Your partner’s pregnancy emotions

During pregnancy, your partner is likely to be experiencing a number of different emotions and feelings. Pregnancy is a big life change, not to mention that it’s no mean feat physically. At times, your partner might feel overwhelmed and exhausted, particularly if she’s experiencing some of the common pregnancy symptoms.  

Pregnancy hormones affect people differently. Your partner might be brimming with excitement about having a baby one day and then feeling anxious and insecure the next. Emotionally, pregnancy can be quite the rollercoaster.

Bear in mind that your partner’s feelings are real and should never be ignored or dismissed as just ‘hormones’.  You need to be someone your partner can talk to and rely on if they need to-it's that simple.

While your partner may well ask for your support during pregnancy, don’t assume that she wants or needs your advice.

If you’re not sure about what your partner may need, ask. Have open conversations about the support they’d like and how you can help if they start to feel that things are getting tough.

This might involve going with your partner to antenatal classes and medical appointments or playing an active role in preparing for your baby’s arrival. Ultimately, just being there for your partner when they need you is often more than enough.

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.

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.