Growing a human is exhausting. It’s as if a magical spell was cast the day your pregnancy test came back positive — except Sleeping Beauty’s fairy didn’t gift you with 100 years of rest and true love’s kiss is what got you into this.
If only you could sleep more…
It’s completely normal for a pregnant woman to feel fatigued, especially during the first and third trimesters.
Somewhere between morning sickness and elastic waistbands, Little Bo-Peep has lost your sheep (she probably sold them to Sleeping Beauty) and there are none left for you to count to sleep.
One of the first signs of pregnancy is fatigue. It smacks you by surprise, like the sliding glass door you assumed to be open.
Beginning as early as conception and implantation, pregnancy hormones instantly affect your body, mood, metabolism, brain, physical appearance, and sleep pattern.
In the second trimester, which begins at week 13, many women get a fresh surge of energy. This is a great time to tackle those important before-baby-arrives chores, because as you enter the third trimester, which begins at week 28, that extreme exhaustion returns.
Simply put, you feel tired because you’re growing a baby.
In addition to hormonal changes, physical and emotional changes also lower your energy levels and make you feel fatigued.
Some of these changes include:
If insomnia, restless legs syndrome (the uncontrollable urge to move your legs while resting), sleep apnea (a potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts), preeclampsia, or any other condition is hindering your sleep, talk to your doctor or midwife during your next appointment.
Other reasons to contact your doctor or midwife include, if you:
Your healthcare practitioner can help you uncover any problems and offer additional solutions.
Growing a baby obviously takes a toll on your body. Don’t ignore the signals your body is sending you. Reach out to others if you’re struggling to sleep throughout your pregnancy. Ask for help from your partner.
No matter how tired you get, you should avoid taking any over-the-counter medicines as a sleeping aid.
Most pregnant women should spend at least 8 hours in bed, aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
If possible, try going to sleep a little earlier than usual.
As your body changes, make sleep a priority and follow these tips to combat pregnancy fatigue:
Create the right atmosphere for optimal rest.
In order for your body to reach deep sleep, cover any windows with blackout curtains. Turn off any digital clocks and unplug nightlights illuminating a glow (cover the display with electrical tape if you don’t want to completely turn the device off).
Set the bedroom temperature a little cooler than the rest of your home, for optimal quality of sleep. Eliminate any needless clutter and wash your bedsheets often. Save your bed for sleep, cuddling, and sex.
Napping can make up for any sleep lost at night, due to frequent trips to the bathroom, body aches, and every other pregnancy irritation. Avoid napping in the late afternoon and early evenings.
If your employer frowns upon nap time, find a good spot in the breakroom and put your feet up while you eat lunch.
In the beginning, pregnancy can also lower your blood pressure and blood sugar, which can make you feel tired. But a lack of sleep can cause your blood sugar levels to rise, increasing the risk for gestational diabetes.
Keep your blood sugar and energy levels balanced by eating often, such as six small meals a day. Frequent meals that are high in nutrients and protein help to combat fatigue.
To avoid nighttime leg cramps, stay hydrated by drinking enough water and fluids throughout the day.
Keep a journal throughout your pregnancy. If you’re feeling anxious or stressed, try writing in it.
Pregnant women experience more vivid dreams and better dream recall, due to hormonal shifts affecting sleep patterns, increased fatigue, and repeatedly waking in the middle of a sleep cycle.
Sleep diaries can also be enlightening, providing concrete data about your bedtime, how long it takes for you to fall asleep, nighttime awakenings, awake time, and sleep quality.
As far as stimulants go, caffeine may keep you awake long into the night or cause you to wake more frequently. It can also keep your baby active, kicking and rolling around inside your belly as you try to sleep.
Experts recommend pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to two home-brewed cups of coffee, or less than 200 milligrams, per day.
Ask for help from family and friends. Take a warm bath. Ask your partner for a massage. Take a break.
Wear soft, non-restrictive clothing and sit in a cozy chair with a good book and read for a little bit. Light a lavender candle. Play soothing instrumental music. Have a cup of warm chamomile tea.
You get it.
The demands of pregnancy together with the weight gained puts an enormous amount of pressure on your body.
In addition to more restful sleep, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states the following benefits of exercise during pregnancy:
It can take a few hours for your body to fully wind down after energetic workouts, so plan for any physical activity to take place earlier in the day.
If the exercise is light, like yoga, it’s unlikely to interfere with your sleep.
Always check with your medical practitioner or midwife before beginning a new exercise program during pregnancy.
Pregnancy can be a tiring experience — both emotionally and physically. It’s important to remember: You are not alone.
Nearly all women experience more fatigue than usual at some point during their pregnancy. Take it as a message from your body. It’s telling you to rest, and you should definitely listen.
