomfort and disrupted sleep may make everyday frustrations harder to handle. Pregnancy itself can also bring uncertainty. You may be thinking about your health, appointments, birth, work, money, relationships or how life might change.

Some people feel mostly positive. Others experience mixed emotions. Feelings can also change throughout the pregnancy. There is no single emotional experience that everyone is expected to have.

What can pregnancy mood swings feel like?

Mood swings are not a medical diagnosis. The phrase is commonly used to describe emotions that change noticeably or quickly.

You might notice that you:

become tearful more easily
feel more irritable than usual
move between feeling positive and worried
feel emotionally sensitive
become frustrated by things you would normally brush off
need more quiet time or space
feel overwhelmed more easily

The important distinction is not whether you have occasional difficult days, but whether changes in your mood are becoming persistent or affecting your ability to manage daily life.

Low mood, persistent anxiety and other mental health difficulties can also develop during pregnancy. If you are unsure whether what you are experiencing is an ordinary emotional fluctuation or something that needs more support, tell your midwife or GP.

Why can emotions change during pregnancy?

There is rarely one simple explanation.

Hormonal changes are part of pregnancy, but your circumstances matter too. Physical symptoms, lack of sleep, worries about pregnancy and major changes in everyday life can all influence how you feel.

You might also be navigating experiences that make pregnancy particularly emotional, such as previous pregnancy loss, fertility treatment, a difficult previous pregnancy or uncertainty about test results.

Pressures outside pregnancy can continue as well. Work, finances, housing, caring responsibilities, relationships and loneliness can affect mental wellbeing at any stage of life.

It can help to look at the wider picture rather than assuming every emotion is caused by hormones.

Mood swings or a mental health problem?

Occasional changes in mood are different from persistent symptoms of depression or anxiety.

The NHS advises speaking to a midwife or GP if feelings such as sadness begin to affect your life. Signs of antenatal depression can include frequently feeling sad or tearful, losing interest in things, feeling hopeless or guilty, having negative thoughts and finding it difficult to concentrate or make decisions.

Anxiety can involve persistent worry, fear or physical feelings of panic. Depression and anxiety can happen during pregnancy even if you have not experienced them before.

You do not have to decide which description fits you before seeking support. Explain what you have noticed, how long it has been happening and how it is affecting you.

Ways to support your emotional wellbeing

You cannot control every emotion, and you do not need to aim for a permanently positive mood. A few simple habits may help you feel more supported while you navigate emotional changes.

Talk about how you are feeling

NHS pregnancy mental health guidance recommends talking about your feelings with a friend, family member, doctor or midwife.

You do not need a dramatic reason to bring up your mood at an appointment. If you have noticed that you feel different from usual, that is enough to start a conversation.

Notice what makes difficult days harder

It may help to pay attention to patterns without becoming overly focused on tracking every emotion.

For example, you might notice that tiredness, a demanding workday, certain appointments or too much time reading pregnancy information online leave you feeling more overwhelmed.

Recognising a pattern can sometimes make it easier to decide where you need more rest, practical help or professional support.

Make room for enjoyable things

The NHS recommends making time for things you enjoy as part of looking after mental wellbeing during pregnancy.

This does not need to become another task on your list. It might mean seeing someone you like, reading, listening to music, spending time outside or simply having a quieter evening.

Stay active where appropriate

The NHS advises that physical activity during pregnancy can support wellbeing. What is suitable depends on your health, pregnancy and usual activity.

If you are unsure what movement is appropriate for you, ask your midwife or another healthcare professional involved in your care.

Lower the pressure to feel a certain way

There can be a strong cultural expectation that pregnancy should be joyful. For many people, the reality is more complicated.

You can feel grateful and worried, excited and overwhelmed, or happy about some parts of pregnancy while finding others difficult. Mixed feelings do not need to be forced into a more positive version before you talk about them.

Mood changes after pregnancy loss or difficult experiences

Pregnancy after miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, fertility treatment, trauma or a difficult previous pregnancy may bring emotions that feel particularly intense.

Scans, appointments or certain dates may carry more meaning. You might feel hopeful while also being frightened to relax, or find that your mood changes around particular milestones.

There is no correct way to feel during a pregnancy after loss. If difficult emotions are affecting your wellbeing, tell your midwife or GP. They can discuss what support may be appropriate for you.

When to get professional advice

Speak to your midwife, maternity unit or GP if changes in your mood are persistent, distressing or affecting your day-to-day life, or if you are worried about your mental health for any reason.

You should also seek professional support if you frequently feel low or hopeless, lose interest in things you usually enjoy, experience persistent anxiety or feel unable to cope. NHS guidance advises people experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy to talk to their maternity team or GP.

If you need urgent mental health help but there is no immediate danger, contact NHS 111 or ask for an urgent GP appointment.

If you think there is an immediate danger that you might harm yourself or someone else, call 999 or go to A&E. Mental health emergencies should be treated as seriously as physical emergencies.