Major mood swings-I gotta be preggers

[scthgharpy]

So with all the right-timing and body-monitoring, and boy have we been um, hitting the pavement this last week, and holy cats, the last three days Ive been swinging between crippling weeping depression, unable to get out of bed to stay-up-all-night-and-clean-the-house energy levels. What the hell?

Granted, I cut loose over christmas, too much drinking, too many carbs, too much partying in general, and Im probably in part, detoxing from that binge. In a lot of ways it was a coping mechanism because December was SO hard, mood wise. At lunch, first day back to work, I was FINE-I felt it literally lift off me and I was like WHOA, what was that? Demonic posession?? 2 weeks went by and...I felt utterly normal, so I wrote it off as the old holiday downers. Didnt need the carbs and chemicals. Didnt WANT them.

That being said, I know now that these are VERY unusual and dramatic mood swings for me. Im probably preggers, experiencing some hormonal wackiness, and even if I didnt think I was, I wouldnt resume the chemical self-medicating cuz Im trying to become so. The only way the DH coaxed me out of the bed sat afternoon was with faux fur, tea and a wee bowl of walnuts, banana chips and a handful of semisweet chocolate. We then went out and bought a few bars of primo super dark stuff and I administered small amounts when I felt the " I wanna die" weepies start in. it worked!!! I keep hearing about the mood lifting properties of chocolate, and honestly, I think it kept me together this weekend.

So what do I do? I know Its ok to have slightly higher carb levels, but geez, Im just starting out! Im not going all out and eating bread or anything. Could it be that dark dark chocolate, used in moderation and with discretion will keep me more balanced, and still let me stay mostly low carb? I need to find a balance between managing my moods, body chemistry and low carbing.

Maybe this: 30 g-50g from meats and veggies, max 20 g from chocolate?

[LiveWell]

I remember the second time I got pregnant. I went out for drinks, I couldnt have been more than a week or two. I got a little tipsy and then my moods just went CRAZY. I was ready to fight someone over the way they treated some guy they brought. He was mentally handicapped and they were being very mean to him.

Now usually I would have been upset and probobly rude, but I acctually was mouthing off to this huge guy that coulda stommped me, just trying to edge him on. I knew after that night that I was pregnant, turns out I was right. My emotions were HUGE!!!

You should probobly just go get a test, they can tell really early now or so I hear they can If you are you can find lots of advice on it on these boards. I know they wont suggest you stay in induction or anything...might suggest you just move up to maintenance levels until your ready for weight loss again after the baby.

[foxgluvs]

Counld be pregnancy. I KNEW the moment I fell for my twins because I was like some woman possessed - immediately! I felt like I could just kill someone from the second week of being pregnant! That lasted for about 12 weeks which was terrible! I think you need to get a test done!
:)

[scthgharpy]

THATS funny. Especially if youre a girl. Yes, you are. I can just see you, totally egging this guy on-you want a piece of me!?!? My DH worked for 6 months as bartender in New Orleans-most of the whack fight stories were of women either picking fights, actually fighting like crazed demons, or fighting cops trying to control their abusive boyfreinds. I wonder how many of them were knocked up!

Well, I got a couple of over the counter tests-and if I am preggers, Ive JUST caught, and its way too early to tell. One was negative, one didnt work, so..Im just holding my breath til first of the month. Im impressed with how chocolate helped me balance things up, but I also dont wanna go crazy. Im eating my veggies, my meats, nuts, a few fruits and more dairy, avoiding my breads and pastas, and am shooting for around 50 g carb/day-around maintenance levels.

The more I research it, the more I find that chocolate is supposed to be beneficial for babies and pregnant women, from the flavanoids and the good mood it inspires in mom. Im seriously considering keeping a supply of super dark stuff around to help me control the mood wings!! I know its generally a no-no, carbs come preferably from natural sources, but curious as to others opinions on the trade off.

[Hilary M]

I felt like I could just kill someone from the second week of being pregnant! That lasted for about 12 weeks which was terrible!
Lucky you! I was pretty much like that for the whole 40 weeks. :lol:

I am not a good example of a LC pregnancy, because I started slipping around week 8 and had fallen off the wagon completely by 20 weeks, but in the beginning when I was being "good," I DID keep a supply of the super-dark chocolate around. I think I bought the Lindt 70% (or is it 80%; I forget) chocolate bars. They are only 9 net carbs in a whole bar, and I never ate a whole bar in one sitting. It mainly appealed to me because I was trying to keep sugar alcohols to a minimum.

