6 weeks pregnant no energy

First Trimester Fatigue | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Is it common to be so tired in the first trimester of pregnancy?

Feeling dog tired, can’t summon the energy to do much of anything, and craving your bed? For many women, the extreme tiredness of the first trimester is quite a surprise. And it’s an especially hard transition for those who are normally go-getters with lots of energy. Women who usually need only 6 hours of sleep at night often find they need nearly double that during these first weeks of pregnancy. And, for others, daytime tiredness is paired with trouble sleeping deeply or for more than a few hours at night. Nausea and vomiting can also be a big drain on your energy.

What causes the fatigue?

Fortunately, this is normal. It’s a signal from your body to slow down and give it time to adjust to the incredible changes happening inside. Hormone changes play a big role in making you feel tired, especially the hormone progesterone. This hormone rises sharply in the first trimester. In addition, as blood volume increases to supply the developing placenta and fetal circulation, your heart pumps faster and stronger. This results in faster pulse and breathing rates. Low iron levels can sometimes make you tired, as well, although this is more common in later pregnancy.

How long will the fatigue last?

For most women, the extreme fatigue of the first trimester is soon forgotten with the glow and boost in energy that comes with the second trimester. So, if it seems like all you’re doing these first few weeks is lying around, dozing, or napping, don’t worry. It's normal. Although fatigue often returns in the third trimester because of disrupted sleep and increasing discomforts, this too will pass in time.

What can you do to feel better?

Good nutrition and eating small, frequent, healthy meals can keep you going and can also help with nausea.
If you’re at work and fighting back drooping eyelids, try some stretches or deep breathing exercises. Or get up and walk around the office or take a break outside.
When you can, go for a brisk walk around the block. A little exercise can energize you and may help you rest better when you do get to sleep.
Adapt your sleep habits. Take naps, if possible, during the day. You may also want to try going to bed earlier.
Drink enough fluids during the day and little several hours before bedtime. This may help you avoid having to get up to urinate during the night.

What should you avoid?

Squelch the urge to drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks to stay alert, as the caffeine really isn’t good for your developing baby. Instead, drink plenty of water.

It's easy to feel guilty about not being able to do everything like you're used to. It's OK to pamper yourself. By reducing any extra job or social commitments during these first few weeks, you can be as productive as possible in your regular responsibilities.

The Most Tired You've Ever Felt

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:

increased levels of estrogen and progesterone (which, by the way, acts as a natural sedative)
lower blood pressure and blood sugar
increased blood flow
disrupted sleep
digestion issues
morning sickness
stress and anxiety
frequent urination
heartburn
back, hip, and pelvic pain

When to contact your doctor or midwife

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:

feel concerned that the pregnancy fatigue is a sign of something more, like anemia, gestational diabetes, or depression
develop any changes in your vision
experience dizziness
urinate less frequently
have shortness of breath, pain in your upper abdomen, or heart palpitations
experience severe headaches
notice a swelling of your hands, ankles, and feet

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:

Keep your bedroom dark, clean, and cold

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.

Take a nap

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.

Eat healthy meals and stay hydrated

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 pregnancy journal or dream diary

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.

Avoid caffeine after lunchtime

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.

Pamper yourself

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.

Exercise

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:

reduced back pain
eased constipation
decreased risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean delivery
healthier weight gain during pregnancy
improved overall general fitness
strengthened heart and blood vessels
improved ability to lose the baby weight after your baby is born

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.

Drowsiness and fatigue during pregnancy - causes and how to deal with them

“Pregnancy is not a disease,” a future mother can hear when she complains of fatigue or that she cannot quickly cope with her usual activities, concentrate . And it is true. Pregnancy is not a disease, but a huge complex of physiological processes that take place in the female body and give life to a new person. It is not surprising that the creation of a new life takes a lot of strength and energy from a woman.

Fatigue during pregnancy is a normal reaction of the body to bearing a child, as well as drowsiness, inability to concentrate and mood swings.

Where does the strength of a pregnant woman go and what causes fatigue during pregnancy at different stages?

