A woman undergoes a number of psychological changes during her pregnancy. These psychological changes are the product of underlying biological changes (e.g., hormonal imbalances) as well as factors in the social context. It introduces a woman to different emotional states ranging from extreme happiness to overwhelming feelings of sadness and depression.

This blend of emotional experience depends on factors such as whether the pregnancy was planned or not, desire to know about the gender of the newborn, birth order of the newborn, level of support and from husband and family, and other factors such as the socio-economic circumstance of the family. Depending on different cultures, there can be some other factors too, which are specific to the culture. For instance, in some cultures, there may be a desire for a specific gender (either boy or girl) of the newborn which may put extra emotional pressure on the mother.

The psychological experience of pregnancy, to some extent, also varies from woman to woman but all women experience positive as well negative emotions in their pregnancy. It is important to understand that these psychological changes must be taken seriously and thus, must be addressed accordingly by the woman herself, her husband, and her family because the negative emotional experience can lead to a number of health complications for the mother as well as for the newborn.

Pregnancy is primarily associated with deep emotions of happiness and excitement. Marriage serves many positive socio-psychological functions for the people entering into wedlock. One aim of the marriage is to have a baby which is seen as a need by most couples because this is what they have married for. Therefore, they plan pregnancy and when they come to know that pregnancy has been achieved, it brings them an intense feeling of happiness, satisfaction, and excitement. They see the expected baby as something that enhances the love in the couple more because it would provide them with another reason for showing commitment to the relationship. They spend all their time thinking and talking about the baby such as to whom (in the parents) the baby will resemble, what will be the gender of the baby, and that they will have a cute little baby soon. When they come to know about the gender of the baby (through conducting an ultrasound of the mother), they start deciding the name of the baby. Similarly, they start buying little dresses and accessories for the baby.

Since women are designed to hold a baby in their womb, they generally have an inner desire to be pregnant and have a baby. Therefore, it is natural for a woman to associate good feelings with pregnancy. The feelings of a baby growing inside the womb provide them with a lovely experience being a mother.

Similarly, the women find a purpose in their lives after getting pregnant. They find a reason to be personally attached to and engaged with, which is essential for a healthy personality. They dedicate a major portion of their time to the baby and keep busy with the baby to get satisfaction as a mother.

Another factor is the societal attitude towards pregnancy. Generally, society views pregnancy as a valued and respectable thing for the couple. This also contributes to the feeling of joy experienced by the couple. In joint families, the grandparents have a strong wish that their son and daughter-in-law (the wife of their son) to become pregnant and have a kid.

All the above factors bring intense emotions of pleasure for the couple. This phenomenon can be understood by the couple that achieves pregnancy.  However, it can also be understood as when couples are striving for pregnancy for years but fail to achieve pregnancy. Such couples are sad and are desperately striving and waiting for achieving pregnancy to have its wonderful experience.

There are also some negative emotions associated with the pregnancy. A pregnant woman may experience a general sense of fear and anxiety due to her internal biological changes (e.g., hormonal imbalances) as well as other external factors.

The important psychological stressors are the fear of the pain of delivery, fear of miscarriage, fear of birth defects of the newborn, so on.

Similarly, a woman who is highly conscious of her body weight may also develop a fear of gaining weight because of her physical inactivity for a long time during pregnancy as well as an emphasis on eating more than normal in order to nourish the baby growing inside the womb.

The economic status of the parents is also an important factor. Mothers with low income may start worrying about the expenses for the rearing of the expected baby. Similarly, if the mother is not provided proper maternal care (e.g., medicines, hospitalization, and food) due to financial problems, this adds to her sadness and depression. Likewise, a working mother has to take leave from her work in the last months of pregnancy, if she is not paid during this duration, she can suffer psychologically.

Psychological stress is also caused by physical complications which are generally experienced by women during pregnancy such as nausea, back pain, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during diabetes) in some women, general weakness, and headaches. Apart from their psychical negative effects, these issues also induce psychological stress and depression. In addition to these issues, some biological changes (e.g., hormonal imbalances) in the body during pregnancy are directly linked with mood and thus may cause sadness, aggressiveness, and anxiety.  

Another important factor is the level of support and care provided by the husband and family to the woman. In this crucial time, the woman requires good support and care from her husband and family. Since the woman is already faced with physiological and psychological complications, if she is not provided proper care and support, it will aggravate his psychological complications further.

In some cases, where the pregnancy is unintended or unplanned, the woman may be at risk of undergoing depression and anxiety. This is because of a lack of having good feelings in relation to the pregnancy which are generally linked with pregnancy in normal situations. Similarly, if a woman gets divorced or separated in the initial months of her pregnancy which she is not aware of, and later on, she comes to know about her pregnancy, she is at risk of undergoing severe depression and anxiety. This is because of her already bad experience of divorce or separation as well as her worries associated with the single-parenting of the baby.

During the pregnancy, a woman experiences a number of physiological and psychological complications. This challenging experience can be understood (in its real form) only by the woman who is undergoing it. Therefore, these complications can affect the mother as well as the expected baby, and thus, must be taken seriously by the husband and family to provide proper support to the woman.

Medical care and psychological support are equally important. Proper medical care in consultation with a certified medical doctor should be provided to the woman. Providing proper medical care will relieve the medical complications but will also address the negative psychological effects induced by these medical issues. Therefore, this is one of the steps to address the psychological complications.

It is the responsibility of the husband to show care and love towards her wife during pregnancy so that she can feel satisfied, secure, and not alone in her pregnancy experience. He should sit with her wife and spend more time with her discussing many good things about their expected baby. He should encourage her wife to enable her to cope with the negative effects of the pregnancy. Since women are generally advised not to be physically much active during the last months of their pregnancy (to avoid harming the fetus), the husband should help in doing things for her wife. If there is no one else to help, the husband may also do things which generally the wife did, such as cooking meals, washing clothes and cleaning home. This would not only help her in doing routine activities but will also produce a feeling of love and attachment in the wife which will strengthen her psychologically.  

The husband and his family should try to avoid doing and saying a thing that can aggravate the stress level of the woman. Since the woman is coping with stress and anxiety as a negative effect of the pregnancy, it is very much important to avoid conflicts in the home as well as to refrain from expressing things that can depress the woman further.