Unbearable Tiredness

It sounds like you're anemic. Take iron supplements. When I was pregnant with both my children, I was severley anemic. My arms felt like spaghetti and I got tired just walking out to the mailbox. My OB said this was not a symptom, but I CRAVED ice. I ate so much ice while I was pregnant, that I wore most of the enamel off my teeth. I had a friend in high school who was amemic and always craved ice. After starting iron supplements, the ice craving and spaghetti arms went away and then it was just the normal pregnancy fatigue. Good luck!

Listen to your body and rest. The housework will be there when you wake. Remeber, the last pregnancy you weren't running after a 3y either!

Be sure to mention the tiredness at your next appt. They can run a blood test to make sure you aren't anemic. If you are they may just prescribe rest and iron pills.

Congrats.
M.

Yep I had the same thing with this preg in the 2nd tri. I NEVER had this with my boys and not sure if it's because it's a girl this time or what. I could take a nap and still go to bed by 8pm. I am almost 29 weeks and in the last couple of weeks extreem tiredness has gone away. thankfully:)
hang in there....

Listen to your body hun.
I KNOW it's hard to do that when you have another child and so many other things to do..
but the chores can wait.
I have a 2 y.o, am now 36wks pregnant SAHM . So I KNOW how you feel.
Make sure you are eating enough good foods, and drinking enough water. Taking your vitamins and all that jazz.

Rest when you can. Even if it's not actually sleeping, just lying down for a little while a few times each day will help

Are you taking vitamins, eating balanced meals, and getting enough rest? Talk to your doctor about this because you might have a nutritional deficiency. Also I would ask you self if you feel sad. Depression/anxiety can cause exhaution. And with a new baby on the way with all the responsibility of keeing up a house and chasing a 3yo around can add additional stress to your life. So my advice:
1. talk to your doctor about starting prenatal vitamins and or B12
2. Try to go to bed earlier and at the same time every night (your body will eventually learn to self regulate.
3. excercise believe it or not will give you more energy...talk a walk
4. Meditation with lavender scents can help to relax you and relase stress. Make sure you are taking time for you somewhere in your busy day.

Talk to your OB. You might be anemic. I was with my second pregnancy and didn't know it for quite a while. If you are, they will up your iron intake. It didn't do wonders for me, but I did get a little more energy.

GL!

Every pregnancy is different. You are making a baby. Which takes a lot of energy. Be sure to eat breakfast. Eat small meals, and snack on healthy foods throughout the day. Go to sleep earlier and try to sleep in. Take a nap. You may be anemic, but either way it is very normal to be tired. Don't fill up on sweets because they usually have no nutritional value, and can make you more tired. Good luck

I felt like this when I was pregnant with my first. The best line I heard was that the baby "took all your get up and go." Mine got better when the morning sickness passed at about 18 weeks.

My best advice is just to give into it. It won't last forever. And the dust will be patiently waiting for you when you have the energy to deal with it again : ) Good luck.

I am 17 weeks pregnant and feel the same, though I come in to the office every day .

First of all, each pregnancy is its own animal. You can't take for granted what happened last time. It could be that your first one took so much out of you and you have not replenished. I don't know your age, but that might have something to do with it. Are you taking your vitamins? You know that your little one is taking all that he/she needs, leaving you to find more. If anybody's gonna miss out on nutrients, you're the loser.

Sometimes sleep just comes over me like a fog, and I don't see it coming. I have to find an empty office to nap. I don't always have time to do that, but I'm good to nobody if I don't. Period. What helps me is to go ahead and get up when I wake up at ungodly hours. I get something done, even if it's just taking my bath. Then, I might get some more sleep before it's time to leave for work. If not, I just go in early. This gives me time for my nap later. When I get home, I go to bed, unless I'm not ready. Bottom line--I work around my sleep, because once sleep comes, I cannot ignore it.

