Chapter 6: Common body changes in pregnancy
Changing feelings and emotions
Pregnancy is an important time in a woman’s life. Her baby
is growing inside her, her body is changing, and she needs
more food and more rest. As a woman’s body changes,
her relationships, her sexuality, and her work life
can change too.
Sudden changes in feelings
Pregnancy can make women very emotional.
Maria!
What’s wrong?
Can I help?
Some women laugh or cry for no
clear reason. Some feel depressed,
angry, or irritable.
Odd laughing or crying and
No. (sob) I’m fine.
I don’t even know
why I’m crying.
other sudden mood changes or strong
feelings are normal. They usually pass quickly.
But do not ignore a woman’s feelings simply
because she is pregnant. Her feelings are real.
It’s normal, Alfredo,
she’s pregnant!
She just needs you
to listen and stay
close to her.
Worry and fear
Many women worry when they are
pregnant, especially about the baby’s health
and about giving birth. A woman’s worries about other problems in her life
may also become stronger when she is pregnant.
Such worries are normal. They do not mean that something bad will happen.
Women with these feelings need emotional support, like someone to listen to their
worries and encourage them to feel hopeful. They may also need help to solve the
problems they are having in their lives, like problems with their partners, money,
drugs or alcohol, or other issues.
Strange dreams and nightmares
Pregnant women may have strong, vivid dreams.
They can be beautiful, strange, or frightening.
For many people, dreams are an important way of
understanding themselves and the world. Some people
believe that dreams can tell us about the future or give
us messages from spirits.
But usually, when something happens in a dream,
that does not mean that it will happen to us in life. The events in the dream may
be telling us what we are afraid of or what we desire. Or they may simply be stories
our minds make up while we sleep. Women who are having frightening dreams
may need someone to talk to about their hopes, fears, and feelings.
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A Book for Midwives (2010)