Occasional crying in the third trimester is normal and unlikely to harm your baby, but prolonged, severe stress or depression can indirectly affect the baby by increasing stress hormones like cortisol, potentially leading to issues like preterm birth, low birth weight, and a higher stress response in the child later in life. While babies don't "feel" sadness exactly, they react to the mother's hormonal state, so managing severe emotions with professional help (doctor, therapist) is crucial for both mother and baby's well-being.
Short-term emotional responses and crying are part of healthy pregnancy and won't negatively impact fetal development. Prolonged, severe stress or depression may affect pregnancy outcomes, so professional support should be sought when needed.
Mood swings, big emotions, crying and feeling anger in particular can all be 'normal' during pregnancy. Emotions like fear or sadness can feel uncomfortable, but these are important and life saving emotions for us to experience.
They may mirror or respond to a mother's mood, such as crying when the mother is distressed or calming down when the mother is relaxed. So while the baby may not feel exactly what the mother feels, they are deeply influenced by her emotional and physical state.
You and Your Baby's Emotional Connection
That means if you're crying, your baby feels the same emotion, as if it's their own. During the gestational period, your baby is preparing themselves for life in the outside world. How do they do this? By interpreting the messages you're sending them throughout your pregnancy.
Depression during pregnancy increases your baby's risk for:
Each of these signs or symptoms may indicate fetal distress and should be monitored closely.
Some studies have shown that high levels of stress in pregnancy may cause certain problems during childhood, such as trouble paying attention or other mental health conditions. It's possible that stress also may affect your baby's brain development or immune system.
Five key warning signs during pregnancy needing immediate medical attention include vaginal bleeding, severe headaches with vision changes, decreased baby movement, severe abdominal pain/cramping, and signs of preterm labor like regular contractions or fluid leakage, as these can signal serious issues like miscarriage, preeclampsia, placental problems, or infection. Always contact your healthcare provider or seek emergency care for these symptoms.
Many prospective studies have shown that if a mother is depressed, anxious or stressed while pregnant, this increases the risk for her child having a wide range of adverse outcomes including emotional problems, symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or impaired cognitive development.
Ways to take care of yourself during your third trimester
Things to look out for
First trimester
It can bring on a lot of early pregnancy emotions and first-trimester mood swings. Emotionally, many people experience a whirlwind of feelings as they come to terms with the reality of being pregnant and oftentimes can feel very emotional in early pregnancy.
Babies are very aware of any friction between the people around them. Arguments and upsets are not good for your baby's brain development, both before and after they are born. It makes it harder for them to feel safe and secure and build strong bonds.
Wadhwa et al. (5) noted that pregnant women with high levels of psychosocial stress have, on average, a 25%–60% increased risk of preterm birth compared with those with lower levels of stress. Stress is also an attractive potential explanatory factor for stillbirth.
The "3-2-1 Rule" in pregnancy is a guideline for first-time mothers to know when to call their midwife or doctor for active labor: consistent contractions that are 3 minutes apart, lasting 2 minutes each, for 1 hour (or sometimes cited as 3-1-1, meaning 3 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour). For subsequent pregnancies, the 5-1-1 Rule (5 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour) is often used, indicating labor is progressing more quickly.
Top 5 Conditions of Abnormal Pregnancy
One of the things a husband should not do during pregnancy is to leave her without support. Pregnant women need all the help they can get to overcome fear and uncertainties. She needs someone to remind her that she can survive her journey.
The more depressed a mother is, the more her baby is affected. He may be shorter at birth, and as he develops, he may be more distracted, and have poorer memory. Researchers studied the mental and emotional states of 1,200 mothers and scanned their babies' brains at a week old as well as later in life.
It is perfectly normal for an infant to cry when hungry, thirsty, tired, lonely, or in pain. It is also normal for a baby to have a fussy period in the evening. But, if an infant cries too often, there might be a health problem that needs attention.
Pregnancy is a major life change, and it is normal to feel some stress and emotional changes. If people experience high stress levels or emotions that feel overwhelming or out of their control, they can speak with a doctor. There are no set guidelines for how much stress is too much during pregnancy.
The most common symptom of stillbirth is when you stop feeling your baby moving and kicking. Some people can also experience cramps, pain, or vaginal bleeding.
The most common asphyxial stresses imposed on the fetus during labor are insufficiency of uterine blood flow, or insufficiency of umbilical blood flow, and occasionally decrease in uterine arterial oxygenation.