Pregnant and tired all the time
Tiredness and sleep problems - NHS
Is it normal to feel tired in pregnancy?
It's common to feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy, especially in the first 12 weeks.
Hormonal changes at this time can make you feel tired, nauseous and emotional. The only answer is to rest as much as possible.
Make time to sit with your feet up during the day, and accept any offers of help from colleagues and family.
Being tired and run-down can make you feel low. Try to look after your physical health – make sure you eat a healthy diet, and get plenty of rest and sleep.
Later in pregnancy, you may feel tired because of the extra weight you're carrying. Make sure you get plenty of rest.
As your bump gets bigger, it can be difficult to get a good night's sleep. You might find that lying down is uncomfortable or that you need to use the loo a lot.
Feeling tired will not harm you or your baby, but it can make life feel more difficult, especially in the early days before you've told people about your pregnancy.
Strange dreams during pregnancy
You may have strange dreams or nightmares about the baby, and about labour and birth. This is normal.
Talking about them with your partner or midwife can help. Remember, just because you dream something, it does not mean it's going to happen. Relaxation and breathing techniques may be helpful in reducing any anxiety you might be feeling.
Bump-friendly sleep positions
The safest position to go to sleep is on your side, either left or right. Research suggests that, after 28 weeks, falling asleep on your back can double the risk of stillbirth. This may be to do with the flow of blood and oxygen to the baby.
Do not worry if you wake up on your back – the research looked at the position pregnant people fell asleep in, as this is the position we keep for longest. If you wake up on your back, you can just turn over and go to sleep again on your side.
You can try supporting your bump with pillows and putting a pillow between your knees.
The baby charity Tommy's has a video about safer sleeping in pregnancy.
Insomnia remedies in pregnancy
Try not to let it bother you if you cannot sleep, and do not worry that it will harm your baby – it will not. If you can, nap during the day and get some early nights during the week.
Avoid tea, coffee or cola drinks in the evening, as the caffeine can make it harder to go to sleep.
Try to relax before bedtime so you're not wide awake. Relaxation techniques may also help, ask your midwife for advice. Your antenatal classes may teach you some techniques, or you could use a pregnancy relaxion CD or DVD.
You could join an antenatal yoga or pilates class. Make sure the instructor knows you're pregnant. Exercise can help you feel less tired, so try to do some activity, such as a walk at lunchtime or going swimming, even if you feel tired during the day.
If lack of sleep is bothering you, talk to your partner, a friend, doctor or midwife.
Read about preventing insomnia, including daytime habits, such as exercising, and bedtime habits, such as avoiding caffeine.
Medical reasons for insomnia in pregnancy
Occasionally, sleeplessness – when accompanied by other symptoms – can be a sign of depression. If you have any of the other symptoms of depression, such as feeling hopeless and losing interest in the things you used to enjoy, speak to your doctor or midwife. There is treatment that can help.
Read about mental health in pregnancy.
Healthtalk.org has videos and written articles of people talking about their symptoms and feelings in the early weeks of pregnancy, including tiredness.
Video: how can I sleep comfortably with my bump?
In this video, a midwife explains the various ways pregnant mothers can get more comfortable at night.
Media last reviewed: 25 January 2020
Media review due: 25 January 2023
Pregnancy: Can Fatigue Be a Sign of a Health Problem?
Are you dragging these days? Does a nap sound fantastic right now?
Life can be exhausting at times, but especially when you’re pregnant. It’s totally normal to have some degree of fatigue right now—you are growing a human inside of you!
“Fatigue may be one of the most common first symptoms of pregnancy a woman experiences,” said Kelley Saunders, MD, an OBGYN at Banner – University Medicine Women’s Institute in Phoenix, AZ. “It is very common and quite significant in the first trimester. For many women, this improves in the second trimester and returns in the late third trimester.”
Although it’s common among pregnant women, you may still wonder why.
Why does pregnancy make you so tired?
The biggest reason: It’s hard work making a baby and it can be taxing to your body. “Your body has to adjust to maintain your health and the health of the baby inside of you,” Dr. Saunders said. “The physiologic changes and increased metabolic demand start in early pregnancy and can continue even after childbirth while breastfeeding.”
Beginning somewhere between conception and implantation, pregnancy hormones kick in – affecting your body, mood and sleep. During the first trimester, you may also experience morning sickness, frequent nighttime bathroom breaks and leg cramps, which can leave you feeling pretty tired.
Then starting around your second trimester, you may start to get a little pep in your step. You may start to feel more like yourself again. But don’t be alarmed if you are still pretty exhausted—especially if you have other children to care for. Fatigue is still possible during the second trimester.
In late pregnancy, you’ll most likely begin to feel tired again. At this point, your baby has grown quite a bit and is putting more physical demands on your body. You’re carrying around extra weight and it’s more difficult to get comfortable when you sleep. Add in leg cramps and heartburn, and sleep becomes even more elusive.
When is pregnancy exhaustion not normal?
While exhaustion is a common symptom of pregnancy, extreme fatigue is not normal and may be a sign of an underlying health condition. Dr. Saunders said you should see your health care provider if your fatigue is severe and persistent.
“A sudden onset of exhaustion and continual symptoms may be a sign of abnormal fatigue,” she said. “When fatigue is associated with fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing or an inability to perform routine daily activities, you should see your OBGYN for evaluation.”
Some of the potential underlying causes for your fatigue both during and outside of pregnancy may be due to the following:
- Gestational diabetes: Your body may become resistant to insulin during pregnancy, which can cause you to feel very tired. Other symptoms include extreme thirst and frequent urination.
