I snapped. For no reason. My friend asked if I wanted Italian food for dinner and I suddenly got so irritable because I didn’t like Italian food.

I saw the look in her eyes and expressed regret with mine.

I grabbed her hand and apologised. She was a very understanding person, so she immediately smiled and the mood was pleasant again.

I am generally quite a calm person, so I was putting this irritability down to hormones and pregnancy emotions.

Maybe I had too much on my plate, did I need to delegate some of my duties in order to reduce the stress?

If you feel like you’re doing too much, you need to compartmentalise and let someone else help you when you’re feeling overwhelmed by emotions:¹

• Relax - You’re going to have a long to-do list at this point but it’s important that you relax.Try some breathing exercises or do whatever you know that will get you in a relaxed state e.g. walks through the park or laying by the pool. Avoid tackling so many chores in one go, if you need to, get someone else to do it for you. Essentially taking care of yourself is also taking care of your child.
• Spend time with your partner - Make sure that you are also spending a lot of time with your other half. Take a baby moon and enjoy the last of your child-free days.Strengthening your connection now will go a long way once your child finally arrives.
• Satisfy your cravings² - Go to a new restaurant that you haven’t been to before and eat something that you’ve always wanted to try. However, avoid eating things that you shouldn’t at this stage of your pregnancy because nutrition is important.
• Talk about it - If you have worries about parenthood, there’s no point keeping them to yourself. Talk to your friends and partner about your concerns. When talking to your partner, pour out all of your emotions but remember that it’s a two way street, so make sure you listen to your partner’s concerns about becoming a parent as well. How about trying childbirth education classes or reading books about parenting?
• Control your stress - Rather than letting the stress build up, find ways to decompress.Take a nap, eat well and just have some fun in general! A good way to relieve stress would be to trim your to-do list and go for a prenatal yoga or exercise class instead!
• Delegate - You’re getting closer to your due date, so you’re going to have to start shopping for your child, having regular visits with your gynecologist, getting the house child ready etc. Don’t do it all by yourself, delegate some of the chores to your partner or family and friends.

¹https://www.babycenter.com/0_mood-swings-during-pregnancy_253.bc
²https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a563257/pregnancy-self-care-calendar-second-trimester

It was a few weeks away from my due date. I was calm, ready and excited. I had my sister and mother over for brunch and I had never felt so relaxed. After having my partner take over the preparations for our child’s arrival, I had time to do all of the things I did before I was pregnant. I did not let my emotions overtake my mind and made sure that I took care of myself for my sake and my child’s.

You don’t have to do everything yourself when you’re not able to. Let your guard down and accept the help when you need it.

Experience the beauty of pregnancy while taking care of yourself too.