Sleep Issues - West Chester,OH

A pregnant woman is literally using the energy it would take to climb a mountain, so it is like you are climbing a mountain every day! Of course you are tired!! You should be getting more sleep than you are. Try to get at least 8 hours a night, and then take some naps on weekends and whenever you can. Every pregnancy is unique. Just eat well and rest as much as you can, as you probably can't take any herbs for energy. Ask your doctor about trying pee pollen, which you can get at a health food store. And take your vitamins! Good luck!!

Talk to your doctor, you may be anemic and need iron. My third pregnancy I spent sleeping anytiime I was at home. Looking back now, I know that I was dealing with a thyroid problem, so make sure that is not the problem. If it is thyroid you need to be monitored to make sure your thyroid hormones are normal since this can affect the baby.

Hello S.,

Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy, sleep issues are considered common at your stage of pregnanct. However there are a few things that helped me during that time, I too worked and felt exhausted.

1. Nutrition - lots of protein, fruit and vegetables are great pick me ups with natural sugar. Like an orange in the midday for a snack. Not to mention if it's cold it will be refreshing also. Hot tea with honey is good too...

2. Power nap in the car at lunch. 30 min lunch could allow for a 15 min period with eyes closed and feet up. Bring a pillow/throw and get as comfortable as possible.

3. Cook 3 meals on Sunday, so on Monday and Tuesday, you can just pop the casseroles into the oven and nap (with an alarm) as soon as you get home.

4. Employ your 2 year old as your personal foot rub pro. Try getting a special lotion and tell him how important his role is in your relaxation. There are alot of relaxing classical/jazz cd's for kids to make it even more special.

Best of everything in your pregnancy and beyond....

L.

The adage is you should get 8 hours of sleep per night, you are a little short. I was always more tired when I was pregnant than I was when I wasn't. The doctor's do recommend a nap during the day, which I know is like not possible when you work. Try this, it is what I did. I ate my lunch, set the alarm, and took a half hour nap, then went back to my job. We had a lunch room, but no place to really nap so I would return to my desk, lay my head on my arm and take my nap. You need to go to bed earlier at night and believe it or not taking a walk around the block or whatever every evening helps with the energy levels as well.

S.,
With your 1st pregnancy you did not have an active 2 year old to attend to. I have a 2 yr old and a 2 month old and I went through the same thing when I was pregnant the second time. Get as much sleep as humanly possible.

First, every pregnancy is different, so I wouldn't try to compare past ones.
Second, 6-7 hours usually isn't enough for someone who isn't pregnant and you should really strive to get more. Go to bed as soon as your older ones do and get up with them.
Third, it has been agreed on for a while that caffeine in small amounts is fine. 2 cups a day or coffee or the equivalent of other things like tea and pop. Just look up how much caffeine things have on line.
Good Luck:) Hopefully it will pass, if not, you've only got 4 months left!

I'm pregnant for the third time, and it just seems like it's par for the course. My doctor told me that 2 cups of coffee a day was ok, so you may want to see if that is what yours says too. Also, if I don't get at least 8 hours of sleep at night I'm a zombie in the morning. Of course, I'm not sleeping well but at least I'm resting in bed.

Remember too that this time around you have the older one to take care of, so that is wearing on you also. Ask your doctor if you can get your iron levels checked; I was anemic each time and the iron gave me a little boost.

Congrats on 2 little guys - this is boy #3 for us. My older 2 have so much fun together; I just love it. Good luck - I hope you feel better.