Written by Stephanie Watson
Baby isn't even here yet, and already you're exhausted. It's hard to drag your big weary body out of bed each morning. By dinnertime, all you want to do is plop back down and climb underneath the covers.
Fatigue was one of the first signs of your pregnancy.
And it can keep nagging you throughout most of the 9 months until you deliver.
During your first trimester, fatigue is at least partly due to changing levels of pregnancy hormones. You'll perk back up in your second trimester, but that renewed energy likely won't last long.
By the last 3 months of your pregnancy, you may be wiped out again. The extra stress on your body can wear you out. Plus, with your belly weighing you down in bed and your baby pressing on your bladder all night, you may struggle to get a full night's sleep.
Sometimes fatigue during pregnancy can be a sign of a medical problem, such as:
If fatigue is just one of several new symptoms you're experiencing, see your doctor. You may feel more energetic once you get treated for any condition that's sapping your energy.
During your pregnancy you need to be well rested. In just a few months, you'll be on call 24/7, and a full night's sleep will seem like a luxury.
To get as much sleep as possible right now, follow these restful suggestions:
Don't stop your pregnancy sleep routine once your baby is born. Use these same tips to help you through the first few months of motherhood. Continue to get the help -- and the rest -- you need, so you can keep up with your growing baby.
Get medical help if:
September 7, 2022 Motivation
The right priorities and self-care will help you overcome a difficult life period.
Laurie Deschen
Founder of the website Tiny Buddha and co-founder of the Next Creator Up podcast.
I am very tired. I'm having a baby in six weeks, and my pregnancy is going through with complications. At the same time, I continue to work and participate in new projects.
It's hard: for every small victory of this difficult period, there was a moment when I felt destroyed. I recently realized what helps me overcome fatigue. If you are also having a hard time, my tips may come in handy.
More than a year ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. She quit her job despite the risk of running out of money. She broke off relationships that were not suitable for her, despite the engagement. And she met cancer with her usual courage. Her feat is not that she was not afraid, but that she overcame a difficult period, despite all the fears.
My conditions are much more pleasant, and sometimes it seems that I really have no reason to be so worried.
My experience is nothing compared to what my friend went through. I think I should just come to terms with my stress at the end of a hard day, silently endure any fatigue or discomfort. Just because I'm lucky.
But it's hard for me too. I'm still going through a difficult pregnancy, trying to get everything done, dealing with unpleasant physical symptoms and a lot of fears. There will always be someone who had a harder time, but why blame yourself for it?
People find themselves in different situations and may equally need help and understanding.
Take note 💡
what is not. If we spend all our energy on unimportant things, we won't have the energy to do the things that really change our lives.
Seven years ago I had an operation to remove uterine fibroids. I knew that for a speedy recovery I should not strain, but the mess in the room haunted me.
I'm a fan of order.
A day has passed since the operation. The seam after the incision in the lower abdomen has just begun to tighten. And then I see a casually thrown pair of shoes next to the door. I knew they weren't supposed to be there. I was in pain, but I tried to put these shoes in the closet. Mom said I was crazy and she was right.
Now I remember the shoe incident every time I feel exhausted and want to do something. I ask myself: will it wait until morning? Or maybe I shouldn't do it at all? What if someone helps me? And, most importantly, will it really make my life better?
Crossing things out of your diary is not easy, especially if you, like me, are used to taking everything on yourself. But sometimes we just need to give up something in order to save strength and save ourselves from a nervous breakdown.
Maybe you were more active or productive before (I definitely was).
Or you were the person you could ask for help at any time of the day. Or a great conversationalist who could listen to a friend, even if it would take all night.
We worry not only that we will no longer be the same, but also that others will not like these changes. But we are inevitably confronted with new challenges and needs that will not go away if we simply ignore them.
I don't romanticize change. Not being able to do what you used to love is a total waste.
I don't go to yoga anymore because I don't have the time or energy. And I don’t do a bunch of other things that used to consist of my every day. But I was lucky: someday I will be able to do it again, even if not soon.
It's okay to worry about things you can't do. But in the end, we still have to accept reality and ask ourselves how to work with what we have. Otherwise, we will be very worried, and these experiences will not change anything.
Many of us make this mistake.
We think we can do more: others do! If you feel bad, do not convince yourself that everything is in order. That way you won't be more productive. And to reproach yourself for a forced respite is also pointless.
If you are tired, you need a rest. And if it hurts, compassion. And nothing will change for the better until you get what you need.
We cannot quit everything and do what we want, especially if we have taken responsibility to others. But we can definitely find some time to please ourselves.
Recently, I started to include these moments of rest in my schedule. If I can't afford an hour of naps, I will sleep for 15 minutes. If I don't have time to walk 10,000 steps, then at least walk around the block. If I don't have an hour to write about all my experiences in a diary, I will take the time to note three important problems and three ways to solve them.
