tired and having to go to work

[sparklytoes]

Is anyone else just completely fed up with having to go to work?! I am 30 weeks at the moment and wont finish for another 7 weeks but just can't be bothered with all the running about and stress of work. Today I could hardly even drag myself out of bed and when I was there, I could have cried! I've no idea how I'm going to get through everything before I go off. I know I am just feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment, but I can't seem to pull myself together about it all. Work are fine superficially but the pressures just keep on coming. Anyone got any advice/tips?

[PinkFondantFancy]

Sparkly, wanted to bump for you.

Out of selfish interest, when did the tiredness hit for you? I'm just trying to work out when to start maternity leave and after having been signed off with exhaustion in the first trimester, I'm feeling relatively ok at the moment (21 weeks! ) but not sure how long it will last.

[coastgirl]

I know how you feel - 28+6 and sitting here after being woken up three or four times in the night by leg cramps, needing to wee etc. Luckily my days are a bit easier recently (am a teacher and exam classes have been going on study leave) but I still have to get up at 6.30 and go in every day! I need to work up to 37 weeks to get the best of my maternity pay, too. Not looking forward to it.

I know I will be woken in the night when baby comes but at least I won't have to leave the house at 7.30 every morning to go to work!

[icravecheese]

I felt like this in my first preg when I was commuting an hour each way every day & had a stressful job in finance....in the end I slightly lost the plot (broke down in tears one day at work) and my Dr signed me off for 5 days....did me the world of good & i went back to work totally refreshed & my manager & colleagues realised I needed to take things a little easier so eased all the stress & pressures on me. I tended to just shut up and get on with work without complaining about how awful I felt to anyone, which was actually a mistake - my manager said he thought i was coping so well with pregnancy & had no idea I felt so knackered & stressed.

So, my advice is, don't just sit tight & not say anything to anyone... either tell your boss how exhausted or stressed you feel & could he do anything to help (i.e. let you work 4 days a week for while, or reduced hours, or just remove some work), or take a week off work and totally rest. Don't suffer with it though, you'll only end up making yourself feel worse in the long run xx

[PrincessScrumpy]

I'm 22w with id twins and went to my consultant yesterday. Babies are fine and all was going well until she said "are you ok, everything is fine but you look really upset." I felt fine but out of the blue found myself bursting into tears saying "I'm sorry, I'm fine, I'm just tired and hormonal." I've had a UTI and was on a drip at the weekend as it caused bad vomiting and dehydration but I was well enough for work (I thought). My consultant told me I need to rest and signed me off for a week. I usually only take a day off if I'm really poorly and am bed-ridden so it feels odd to sit and watch daytime TV and be on mumsnet, but I think I do actually need it. dd1 is 3 and althought she's really good, she still needs me so being off work means she's in nursery. I feel guilty being off work at a busy time but I decided to put babies first.

My advice is listen to your body and take some time off (even if it's just a couple of days). I'm also planning to get a cleaner from about 30w.

[StainlessSteelCat]

I managed several straight hours of crying earlier this week, thankfully it started before I went to work, and finally ended that evening. I'd spoken to a midwife and put it down to stress/tiredness/hormones, then developed the most god-awful cold the next day, and have been totally wiped out by it. Was a terrible week to be off, but I just couldn't face going in ... and I'm only 23 weeks. I can't wait to finish work.

My advice? Be very kind and gentle to yourself, and tell people you are exhausted. Ask for help - whether that is them doing some aspect of your work, or working at home/working less days. Don't worry about "finishing" in time. If you do get ill make sure you take off enough time to properly recover. Basically, make you the most important thing, work is a long way down that list. I've had to tell colleagues at work what needed finishing and they have had to take it on this week ... no, I don't like that one little bit, but at the end of the day, they can do the work for me, they can't rest for me.

[Bartimaeus]

I agree with Princess - time off can be really beneficial. I got signed off last week with abdominal pains (I'm 20 weeks).

I wasn't going to take the time off (I thought I was ok, just in pain, so I could struggle on and I felt my work needed me) but DH and my parents overuled me. I had a week off, felt much more rested when I came back plus the bonus is my manager now refuses to let me overdo things. He says he'd prefer me to work a bit less every day, than be signed off for a week or longer (plus secretly I think he's afraid something might happen to the baby and he is a lovely guy who would hate for that to happen).

He is also refuses for me to travel long distances to meetings, saying I can do everything by confcall, meaning I avoided a 7am train yesterday morning . I really like my manager!!!

[vallinnapod]

Hi guys - 24+6 here.

I have both a physical tiredness at the moment as I am finding I am waking up very early at the weekends and then shattered during the week. My hips (or where my thigh is attached to my hip!) have started aching in bed too which isn't helping. Sleeping with a pillow half between my legs and half under my (not very large) bump. Turning over in the night with that obstacle is a mission!

I also have a complete mental tiredness and lack of motivation. Things that would normally bother me I find myself thinking 'there are just more important things in life' This attitude is probably beneficial in moderation in terms of stress levels but I find myself with a to do list, on Mumsnet!

[posypom]

Hi Sparklytoes, I read your OP thinking - I could've written that myself! I'm also 30 weeks and had to drag myself out of bed this morning. I'm just so glad it's almost the weekend!!

I've only got 4 weeks left to work but it still feels like a huge marathon between me and mat leave. I drive an hour each way which is killing me at the moment so my husband's persuaded me to stop for a break on the way home. Seems silly to split a 1-hour drive in two but some days I really need the 5-10 minute rest.

How long are you taking off? I'm taking a year and although I'd love to get everything finished off neatly before I go, I've also got vallinnapod's level of motivation about it all and all of a sudden I just don't care enough to work really hard (and stress about it all) to get stuff done. My colleagues will have to learn to cope without me, and by the time I get back it'll all be forgotten (I hope!)

