Share
Home › Experts › Pregnancy Hormones...Help! ›

Pregnancy Hormones...Help!

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
This is my second pregnancy, and my hormones are out of control. I am such a mess. When I was pregnant with my son, I was so hormonal. I cried constantly, and was so evil towards my husband, I pretty much hated him during my pregnancy. I talked to my doctor about it and he said there is nothing they could do, that pregnancy hormones had to run their course.

Here I am pregnant again with my second baby (15 weeks), and it feels like deja vu, except the fact that I feel much more vulnerable with this pregnancy. I am crying constantly, moody as can be and so mean. I find myself picking fights with my husband for little comments that just strike me wrong, pretty much he can't breath without me wanting to chew him up and spit him out.

My husband is full active Marine Corps, so most of the day its just me and my son, and when it's just me and my son, I seem to be in very high spirits. My son keeps my days sunny, it's the minute my husband walks into the door from work, it seems like the rain clouds come with him, and then the thunder starts. I know this sounds horrible. When I am not pregnant, we get along fantastic.

There are times when I feel I have no control over myself and what I say, and then when I calm down, I realize what I've done and I feel awful. My husband is a trooper and I give him tons of credit, cause he takes it all and looks at me and says I love you too. Which sometimes makes me so mad.

Is this normal, is there anything I can do to help, or am I just going to be like this through every pregnancy I have?

ANSWER

I am not there to evaluate you in person, but this definitely does not sound normal, and it does not sound like a condition that should be left untreated. I'd suggest a second opinion at a minimum (have you considered a midwife?) and even possibly a change of provider. You deserve to get some real help.

-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.