Plus, everyone knows that chocolate is made from BEANS, which are a VEGETABLE, so anything chocolate counts toward your veggie count for the day. :D This also goes for vanilla and coffee (also beans). Don't believe me? It says so right in the Atkins Guide For Crazy Pregnant Ladies book. ;)

[scthgharpy]

Don't believe me? It says so right in the Atkins Guide For Crazy Pregnant Ladies book. ;)

HA! Now that would be a book I would like to see. maybe we should compile information from these threads and make a book-anythign to support our dark chocolate habit.

I think anything in almost natural form is probably ok, coffee if Im not drinking a gallon of the stuff per day (Im not), and my only real fear about the chocolate is the sugar-but Im with you, I fortunately, LIKE the uber dark bitter stuff, and who can eat but a square or two of that stuff per day. Maybe 10-20 g per day can be my budget? Today Im zinging, on 5 hours of sleep, feel like a million bucks, and I totally credit it to those two squares of Lindt dark chocolate with orange pieces I had a few hours ago. Was feeling down, weepy-now Im ready to take over a small country. You with me??

[Meg_S]

HEE HEE YES! I remember having what I thought was the most awful PMS in my life, I was the most miserable cranky person on earth (just in time for exams too) - not pms, just pregnant. It was so bad someitmes I actually had to leave my class and sit in the car for the remainder of the time I was "clocked in" and my teachers were ok with it. I think they were glad to have me go.

[ysabella]

I've had a daily chocolate ration. I try to keep it around 1 oz of really good chocolate (Green & Black's 70%), but some days it's been 2 or 3 oz.

But tripletmom was telling me that she had to take baby aspirin to prevent preeclampsia...and chocolate solids do something similar (anticoagulant). So I feel very justified.

[jessmama]

I am an emotional wreck. I was never much of a weeper but pregnancy makes me cry over nothing. My temper is pretty quick to reach melting point too. I am 12 weeks pregnant today and have been craving sweets!!!!

[scthgharpy]

those more emo of you-was this RIGHT WHEN YOU STARTED? Or later on? Its still too soon to test confidently, so if Im knocked up, its JUST started, shes not even set up housekeeping, shes still enroute to the womb. Do emotions hit you this hard this soon? Im really really really down, and the olny thing keeping me from throwing myself off a bridge is the idea that its hormonal from pregnancy. Im exaggerating...but not much.

This is SO not the way mother nature had to have intended it. How can the species propulgate when every brand new mother gets depressed and suicidal?

[jessmama]

emotions hit me hard during conception until delivery. i am not a emotional person with the exception of my son, family, husband, and politics. however, pregnancy makes me cry at tv shows...this was unheard of before!!! so, yes, it hit me at day one. just ask my dh, i was a royal b......

[Meg_S]

The emotions hit me immediately. The depression (severe) lasted for the rest of the pregnancy. It was the worst for the first 3 mos, and either I got used to it or it lifted alittle for mos 4&5 and then went back to being awful for the rest. It was really the worst time in my adult life... I seemed to miss out on the happy hormones of pregnancy. The good news is that it disappeared immediately upon the birth and ... I can't even put into words how I felt about my little son INSTANTLY (even though I had initially wanted a daughter really really badly). There was no adjustment period he was just the most wonderful thing on earth. Ahh my little wonderful one just woke from his nap (again) gotta go see to him.

[scthgharpy]

however, pregnancy makes me cry at tv shows......

This made me laugh out loud. I knew my clock as ticking when I felt physical pain watching southpark, when they started that "kick the baby!" thing. Hearing the baby ike say "dont kick the baby" would make my ovaries clench, and I would burst out crying wanting to protect wee little baby ike getting kicked through bus windows by his big brother and his freinds. .

SO MESSED UP!

[Meg_S]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST remembered (because of this post) I cried at everything I heard and saw on the radio and tv.

[scthgharpy]

Nope, not pregnant. just emotional =.

*sigh*

maybe next month.