Very tearful and emotional at 30w - hormones or just me?

[emeraldgirl1]

It's a bit of a problem, because at the moment I want to be reading up on all my birth and newborn preparation books, but every time I start reading one I start crying!!

Lots of things can set me off - just now it was reading the word 'little' in one book where the writer talks about getting scratch mitts so your baby doesn't 'scratch its little face'. I was in floods - and now I am again even writing it!!
I'm also getting very upset every time I read anything about birth - oddly not what I assumed, which is being scared about what happens to me, but being suddenly very upset about what an ordeal it all sounds for the baby. Every time I now think about the shock of being born after so many weeks curled up inside a nice cosy uterus, I start crying again...

I should just say that this is NOT like me. I am not usually remotely sentimental and have never been one for cooing over newborns etc.

And I do know, logically, that none of this is anything to actually be upset about.

But I am so tearful :( I work from home so spend a lot of time alone thinking about this stuff which doesn't help...

I'm not going to be much use over the next few weeks if I can't even read about the preparations we need to make without crying!! I can't even face sitting down to write a To-Do or To-Buy list because I'll probably end up in floods!

Any advice? Is this just hormones? Am I losing the plot?!

Sounds normal to me! I find myself crying more often too - especially when I hear about tragedies on the news (e.g. the shooting in the school in the US). I also find myself stupidly over-anxious about my children - e.g. not wanting them to go on a school trip even though I know logically it is perfectly safe.

In case it helps, I have heard that feelings of low mood are likely to peak around weeks 30- 31, so hopefully you'll be feeling a bit better in a couple of weeks and ready to start your preparations again.

Thanks LimeLeaf!
That is interesting about peaking at weeks 30-31 - it feels like this sudden tearfulness has come out of nowhere and it's really out of character for me. I have a tendency to get very anxious but not upset about things.

Poor you. It is pretty normal, your hormones will be raging. It sounds like you are getting a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing though. Instead of sitting and reading by yourself in your free time why dont you get out and meet people for coffee or lunch? Do you have friends who have had children? If so perhaps you can ask them some questions you have instead of/as well as reading. I would go crazy if I were at home all the time - Im still working and often meet up with other mums at work who have young babies. I find it really helps to chat.

Try not to get upset about the birth, instead try and concentrate on how delighted your baby will be to meet you when he/she is born! For weeks she or he has heard the muffled sound of your voice and has a sense of you being there but soon it will be able to feel you and hear you close up. Just imagine how exciting that will be for him or her!

If you find books particularly upsetting Id give them a rest for a while and concetrate on building your local support network.

xx

Msbluesky, thanks so much for your post but oh dear... You being so nice has set me off again!!
This is just getting silly now...
Good advice about not spending so much time alone but unfortunately all my friends work ('normal' jobs) so it's hard to talk to them in the daytime.
Starting ante natal classes next week so that may help.
I think I will give the books a miss for a while though...
Am currently contemplating a cheeky afternoon nap and a few squares of chocolate!!

I suddenly found myself unusually emotional at about 26 wks (am 28 now). I felt very, very loving towards DH and uncharacteristically clingy and also a higher tendency to cry at films, etc. It coincided with suddenly becoming interested in buying baby clothes (previously had none) and generally finding babies, and children sweet (again, very unlike me, I basically don't like children and am totally unsentimental) As a usually quite unemotional person, I'm quite enjoying it, or at least finding it fascinating!

CityDweller, exactly! I like you am not one of those people who automatically find all baby related stuff cute or anything!! Maybe I should try to look at it as just an interesting phenomenon and not let it get to me...

Sounds very normal - I was in floods throughout Christmas with every carol talking about 'little baby Jesus'...!

Personally, I'd try and forget all the pregnancy stuff for a few weeks (or at least set a fixed time every so often to read a set amount, and then stop). You've still got plenty of time to read up on everything before the baby arrives, and focussing on it the whole time isn't going to help. I know that I worry a lot less when I'm away from home for a few days and can't get onto the internet to look at pregnancy forums etc, so maybe that'll help too..

It's completely normal and at 38 weeks I am worse than ever!! I had to leave a supermarket queue because the mother I. Front of me was being mean to her crying child. I really tried to hold back the tears but on the end left husband to pay for stuff while i sobbed in the car park!! Definitely hormones. Good luck x