Mental health second trimester

[LotBot5]

So I am 22 wks with my first and have been really struggling with low mood and anxiety. This is probably not made any better by being told that "this is what I wanted" or "the second trimester is the best"! I do have a bit of a history with my mental health but that was a very long time ago. Recently I have been feeling very low, tearful, anxious and overwhelmed. I am incredibly sensitive to things and cry a lot. I am still excited about having a baby, and feel bad for complaining as this was something we thought might not happen (it's an IVF pregnancy).

Was this anyone else's experience? Does anyone have any advice?

OP, you aren't alone ❤️

My anxiety, especially health anxiety, went through the roof at around 16 weeks. The best advice I can give is to go to your GP, explain what's going on, and take it from there. I've been referred to CBT and looking forward to being able to enjoy rest of third trimester. Good luck 🍀

Hi @LotBot5 just wanted to say I have found the second trimester so hard this time around (this is my second pregnancy). I've had so many headaches and mood swings. The hormones are wild. My beloved dog also died when I was 16 weeks pregnant and I'm not joking when I say I cried every day for a month and at 24 weeks now, still cry several times a week. I've been off antidepressants and mentally well for years but more than once wondered if I needed to go back on them during this pregnancy.

It does seem to be getting a bit better as time goes on. I have also felt guilty for not enjoying the pregnancy as though it's unfair to my little girl in utero, that I should just be more excited, but for many women being pregnant is just hard and all we can do is get through it.

Maybe we'll have serene and glowy third trimesters instead... Wish I had more advice, but you're definitely not alone ❤

I found second trimester hard so please try not to focus on it’d the best, as those comments made me feel worse. Everyone is on their own journey. My advice health anxiety is try to keep busy and also spend time with people who have varied conversations and don’t want to just talk about your pregnancy.

Hi @LotBot5 I'm just coming up to 24 weeks so not far off you. Also IVF (took us 5 years to get here).

Your feelings are valid whatever you have been through and however much you want a baby, that doesn't mean you can't feel bad sometimes.

My pregnancy so far has been mostly OK but there have definitely been times when morning sickness, heartburn, aches and pains and tiredness have been getting me down. That's OK and it's all part of it - it doesn't matter whether or not you had fertility treatment to get here and it doesn't mean you are a bad parent if you don't enjoy everything about pregnancy all the time.

Plus I think there is pressure about the second trimester! Sometimes when I've been tired, my partner has said things like 'where is this second trimester energy then??' - I don't think it helps that it has this reputation of being a time when you're meant to be energised and glow up. It's not like that for everyone. I'm less sick than I was in the first, but the extra weight has started bothering me both in terms of the strain and body image.

Just take it as it comes and don't feel like you have to enjoy every moment!

Had iVf baby. Best thing a friend told me, was just because this is what you wanted does not mean it can’t be hard. And hard is normal!

do get in touch with your midwife, they can refer you to a mental health midwife specialist