- Anemia: A lack of iron can cause you to have an insufficient number of red blood cells to transport oxygen to your tissues and can cause you to feel tired, lightheaded and weak.
- Infections (viral, bacterial or fungal): Being pregnant can make you more vulnerable to infections, such as urinary tract infections, which can make you fatigued.
- Thyroid problems: Having too much or too little thyroid hormones can cause you fatigue, along with fluctuations in your weight, irritability and depression.
- Prenatal depression: Feeling tired all the time can also be a side effect of depression. Other symptoms may include sadness, feelings of hopelessness and an inability to complete daily tasks or activities.
If you’re in need of a health care provider or have questions or concerns, you can find a Banner Health specialist at bannerhealth.com who can help.
Have a happy, healthy pregnancy
For helpful tips to boost your energy and stay healthy throughout your pregnancy, check out the following posts:
- 5 Tips for a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy
- Pregnant and Hungry? A Guide to Eating Right
- Prenatal Screening Tests to Expect Every Trimester
- Driving While Pregnant: Common Questions Answered
- Is a Headache During Pregnancy Something to Worry About?
Women's Health Pregnancy
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Fatigue during pregnancy
During pregnancy, a woman gets tired faster than usual, sometimes without even doing anything special. This is normal, because hormonal and psychological changes take place, and the body prepares for childbirth. Such changes can be stressful for a woman, which adds to the feeling of fatigue.
A pregnant woman develops insomnia, heartburn, heaviness in the back, spasms and cramps in the legs, and excessive fatigue may indicate anemia, especially if symptoms such as pale skin, shortness of breath, dizziness and palpitations are present. Iron deficiency in pregnant women occurs very often, as the need for iron increases due to the needs of the baby, and the hemoglobin produced by iron delivers oxygen not only to the tissues of the mother, but also to the child.
1. Proper nutrition
Nutrition of a pregnant woman should be BALANCED. Be sure to have a large amount of vitamins and minerals, especially iron and protein. A large amount of iron is found in the following foods: red meat, seafood, poultry, legumes. When consuming iron-rich foods, try to drink freshly squeezed citrus juices, which will help your body absorb minerals better. Do not forget about special multivitamin complexes for pregnant women.
2. Drink more fluids
Lack of fluid in the body leads to rapid fatigue, but do not overdo it in the third trimester, when there is a tendency to edema, especially before bedtime.
3. Exercise
If there are no contraindications and your doctor has no objection, then try to exercise regularly. It will help to relax not only your body, but also charge you with positive. It is not necessary that this be a daily set of exercises, hiking in the fresh air is enough.
4. Help from loved ones
Do not refuse help, the care of your loved ones will be very necessary for you during this period. Not only do not refuse, but also ask for help yourself when you need it.
5. Recreation
Relax more, try to spend a lot of time doing activities that give you pleasure and satisfaction and avoid stressful situations. Use special breathing techniques to relax. Rest more time, use every opportunity that falls to lie down to rest. If you are busy with work, be sure to take breaks, restore strength.
6. Third trimester
As for the third trimester of pregnancy, here, among other difficulties, there may be HEAVY AND FEELING OF TENSION IN THE lumbar. The baby has already grown up and gained weight, so long walks are becoming harder and harder. In such cases, prenatal bandages can be used to relieve heaviness in the back.
But the SPECIAL BANDAGE may not suit all women. Many cannot choose the right and suitable option for themselves, because it can put pressure and create discomfort. 9 will help you in this situation.0007 sling scarf . You can tie up your stomach with them, and it will not squeeze the child, creating inconvenience, but will provide support for both the tummy and lower back.
Many expectant mothers who have tried SLING AS A BANDAGE noted that it is really more comfortable and pleasant than a special bandage. After childbirth, the sling will come in handy not only for carrying the baby, but also for tying up the pelvis and abdomen, which will help the uterus contract faster. Often, the bandage simply tamps down the lowered organs and flattens the stomach, while tying it with a sling will just lift and “put in place” the organs and fix the stomach.
For information: in Mexico, for example, SLING, or rebozo, IS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR MIDWIVES. Rebozo is used there not only for carrying children or as a part of the national costume, but also as an assistant to a pregnant woman. So, for example, in addition to supporting the abdomen and lower back, a midwife can use it to make a special relaxing massage for a woman in labor and even change the position of the child in the womb with special techniques and exercises.
In postpartum practice, rebozo is used as a tool with which a woman returns the energy and body tone spent during childbirth. In this practice, the technique of sequential bandaging of seven zones is used: forehead, shoulders, area under the chest, abdomen, mid-thigh, mid-calf, feet.
We hope our tips help a little. Happy pregnancy and easy delivery!
Do you feel like sleeping all the time during pregnancy? 13 Ways to Cope
Headings : Pregnancy, Main Tags : first trimester, fatigue
Fatigue, weakness, drowsiness - this is what almost every woman faces at some point in her pregnancy. Most often this occurs during the first trimester, and sometimes returns towards the end of pregnancy. You will be surprised how much such fatigue can affect your life. This is not just ordinary fatigue, and you may find yourself sleeping at the most unexpected moments. Have you bought tickets for the premiere of a promising performance? Before leaving, I overcame a dream. Important meeting at work? You can fall asleep even during the lunch break before it. Want to have amazing, pregnancy hormone-boosted sex with your husband? They wanted to, but a minute later they were in the arms of Morpheus. To make sure you miss fewer important events, try these tips to deal with the weakness that makes you fall asleep at every possible moment.