How to Cope With Negative Feelings During Pregnancy

It can be hard to acknowledge and verbalize negative feelings about your baby, your future, or your partner when everyone around you seems to expect you to be in a permanent state of bliss. But depression, anxiety, anger, and even suicidal ideas, are not uncommon among pregnant women.

Things You'll Need

• Journal or notebook
• Awareness
• Support Group

Instructions

How to Cope with Negative Feelings During Pregnancy

1. Know you are not alone. Negative feelings are to be expected! If you are like most women, you will be expected to keep up with all your regular responsibilities while pregnant. The difference now is that you will be trying to juggle all these things while you do not feel well, so it should be easy to see why women would have negative feelings at least occasionally.

2. Write in a journal. Buy yourself a journal or a notebook and start writing when you feel especially emotional. If you have trouble getting started, use "Today I feel _____________," to start your sentence. Try to isolate what you are truly feeling, rather than relying on adjectives like "tired" or "hungry." Examples of feelings that could fill in the blanks are anxious, disappointed, confused, embarassed, sad, lonely, misunderstood or angry.

3. Review your journal. Reviewing your journal may give you insight into negative thinking patterns. Realize there is no one way a pregnant woman "should" behave and no one way a pregnant woman "should" feel. You are unique and so is your pregnancy.

4. Look for patterns. After you have journaled for a few days, look over what you've written. Is there a certain time of day when you are feeling particularly bad? Are your moods changing very quickly and without explanation? If so, make sure you are eating enough and eating frequently enough. It is possible that your blood sugar could be fluctuating wildly and contributing to the mood changes.

5. Use the coping mechanism that has always worked for you. Common coping mechanisms include listening to music, exercising, going out with friends, reading, or enjoying art, nature and pets. The good news is that you can still do these things now. Make sure to keep in touch with your friends. Just getting dressed up for a night on the town might make you feel better.

6. Reach out. Talk to someone about how you are feeling. If you do not have anyone in your personal life you feel you can talk to, consider a priest or a therapist. Your OB-GYN can refer you to someone.

7. Call 911 if you are severely depressed. If you find yourself having thoughts of wanting to hurt yourself or others, call 911 immediately. You can be transported to the nearest emergency room 24 hours a day for evaluation and treatment.