You could be becoming anemic (low iron). Are you taking your prenatal vitamins? I know that with one of my pregnancies I was so anemic that the Doctor was going to do a blood transplant and then when he checked my iron again it had come back up. I know that anemia can make you very tired all the time because you have no energy. Just make sure that you try and eat a lot of foods that are high in iron and foods high in vitamin C because the vitamin C will help the iron get into the bloodstream a little faster. Debbie

HI S.!
Congrats on the upcoming new addition. My son was only 12 months when we conceived his sister (so he was about 20 months when I had a new infant.)
With both of my pregnancies, I took something in place of 'traditional' prenatals -- it's through a great food-science company that does research, develops,and distributes patented products geared toward natural essential nutrition and targeted needs. What I noticed is that I wasn't taking the naps that my friends were who were pregnant at the same time. I still had plenty of energy and stamina to keep up with my 1 year old when I was pregnant the 2nd time, and I wasn't really sick with either of them (traditional prenatals often are a cause of 'morning sickness'.)
Now I'm a SAHM with a 2 y/o and almost 4 y/o, still loving the products and the energy that I have, and I've decided to have my own business with the company. They have such an awesome compensation plan, and I enjoy helping other moms and their families, so it's a perfect fit for me.
You can contact me if you'd like more information, you can't go wrong!

I agree with the previous post in that a little caffeine is ok. When I had headaches with my second, the doctor said drinking a little caffiene was ok if it helped. And yes, it could be an iron deficiency - when was the last time they checked your blood? The other thing, though, is that you are running after a 2 year old and working and cleaning the house and cooking dinner and.......get the idea? You just don't get as many breaks or time to just chill when you have a toddler. Maybe you are just a little more run-down. I found that my second trimester, I was more tired than the first- which is contrary to what most moms and books will tell you. Usually, the second trimester is the one where you feel the best. I'd get your iron checked, then go from there. Good luck!!!!!

I've had 3 kids and I needed at least 9 hours of sleep a night, and even then I felt tired.
I also know that my hemoglobin level (iron) was low a lot, so make sure you are getting enough iron, B-12 etc. You need to eat foods that have these besides the vitamins. Vitamins are a supplement, not a replacement.
I have always found that exercise is the best energy booster, but when your pregnant and tired it is hard to get.

You didn't mention a THING about diet, exercise or hydration. ANY OR ALL of these can effect your sluggishness. In addition, 6-7 hours doesn't sound like enough sleep to me for a pregnant woman.

Try getting at LEAST 1/2 your body weight in ouces of water DAILY! Yes, you might be in the bathroom more, at first, but your body will adjust and it's WORTH the added energy.
Put lots of fruits & veggies in your diet. Raw is best...high in enzymes (the electromagnetic energy in your body). Lastly, you'll be amazed at what 20 or 30 minutes of walking or water exercise or biking or SOMETHING will do you!......AND the baby!! Make the effort. It's worth it!

Maybe try finding foods that are healthy and will give you natural energy. I am not an expert so I can't tell you what kind of foods but maybe google it or ask your dr. Or maybe someone else will know what kind of foods will help you. Is it possible to change your work schedule so maybe you could get a nap in before bringing your son home from the sitter or something? Just a few ideas...

I'm probably going to get crucified for saying this, but a little caffeine is ok. My doctor told me that I can have 200mg of caffeine a day. That's two cups of black coffee. Sodas have the caffeine content listed on the bottle or can, so you can judge from that whether it's ok or not. I drank caffeine with my last pregnancy and my daughter was fine. Now, keep in mind, I don't drink soda and coffee all day, just a bit here and there.
You could also be becoming anemic. You should try, if you can, to get a good 8 hours of sleep right now. You're body is going through a ton of changes and requires more sleep than normal. Also, make sure you're taking your vitamins!

Honestly, I think 6 or 7 hours of sleep is just not enough!! Especially when pregnant AND working AND being mom to a 2 year old! You could certainly be anemic too which is common during pregnancy. Check with your doctor about that but I really think the most obvious answer is just get MORE sleep! I know that is hard when you are trying to do everything that a mom and wife have to do but when you are as tired as you are sometimes you have to let things stay undone and just get yourself some quality rest! Don't feel guilty about it either. I know for me I don't feel good unless I consistently get 8 hours of sleep... pregnant or not!!