Beyond Bumps and Glows: Nurturing Mental Health during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is often described as a season of glow. You will flaunt radiant skin, tender kicks, and joyful anticipation. However, beneath the smiles and picture-perfect baby bumps, many mothers carry quieter stories. It can be a time of shifting tides, waves of wonder mingling with currents of fatigue, worry, and unexpected tears. Beyond the outward bloom, an inner landscape unfolds, one that yearns for gentleness, awareness, and care, yet is scared to express the tides of overwhelming emotions.

The Biopsychosocial Tides of Change

Pregnancy is not only a physical transformation but also entails significant psychological and social shifts. These changes help not only to make room for a tiny human growing inside you but also prepare you to nurture it afterwards. The mental health challenges that emerge from these changes are often ignored. What we commonly notice are the biological changes:

• sleep changes

• easy fatigability

• and general tiredness.

  
  

However, psychologically, pregnancy also stirs a broad spectrum of emotions from:

• Joy and anticipation, to fear, uncertainty, and even grief for one's previous identity.

In addition to biological and psychological aspects, there are several key social contributors to the mental health challenges, such as:

• Adapting to changing dynamics with your partner, family, or friends as roles evolve.

• Transitioning out of work.

• Navigating financial adjustments and lifestyle changes that come with preparing for a baby.

  
  

Together, these adjustments can feel like waves in the ocean, sometimes with gentle troughs but other times overwhelming with undulating swells manifesting as stress, guilt, anxiety, mood swings, or depression.

Why Perinatal Mental Health Deserves Attention

These biological, psychological, and social changes don’t exist in isolation. Together, they shape how mothers experience pregnancy and why perinatal mental health deserves more attention. Studies suggest that worldwide, the antenatal depression rate ranges between 7% and 20%, with antenatal anxiety around 10% in high-income countries. In Canada alone, up to 15% of pregnant women experience anxiety, and around 10% experience depression during pregnancy.

Yet the emotional and mental health side of pregnancy often receives the least attention. We talk about prenatal vitamins, ultrasounds, and birth planning, but less about the fear, loneliness, or sadness that may quietly accompany them.

The truth is, your mental health during pregnancy matters just as much as your physical health and nurturing it benefits both you and your baby. Studies have shown that when women are supported emotionally during pregnancy, they tend to experience lower stress levels and greater resilience during labour and beyond. Leaving these struggles unaddressed can pose several pregnancy and birth-related risks as well as difficulties during the postpartum period and affect bonding with your baby.

Hidden Struggles Mothers Carry

Some of the most common challenges pregnant women experience are often brushed off as "normal" parts of pregnancy. While some changes are indeed common, that doesn't mean they aren't valid struggles that deserve care. Too often, society romanticizes the journey and dismisses the emotional weight mothers carry.

• Stress and exhaustion — Forgetfulness and mental fog often come from fatigue, hormonal changes, and the immense mental load of preparing for a baby. Have you noticed that suddenly, you start to forget things easily? You cannot concentrate on daily tasks. Many refer to it as "the gift of pregnancy brain." Still, for moms living through it, this lighthearted phrase can sometimes add to the emotional weight rather than ease it.

  
  

• Perinatal anxiety — constant worry about the baby's health, labour, or unknowns of motherhood is often described as "just being overprotective" or "normal mom nerves." Usually, these messages make women reluctant to report symptoms due to shame or fear. Untreated anxiety can lead to risks such as low infant birth weight, preterm delivery, emotional and behavioural issues, and poor infant learning and cognitive development.

  
  

• Prenatal Depression and Mood Disorders — Postpartum depression (PPD) often takes the spotlight. At the same time, the sadness, hopelessness, or withdrawal that can occur during pregnancy are frequently overlooked or dismissed as simple moodiness or ‘just hormones.’ Yet perinatal depression is very real, affecting not only the mother’s well-being but also the baby’s development and bonding, while predisposing to increased risk of PPD.

  
  

• Intrusive thoughts — Unwanted, repetitive thoughts about harm or fears for the baby are rarely spoken of because of shame. When they are mentioned, they’re often dismissed as “just worry.” Yet, for many, they come as shadowy whispers that feel terrifying to confess. But silence only deepens the isolation when, in truth, countless mothers quietly battle these thoughts.

  
  

• Intimacy struggles — Physical changes, fatigue, and emotional stress can affect intimacy with a partner, but society often skips over this topic. Silence can make moms feel isolated, when in fact many women experience shifts in desire and closeness during this season.

  
  

When Moms Feel Held, Babies Feel Safe

The mental health challenges associated with pregnancy are relatively common, and expressing vulnerability and asking for help does not make you any weaker. In fact, it is a sign of strength and courage. They say it takes a village to raise a child. True, but the village must first stand beside the life-bearer. Prioritizing mental health during this time is not indulgence; it is essential care that nurtures both you and your baby. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup; taking mental breaks, seeking support from friends or professionals, and caring for yourself is are essential part of caring for the bump and beyond.

Gentle Ways to Nurture Your Mental Well-Being

While every journey looks different, some strategies can nurture mental well-being during pregnancy:

• Talk about your feelings — whether with a trusted partner, friend, or professional.

• Build a support system — don't hesitate to ask for help with meals, chores, or childcare.

• Set realistic expectations — it's okay if things aren't perfect.

• Practice small self-care rituals, such as gentle movement, mindful breathing, journaling, or simply taking a rest.

• Stay connected — isolation intensifies stress; joining prenatal or mom groups can ease loneliness.

  
  

Pregnancy reminds us that we were never meant to carry life or its weight in isolation. Just as your body is building a warm and nurturing space for a new life, you also deserve spaces that feel like home for your own heart!

If you’re longing for a place where your voice is heard and your joys are celebrated, we're starting a Prenatal Moms Group this October. Together, we’ll create a circle of care where mothers can feel safe, connected, and supported, because no one should walk this blossoming journey alone.

References

Dalfen, A. (2019). Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. CAMH; The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. https://www.camh.ca/en/professionals/treating-conditions-and-disorders/perinatal-mood-and-anxiety-disorders

Miao, Q., Zai, G., Joiner, I., Burnside, J., & Walker, M. (2024). Associations between mental health conditions in pregnancy and maternal socioeconomic status: A population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada. BMC Women’s Health, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03499-w

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Perinatal depression. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/perinatal-depression

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Perinatal mental health. Retrieved August 31, 2025, from https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotion-prevention/maternal-mental-health