I don't have any advice for you I'm afraid, but just wanted to say I feel your pain!!!

[HandMini]

As others have said, try to get some time off now, even if it means using some annual leave. Try not to, as I did, start maternity leave (at 37 weeks) completely shattered, as I felt as though the first week was just lost in catching up on sleep when I had planned to do lots of nice pre-baby stuff. Not the end of the world, but I felt a bit stupid not to have paced myself a bit more before finishing work.

[inbetweener]

Im 31+2 and I still have another 5 weeks to go. I am very tired and have just got to the stage where my bump is aching a lot by the end of the day, along with swollen feet from an hours commute there and back every day and constant and I mean constant braxton hicks.
I honestly dont know how people manage to get signed off so easily. Everyone I have spoken to seems to have had a week off with " exhaustion " or " being run down " etc. When I mentioned to my GP last week I was finding it hard working fulltime 5 days a week and having 2 older kids she just laughed and said , and I quote " what do you expect, its just the perils of being woman" oh.....ok then.

[Bartimaeus]

inbetweener I'm surprised at your GP's attitude. I got signed off with abdominal pains (I was bent over double) but from talking to people around me it seems that in France they are quite quick to sign off pregnant women, rather than putting the pregnancy at risk.

Maybe see a different GP?

[NightLark]

I'm using up AL, half a day at a time, as and when I can't cope. I'm 35+ with my third, and beyond shattered. Working 3 days a week and commuting for over an hour a day is killing me.

For the first two I left work at 36 weeks, took 2 weeks AL then started ML at 38 weeks. This time I wish I'd quit at 34 weeks (though this may be because I'm 40 years old, have two non-sleeping children already and find my job very challenging).

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

I'm the other end of the scale, 7 weeks and finding it a real struggle. I don't know how I worked full time.

Last time I left at 34 weeks, just couldn't handle it any longer. Was knackered, falling asleep at my desk and totally disinterested in work.

[PinkFondantFancy]

inbetweener can you see a different GP? I was genuinely struggling before I was signed off-to the extent that occupational health forced me to discuss having time off. So I wouldn't say I was signed off easily but if you're having a hard time, especially with the commute, they should sign you off- You're not trying to skive! Is there any way you could work from home a day a week to cut the commute down?

[inbetweener]

The trouble is there are only 2 GP's at my surgery and they are both elserly sisters. I might try again though when I do feel genuinely bad. pink Oh i dont doubt you felt ill, sorry I wasnt suggesting you had just skived, I just mean that my GP is anunsympathetic old boot.

I even had a small bleed around 22 weeks and asked for a couple of days of bedrest to be signed off ( I work for the NHS so they do like you to have a certificate ) she told me " what will be, will be " so bedrest wont make any difference...

[inbetweener]

sorry - elderly sisters.

[mum2b072011]

Im 32 weeks today and have 3 weeks left of work!! Counting down and cant blooming wait!

Work and Commuting taking its toll now ...

[PinkFondantFancy]

inbetweener sorry no I didn't mean it to sound like I thought you were IYSWIM-more that your GP should give you some sympathy because you're not looking for an excuse to be off work but because you really physically can't do it at the moment. I am about no time off for a bleed, that is dreadful. She really is unsympathetic!!! Maybe try again when you're feeling hormonal and tearful too! :)

[Ormirian]

Do you have any leave owing that you could tack on to the start of your mat leave? Could you work from home?

I sympathise totally. I can remember the feeling of utter exhaustion that I had when I was pregnant. 3rd time round I was planning to leave when I was 39 weeks because I wanted as much time as poss at home after the birth (only 18 weeks in those days). I was so knackered I took extra leave. In the end I went into labour on the day I had been due to finish work!

[rachyaimeelou]

hi sparkly
i got the tiredness bug at 31 weeks and now i often find myself falling asleep at the till usually between 3 and 4 lol, iv still got another 4 weeks left and to be honest im more excited bout finishing work than another 7 weeks before baby is due, keep plowing hun, ull soon be finished xx

[Eviepoo]

Oh I totally agree with you all. I finish work 10 weeks today am 27 weeks now and I am counting the days!
I've spread out a few AL days and I'm made myself a countdown calendar...all helping

[vallinnapod]

Eviepoo you are my mat leave buddy I go 10 weeks today, although I am 24+6. I have 3 weeks leave and 1 week mat leave planned before EDD

[Eviepoo]

Vallinnapod im actually 26+5 to be honest. Sounds better to round it up to 27 (in my head only it seems)

[sparklytoes]

All the replies are really helpful - its just nice to know that I am not the only one! I went into work today and was so exhausted, I fell asleep as soon as I got home. The tiredness only really hit me big time in the last couple of weeks, I was shattered in the first trimester, but then was feeling fairly sprightly up until recently. I think it may have something to do with low iron as well, which I'm taking supplements for but I don't know how long it takes until they start to work? I'm seriously considering taking some time off even though I am worried about how I will catch up with stuff. My sister thought I was crazy for going in today after spending last night crying on the phone because I felt overwhelmed with it all.
I just feel a bit soft with it all as well as usually I don't take any time off unless I am completely bed ridden.

[oinkyoink]

sparkly take time off, seriously, it will be well worth it as you need the energy towards the end, not to mention for the birth and after. what is the point in running yourself into the ground. just book a week off if you can asap.

i am 28 weeks and feeling very tired and also have no interest in work any more, it's incredible how it gets like this. i am going on mat leave at 32 weeks and cannot wait! i have a toddler too so will be nice to spend time together before things change :)