I won't even get into my eating schedule, but I will say that sometimes eating some juicy fruit (maybe citrus) will wake me up a bit. I tend to have a very healthy diet (never been a junker), so I snack all day on fruits and veggies. Potatoes tend to give me something solid. I have a gluten sensitivity/intolerance--which drains my energy, making me feel lethargic and depressed--but oatmeal and bagels and sandwiches feel me up and I can sleep through the night and actually get things done without feeling weak.

I think that right now it might just be a matter of getting to know yourself during this particular pregnancy. So far, you seem to be in denial. Superwoman does need her rest.

Congratulations on this pregnancy, and here's to a beautiful and healthy baby on the other side!

I think you should ask your OB to run a blood test on your iron level. I am anemic(hereditary) and with my recent pregnancy I was advised to take an iron pill in addition to my prenatal vitamin. I felt tired during my pregnancy too but it wasn't out of the ordinary, I guess. Low iron can also cause dizziness so it'll be good to rule that out.
From your post, it is apparent that you are doing a lot(taking care of a 3 year old while pregnant is in itself a full-time job) so definitely listen to your body and rest up as much as you can before your little bundle gets here

I dont really have a suggestion but wanted to let you know you are not alone. I am 20 weeks and have a 3.5 yr old. I went to bed at 7pm last night (normally I am up till 12) and didnt wake up till 8 and am still tired. All I want to do is sleep all day as well. I feel your pain ((HUGS)) and look forward to any advice that anyone might have.

Hi S.,

Karen's right. You need a high quality prenatal vitamin. All prenatals are not high quality and some are even dangerous. It needs to absorb and it needs to protect your antioxidants. Most vitamins do neither.

The vitamin I take is the same one that Bobbi McCaughey took when she was pregnant with her seven. Her doctor recommended that she abort 4 to save the three and she refused. She is the first women recorded in medical history that delivered seven healthy babies....and she talks about the energy she had from the vitamin as well. The vitamin is guaranteed to absorb, money back. If you'd like some information on it, let me know. I'd love to help.

Congratulations!

M.

I would definitely recommend speaking both with your OB and your family physician about it.

It may be a condition completely unrelated to your pregnancy, could be something related to your pregnancy (such as undiagnosed gestational diabetes) or could simply be that you're exerting more energy than you're replacing during the day.

Good luck - my advice is to at least call to make sure it's not something medically related since energy levels usually rebound after the first trimester.

Are you taking a high quality prenatal vitamin? Are you eating enough protein, not just from meat but also from dairy (yogurt/cheese), eggs and beans? How much potassium-rich foods are you eating?

One website says: "You will know that you are deficient in potassium if you find yourself experiencing an overall weakness and seem to be constantly fatigued. You're also likely to have trouble concentrating on your daily tasks, and may have difficulty with muscular coordination. Potassium deficiency can lead to high blood pressure problems, hypertension, strokes, and heart irregularities. So, if you suspect something of the sort, go see your doctor."

I'd mention your fatigue to your OB but I would also focus in on your diet... The pregnancy is demanding a lot from your body in terms of new blood creation/production; the baby's blood, muscle and bone building needs. Your body will supply the baby with what it needs, however if its not getting enough from your diet, it will take it from your calorie, skeletal and muscular resources... which could leave you feeling super exhausted.

That is exactly how i felt when I was pregnant. I remember going to my car one day at lunch to take a little rest and I woke up and two hours had gone by. My co-workers were frantic because they thought something bad happened to me. Take good care of yourself and rest as much as you can. This is only temporary.

is it possiable your iron is low?

This is normal. Just try to get as much rest as you can. Also, maybe have your glucose test done if you haven't already. Gestational Diabetes can cause tiredness as well. Just a thought. You may just be wearing yourself down though.

Some tiredness can be normal during pregnancy, but I'd talk to my doc about screening for anemia and vitamin deficiencies (low iron, low B-12, and low vitamin D can all make you tired) and hypothyroidism (since thyroid requirements increase during pregnancy it sometimes unmasks a struggling thyroid gland).

I'm easily worn out when low in vitamin D (I have to take higher than normal doses to keep my levels up) and when I need my thyroid meds upped (during early pregnancy).

Good luck!