We constantly compare ourselves with others and think that we must keep up with them, otherwise we will waste our lives.
It is not true.
You don't have to be perfect to be happy. We do not have to be afraid of falling behind someone, because each of us goes our own way. And no matter what is happening in our lives right now, this is a valuable experience.
Many would agree that success is inextricably linked to overcoming challenges. I would never have thought that my decade-long struggle with depression and bulimia would be the reason for a change for the better. I could not imagine how my pain would determine the further trajectory of my life and how this dark stage would lead me to new ones - bright, filled and exciting.
Accept where you are and who you are now, even if it doesn't suit you. Only in this way can you achieve high goals in the future.
Read also 🧐
Alexandrova Anna Evgenievna
Embryologist
Mother and Child Clinic Southwest
get more rest
Very often in the first trimester, the expectant mother feels weak, drowsy, she wants to lie down to rest, and sometimes she simply does not even have the strength to move.
This, of course, is not toxicosis, but if such sensations arise, then they must be indulged so as not to inadvertently provoke another attack of nausea. Get plenty of rest and do not make any sudden movements, because even if you just fail to get up from a chair, you can provoke an attack of nausea.
Sleep with open windows: the air in the bedroom should be fresh and cool. Go to bed on time, do not sit at midnight in front of the TV or at the computer, eliminate all irritating factors: an uncomfortable mattress, blanket, pillow, hard bedding - lack of sleep can respond with morning sickness.
eat right
Eat small meals, 5-6 times a day, or even more often. When you wake up, don't get out of bed right away. One of the most effective methods against toxicosis is breakfast in bed. In the evening, put crackers, yogurt, or any product that you can tolerate well next to your bed. Eat it before you get up, and then lie down for a while. Most likely, morning sickness will either not appear at all, or will be very weak.
Usually, in case of toxicosis, it is not recommended to eat fatty, smoked, salty, pickled, drink soda (the usual set of food hazards). But it is likely that some not very healthy product will now be well tolerated, and something from healthy food, on the contrary, will cause nausea. "Pregnant whims" - a cake with herring or pineapples at night - these are the requests of the body that it needs one or another component in food. For example, the desire to chew chalk is a sign of calcium deficiency. So eat what you like and what you want, within reason, of course. And if you don’t feel like something, even if this product is extremely useful and necessary, don’t eat it. If you feel sick from some dish, it means that the body signals you: I don’t need this now!
drink more often
Toxicosis may not be limited to nausea, some may also vomit. This means fluid is lost. Therefore, between meals, drink more often: a sip or two of mineral water or tea with lemon will help to cope with nausea and replenish lost fluids.
But drink in small sips. Also, you should not drink food and you should give up soups for a while - a large amount of food drunk and eaten, on the contrary, only provokes nausea and vomiting.
breathe fresh air
Outdoor walks are good for everyone, but especially for toxicosis. Firstly, when walking, the blood of the expectant mother and baby is saturated with oxygen, which is very important for health, and secondly, walking calms the nervous system. Together, this helps to reduce the unpleasant symptoms of toxicosis. You need to walk at least two hours a day - but not just along the street, but in the place where the air is really fresh: in the forest, park, square, and best of all outside the city. Before you go out, think over the route: go away from gas-polluted highways, street cafes, food stalls and other "fragrant" places.
exclude fragrances
Taste and smell preferences change during the first trimester. Now even your favorite perfumes can cause nausea, headaches and allergic reactions.
Therefore, put away all fragrant cosmetics that irritate you: perfumes, deodorants, creams, and so on. You will have to stop using your favorite perfume for both your husband and loved ones. Explain to others that this is not a whim, but a temporary measure, very soon everything will return to normal.
And do not worry that now you will be left without your usual beauty products. Both the cosmetic store and the pharmacy are full of different creams, tonics, shampoos without fragrance or with a minimal smell.
work with yourself
Psychologists believe that the cause of toxicosis is not only in hormonal changes, but also in the psychological state of a woman. The more a woman experiences, the more anxieties and fears she has, the more pronounced toxicosis can be. Ideally, it is better to limit yourself during pregnancy from any stress. Of course, it’s not always possible to eliminate nervous work or crowding in public transport, but watch less TV, don’t read negative news and various pregnant “horror stories” on the Internet, and don’t react to minor or even major everyday troubles everyone can do.
Therefore, if you are worried about toxicosis, create your own comfortable world during pregnancy. If you can’t cope on your own, contact a specialist (psychologist). Toxicosis is really well treated with psychotherapy. The main thing is that the expectant mother should want to get rid of her own anxiety.
No matter how unpleasant toxicosis is, it does not last forever. It is necessary to suffer until the beginning or (less often) the middle of the II trimester. And very soon all the unpleasant symptoms of toxicosis will remain in the past!
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