All the sleep I’ve lost over the past three months is finally catching up to me, so much so that I actually took a pregnancy test today to make sure I wasn’t about to have “Irish twins” this next spring. When I was pregnant with my son, the fatigue was so prevalent that I was basically a worthless lump on the couch for the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy. I’m very close to being a worthless lump again, but it turns out that the only thing keeping me down during the day is what (or who) is keeping me up at night: an infant.
When you are pregnant, your body is working very hard, progesterone is high, you may be kept up at night because of morning sickness, and you may be feeling anxious about all the changes you are experiencing. As a result, you may have a hard time hiding that yawn during your meeting or getting a load of laundry done at home. When I was pregnant, I slept through a whole lot of movies, to my husband’s dismay. Pregnancy fatigue interferes with your chores, your job, your social life and your relationships. There has to be something you can do, right?
Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until your second trimester to get relief. In the meantime, your best bet is to get plenty of naps and adjust your schedule to match your energy level. Avoid caffeine and eat foods that give you energy. Drinking plenty of water can also help you fight fatigue. It’s okay to ask for help around the house and to let certain chores slide. If your house gets a little messy, you will make up for it during your nesting phase. If you have a long lunch break during your workday, try to squeeze in a short nap to get you through the afternoon.
Do you suffer from fatigue during your pregnancies? What are some things you have done to cope?