Sleepiness and fatigue in early pregnancy

Tiredness in early pregnancy is easy to explain.

First, the fetus actively grows and develops, its internal organs are formed. The processes of synthesis of proteins and other molecules, acting as a "building material" for new cells, proceed rapidly. This wastes energy.

Secondly, a powerful hormonal restructuring takes place in the body of a pregnant woman, an additional circle of blood circulation is formed. The circulatory system is rebuilt, the load on the heart increases. The hormone progesterone, produced in the first weeks of pregnancy, affects vascular tone, lowering blood pressure. If you have experienced low blood pressure personally, then you know this condition. Similarly, a pregnant woman experiences drowsiness, it is difficult for her to concentrate.

Thirdly, all the resources of the body are directed first to the formation and development of the fetus, and then to the normal needs of the female body. This applies to both energy and nutrients. A woman simply does not have enough “fuel” to provide not only for her unborn child, but also for herself. This is especially acute for women who do not take vitamins during pregnancy. The fact is that many vitamins and minerals, on the one hand, are needed for energy production (especially for B vitamins), on the other hand, these same micronutrients are needed for the proper development of the fetus. For example, from vitamin B9depends on the closure of the neural tube - the basis of the spinal cord and brain.

And, finally, toxicosis also contributes to fatigue in the first trimester. This condition can be accompanied not only by nausea and vomiting, but also by drowsiness, fatigue, and rapid mood swings. Toxicosis, if it passes without health complications, is considered a normal, although not very pleasant, element of pregnancy. In this case, one of the likely causes of toxicosis is a lack of vitamin B6.

By the second trimester, the hormonal background stabilizes, but other reasons lead to weakness and drowsiness during pregnancy.

Late term drowsiness

The fact is that in the third trimester the child's weight becomes quite significant and grows rapidly. The weight of the placenta and the fluid that fills it should be added to the weight of the fetus. That is why the load on the body of a pregnant woman (especially the legs and back) becomes palpable. Even after walking a short distance, a woman may feel tired, as if she was carrying heavy loads. And yet it is so!

Another cause of late-term sleepiness is rather commonplace. With a large belly, it is more difficult to fall asleep and get enough sleep. It is difficult for a woman to turn around or take her usual position, the child may begin to push in her sleep. After all, if in ordinary life we don’t get enough sleep for a night or two, then we can sleep off on the weekends, and there are no days off from pregnancy.

But drowsiness during late pregnancy can be a symptom of a dangerous disease - anemia, lack of iron in the body. It is especially bad because it develops gradually, and it can easily be mistaken for ordinary overwork. Pallor, fatigue, rapid pulse, heart pain, dizziness and fainting during pregnancy are all signs of anemia and a reason to see a doctor as soon as possible. It is impossible to delay a visit to a specialist: anemia can have the most serious consequences, up to the loss of a child. Iron supplements usually help prevent anemia. It is better to choose iron in liposomal form, which is well absorbed.

How to deal with drowsiness and fatigue during pregnancy

Despite the fact that the beginning of pregnancy, most women spend at work in the same mode as usual, experts strongly recommend that they slow down their rhythm of life a little and take more rest.

Great changes are taking place in the body of a pregnant woman, and it would be wrong to load oneself with work in the same way as always. And if a woman says that her pregnancy was much easier and she didn’t need rest, you can only be happy for her, but you should listen only to your feelings.

How to deal with drowsiness during pregnancy, or at least reduce the level of fatigue as much as possible?

