Mood swings during pregnancy are caused by a variety of factors, including your rapidly changing hormones, the physical discomforts of pregnancy, and the very-normal worries of upcoming life change. If you find yourself feeling excited one moment and in tears the next, you’re far from alone.

There’s a reason for the clichéd image of a crying pregnant woman eating pickles and ice cream. It’s based on real life. Here’s why you may experience emotional ups and downs during pregnancy and how to cope.

Pregnancy is a transition point in a woman's life and during any transition, a person's emotions can be up and down," Kimmel told Live Science. She said that some women's emotions don't change that much when they are expecting, but it's not unusual for women to have mood swings, especially during the early and late stages of pregnancy.