Ways to Boost Your Emotional Health

Facts

• • As a mother you may also wear many other ‘hats’: as a partner/wife, daughter, sibling, best friend, employee - all have competing demands on your time and emotions.
  • Pregnancy naturally puts stress on your emotions and with competing demands together with changes in hormones; you may notice your mood being more variable than usual.
  • Mood can be improved by physical activity, pleasant surroundings, doing things you enjoy and talking with supportive people (and pets).

Tips

Some suggestions from other new or expectant mothers to help manage emotions include:

“Going for a daily walk was a ritual I started during pregnancy. I either went by myself or with my partner, a friend, or a family member. It was a fail-proof way of relaxing that I really started to look forward to.”

• • More about Physical Activity

“I was feeling a bit snowed under with the preparations for the new addition to our family. Once I made a start getting the house organised and preparing the nursery I felt more on top of things.”

“I was one of the first of my friends to have a baby so I was worried it would change our friendships but keeping in contact with them was actually a big support and a great break from my new role as a mum.”

• • More about Socialising

“It’s so easy to stop doing the things you enjoy just because you’re pregnant. Yes it does take a bit more effort but once I was out of the house I felt so much better.”

“I liked to wander down to the local park, or just sit in my back garden and read my baby bible. It was nice to get out, get a healthy amount of sun and just relax.”

• • More about sunlight and vitamin D (external)

“I knew life was just going to get busier so I decided to do something I always wanted to do, enrol in a Spanish language class. It was a great way to meet new people and have some time to myself – so much so that I’m still doing it now."

Check your local council website for ideas - find it on the list of local council websites (external)

“Pregnancy was quite stressful for me and there were times I didn’t feel as if I was coping. I soon worked out that keeping my concerns to myself just made me feel worse so I made an exerted effort to talk about my worries, however big or small, to anyone that would listen – mainly friends, my mum, sister or GP.”

• • If these tips are not enough, you may benefit from some outside help from a health care professional such as your GP, obstetrician, midwife, child health nurse (if you already have a child) or a counsellor/psychologist.
  • For more information see professional help (external).  If you feel like you need help quickly, consider calling the Ngala helpline or another helpline (external).

 More about emotional health during pregnancy (external)

>>Some Common Concerns During Pregnancy>> 

Go the Ngala Healthy You Healthy Baby App
Track your health and wellbeing during pregnancy and during the early stages of your child's life and receive tips on how to improve or maintain your health. 

Further Information

• • Nutrition
  • Activity
  • Weight
  • Emotions
  • Social life
  • Sleep

Parenting Workshops

• • Building Brains
  • You and Your New Baby
  • Skilled Dads

Ngala Books & DVDs

• • Secrets of Good Sleepers Book
  • Secrets of Good Eaters Book
  • Building Brains for Young Children 0-3 Years DVD

For families of babies and young children who reside or work in W.A.,
if you need further assistance contact the Ngala Helpline
Telephone 9368 9368 or Country Access 1800 111 546
8am to 8pm 7 days a week or

or get support online via the My Ngala Forums

Print this page

Rate this Page: 0 1 2 3 4 5