You should definitely get more sleep. Lack of sleep makes a person shaky, nervous. Which, in turn, greatly affects the level of stress. Stress interferes with normal sleep - and the circle closes. You can buy special pillows under the stomach, which help to take a comfortable position in a dream.
Eat properly and fully! This will help to provide both organisms - both the mother and the unborn child - with everything necessary, as well as avoid health problems, prevent weight gain that affects the feeling of fatigue, especially by the last trimester. Be sure to include vitamin and mineral complexes for pregnant women in the diet, for example, Pregnoton Mom - with B vitamins, liposomal iron and other micronutrients that are important for the health of mother and baby.
Walking in the fresh air (especially in the morning, when the least amount of gas pollution) will help to tone the muscles, enrich the blood with oxygen.
Take CoQ10. It is involved in energy production at the cellular level. That is, it does not work as an energy tonic, but helps the body naturally efficiently extract energy from food. In addition, studies show that CoQ10 reduces the risk of preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications.
Vitamins C and E will also help you stay energetic and active. Vitamin C is also involved in the synthesis of energy, and vitamin E is necessary for cellular respiration, without which muscle weakness develops in the body.
Coenzyme Q10, vitamins C and E are contained in the antioxidant complex Sinergin, which will give a pregnant woman additional energy. Of course, Sinergin is allowed to be taken throughout pregnancy.

When does sleepiness go away during pregnancy?

When will fatigue and drowsiness during pregnancy go away? It is impossible to predict this, because each woman's pregnancy is individual. Some will feel much better already in the second trimester of pregnancy, while others will need additional support of vitamins and antioxidants throughout the pregnancy.

It is important not to forget: fatigue, drowsiness, absent-mindedness and the inability to concentrate are manifestations of pregnancy, which are largely explained by physiology, and not by character traits. It is not necessary to give the expectant mother advice like “get together and make yourself work”, “stop being lazy”, etc. After all, having a baby is hard work.

The world will not collapse if a woman stops carrying it on her shoulders alone, starts to rest more during pregnancy or asks for help. The most precious thing is the health and well-being of the woman herself and the unborn child.

IS NOT ADVERTISING. THE MATERIAL IS PREPARED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF EXPERTS.

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Pregnoton Mom: instructions for use
Progesterone in early pregnancy

Morning weakness during pregnancy

Klokova E.V. - Candidate of Medical Sciences

During the first trimester of pregnancy, morning weakness is almost an integral element after waking up. Of course, pregnancy is different for everyone: someone cannot come closer than three meters to their once-favorite products, someone eats and drinks everything without experiencing the slightest discomfort. It's all very individual, but eighty percent of women are affected by morning sickness and the accompanying nausea. The culprit for nausea is the hormone progesterone. Its active excretion slows down the digestion process. One of the reasons for the occurrence of such conditions may also be the fact that during this period the body of the expectant mother is deficient in certain elements, such as folic acid and iron. Check blood sugar levels, calcium levels, thyroid function, which will give information about the iodine supply in the body - most often these factors cause severe weakness.

Most often, there is nothing to worry about in such a state: the body is being restructured, the internal organs “get used” to the new state of affairs and experience an increased load (kidneys, liver, pancreas), the hormonal background changes. In the first weeks of pregnancy, the heart pumps blood in an enhanced mode, so fatigue and drowsiness are normal. In addition to this, the woman’s anxieties about her new condition, the new schedule (going to the doctor, restructuring the diet), new worries are exhausting the body. Sometimes "morning" weakness can occur during the day - there is nothing to worry about. Changes often happen so fast that it's hard to keep track of them.

It is worth consulting a doctor if weakness and dizziness lead to fainting, if you feel very sick, and if you experience vomiting attacks that repeat more than two to three times a day, which can cause dehydration. Listen to your inner feelings, if something bothers you, it’s better to play it safe and once again visit the clinic. Don't take your condition to the extreme.

Otherwise, try to eliminate all stress factors as much as possible, take vitamins, including a complex of magnesium and iodine, get more rest and improve nutrition. Do not starve, even if you do not feel like eating at all, and most foods and foods cause nausea. It is believed that mint, chamomile and ginger tea, a piece of dried bread or thin slices of an apple help well in this case. Experiment with the menu, figure out dishes and ingredients that suit your body perfectly, and those that you categorically cannot stand. It is useful to exclude all fatty and fried foods from the diet, add yoghurts and foods rich in carbohydrates. But if, on the contrary, during such a period you can only eat, for example, fried potatoes and fatty meatballs, you should not torture yourself - eat, over time the regime will improve. It is also better to take warm, rather than hot food and in small portions, break the meal into 5-7 times a day.