Having a baby and becoming a parent is a life-changing event and can, at times, feel like an emotional roller coaster. One in five women will experience a mental health problem during pregnancy or a year after having their baby.
Everyone experiences worries from time to time in pregnancy. These can be around health, relationships, money, lifestyle or anything in the future which is unknown. Or you may have other thoughts and feelings that affect your mood. Looking after your emotional health and wellbeing is about finding healthy ways to manage the inevitable worries, or difficult thoughts and feelings, which come with pregnancy.
For many people support to deal with these worries comes from the people who know them best, such as a partner, their family and friends. Here are a few simple habits or activities which can help.
- Make sure you drink enough water and eat healthily even when you don't not feeling like it.
- Keep active at least once a day even when feeling low in energy.
- Do something for yourself which you enjoy such as having a bubble bath or reading a book.
- Stop doing something that doesn't have to be a priority right now if it's making you feel stressed.
- Find someone you feel comfortable with and be honest about how you are feeling. Sometimes it helps to explain you're not looking for answers, you just want to talk it through.
If you feel your mental or emotional health is getting worse, or you're starting to feel anxious or low, then the earlier you get help and support, the better your chances of recovering quickly. You do not need to wait for an appointment to talk to your midwife.
Find out more on our mental health issues and support page.
