When You're 8 Months Pregnant and Crying Over Spilled Milk (Literally)

How to Manage Third Trimester Mood Swings & Anxiety

Let's face it — when you get to third trimester, you're basically walking around with a watermelon strapped to your belly, you haven't seen your toes in weeks, and somehow the littlest things can trigger you into a full-on pity party. Been there. One minute you're sorting baby clothes and you think, "I got this," and the next you're crying because your partner ate the last pickle and now everything is ruined." It's exhausting, and the emotional whiplash is real." But here's the thing — you're not insane. You're pregnant. Like, super pregnant. Your body's in overdrive, your hormones are running amok and, yes, your brain is trying to prepare for the biggest life change ever. No wonder, at times, it feels like you're hanging by a thread.

But let's drill down, because this isn't just about crying over pickles or not sleeping well (even as, let's be real, both of those things are happening too). The third trimester feels like a lot of pressure — the countdown to labor, the endless to-do lists, the "am I ready for this?" That fears that creep in around 2am. Anxiety has a different frequency when you're about to introduce a whole human to the world. You may think you're supposed to be glowing and grateful, but instead you're overwhelmed and low-key freaking out. I want you to know this: it's all right. You don't need to be perfect. And even more important: There are ways to surf those emotional waves and not feel like you are drowning. Let me tell you what worked for me — and may work for you.

Why Are We Like This? (Thanks, Hormones 🙃)

• Hormonal havoc: Estrogen and progesterone are surging, crashing and otherwise being a pain in the ass. These changes affect your mood, sleep and energy directly.
• Physical discomfort: Your back hurts, your ribs are sore, and don't even get me started on trying to find a comfortable position in bed. Pain + fatigue = short fuse.
• The mental load: You're thinking about birth plans and baby names and maternity leave and how to keep a tiny human alive. That's a lot. Is it any wonder your brain won't chill?
• Anticipation anxiety: There's so much about labor and life after birth that is unknown, and that's anxiety-inducing enough to keep anyone up.

Things That (Actually) Helped Me Stay Sane

The "Ugly Cry and Move On" Method

No shame here. When it hits, let it all out. I'm talking puffy eyes, red nose, tissues filled with snot — let it out. Bottling it up? Worse. One night I cried because I couldn't figure out what to have for dinner, and you know what? After sobbing, I felt less burdened. Sometimes your body just needs to be relieved. So cry, breathe, and keep going. You are still the strong, badass mom you're supposed to be.

Mini Mental Health Breaks

You're not looking for a full spa day (though wouldn't that be nice? Small resets worked wonders, I found:

• I close my eyes and put my hands on my belly, take five deep belly breaths. Send love to your baby with every inhale.
• Go out for a minute or two. [Soak in some air, see something in the sky, listen to something that isn't about babies.]
• Blast a feel-good playlist — for me it was 90s R&B — and dance, even if you're doing kitchen sways.

These small touches help ground you. They're little timeout periods for your brain.

Talk It Out (Even If You're Only Talking to the Dog)

Say it out loud, I cannot emphasize this enough. Anxiety expands inside your head if you keep it there. When you say it out loud — even to a dog or into your Notes app — it shrinks. I messaged my best friend, "What if I'm a horrible mom?" And she came at me with, "Girl, terrible moms don't even bother with that question." Boom. Perspective. Even though sharing may be a silly thing to do, do not underestimate its power.

The Not-Today-Anxiety Toolkit

Here's what was in mine:

• Stretching: Couples' yoga: 10 minutes on YouTube. Stretch out those stiff hips and shoulders.
• Aromatherapy: I slept (or at least pretended to) with lavender oil in a diffuser.
• Soaking baths: (Extra points if you light a candle.) Allow your body to float and your mind tag along.
• Doom-scroll: I set myself a social media dating cutoff. Witnessing birth horror stories at midnight? No thanks.

Choose one or two things that sound good — and if they don't, drop the rest.

I Wasn't Ready & It Happened 😳

At 36 weeks, I totally lost it over baby wipes. As in, totally lost it because I couldn't decide if I should get organic or regular wipes. "What if he gets a rash? What if I'm already failing?" I just sat on the floor there with unopened Amazon boxes surrounding me, I was just losing it. When my partner walked in, they thought something big happened. Nope. Just wipes. But in the moment, it felt massive. In retrospect, I realize it wasn't the wipes — it was everything accumulating. And that's okay.

When to Get Backup

If the mood swings seem less like mood swings and more like mood tsunamis, or if you're anxious every single day, it's okay to need help. Some indications you should talk to someone:

• You're not sleeping a wink, even when you feel weary.
• You're not stressful, you're hopeless.
• You're experiencing terrifying thoughts that refuse to go away.

Talk to your doctor. Reach out to a therapist. There are even apps now dedicated to prenatal mental health. No judgment, just care. Strong moms ask for help.

We Got This 💪

Mama, listen: you're not in this solo, watching this wild ride from the sidelines. These mood swings, the anxiety, the what-ifs — they can't define you. You are growing a human, and that is no small enterprise. Give yourself grace, take one bit at a time, and remember — there's a whole tribe of us out here, crying over baby wipes and pickles too.

We don't have it all figured out, but we have this. 💖