Extreme fatigue in third trimester - any ideas?

[Fishandjam]

Hi everyone. I am 32+3 weeks, feeling like death warmed up, and beginning to worry a little. The fatigue is so severe, it's interfering with daily life - I can barely make it through the working day (I do 3 days a week), and looking after toddler DS on the other two days is purgatory. Cooking anything more elaborate than pasta in the evening is impossible, and when I think of the various jobs we have to do before DC2 arrives (getting her room decluttered and decorated etc) I just want to cry. I can't even stand up for more than a couple of minutes before I feel weak and ill - I even have to sit down to dry my hair. All I want to do, the whole time, is lie down and sleep.

I had a full blood count and liver function test 3 weeks ago (I had HELLP-type liver problems in DS's pregnancy). All checked out fine. I'm not anaemic, in particular. DC2 appears to be growing fine as well. Midwife and consultant have just brushed off my moans about the fatigue.

Has anyone else had this, and if so, do you know what caused it? Did everything turn out OK?

[Fishandjam]

Er, bump?

[Bibulus]

Hi Fishandjam, I am in the same position! am 32wks+2 and getting seriously knackered. Am working full time and I usually manage to keep my energy levels up during the day by eating constantly - but in the evenings all I can do is collapse on the sofa while my 5 year old pesters me to entertain her!

I have been quite amazed at how easily my energy levels get sapped at this stage. You have to alter your expectations of yourself because your poor body is working so hard. So I think that extreme tiredness at this stage is pretty inevitable tbh. your baby is BIG and taking up a lot of your oxygen / nutrition etc. It is a struggle just moving around isn't it? let alone working, looking after other dcs and all the other stuff that we have to do in life.

I have found diet helps a bit - lots of fruit smoothies are helping me along - and lots of rounds of toast! I have been eating lots of trail-mix type things, nuts and dried fruit etc, and that seems to be better for energy levels than cake and chocolate (although I have been having my share of those as well)

But really, I wouldn't worry too much about big jobs like the nursery and so on. Ours is still in a state and I'm not going to address it properly until the baby is home. He/she won't even be sleeping in there for at least the first couple of months, so why put pressure on yourself? Seriously, don't over burden yourself. Those things can wait. Just look after yourself and don't feel bad about resting as much as possible. Not too much longer to go now! xx

[belindarose]

Me too! 32+4. Just been diagnosed with antenatal depression after some difficult episodes last week. I'm sure the extreme tiredness is a major contributory factor in that. I was also working 3 days but dropped one last week. Like you, finding the rest of the time with toddler DD very difficult.

No solution I'm afraid. Very early nights. My insomnia has improved, possibly as a side effect of the antidepressants though (I take them at night). I think I've lost my appetite as a side effect too, so that isn't helping with energy levels.

[belindarose]

And if DH tells me he's tired again, I won't be held responsible for my actions..!

[Florin]

Me to I am 33+6 and completly shattered finding work really hard (and it's an easy sitting down job with an easy 20 minute car journey commute). However one colleagues is being horrid to me which is really getting to me which doesn't help the situation. Our nursery still needs sorting to be honest no idea when that will get sorted as at weekends all I want to do is sleep. Hope to attack it in small stages once I am off for maternity leave. It is just clearing the rubbish out of there walls are painted curtains up etc.
Oh and go and buy and build a chest of drawers from ikea-think dh can do that though!
I can't imagine it is going to get much better so I am eating regularly, I find fruit and fruit juice really helps and count down the days until little one arrives!

[lostlenore]

I think extreme knackeredness goes hand in hand with late pregnancy, especially if you have a toddler to look after and are still working - if you really can't function maybe you could go off sick or start your maternity a bit earlier?

Try to get other people to do jobs that you physically can't (or lay in a lot of ready meals) but there is nothing wrong with pasta for dinner.

Im nearly 35 weeks, crippled with SPD, gestational diabetic and have a 2yr DD. My twattish husband keeps picking arguments with me so I'm also ridiculously hormonal and evenings are a nightmare (he is currently working lates). I feel terrible that she has just had chips for dinner (refused to eat her chicken nuggets) and I dread to think what my face/voice were like when I was putting her down, but it's not for too much longer (I hope)!

This too will pass. But there's not a lot of sleep on the horizon, so just get your head down when and if you can. Nothing else (housework, job etc) is as important as looking after yourself and your unborn in the last little bit, and trying to cherish some time with your eldest before the baby starts ruling the roost.

that's what i'm trying to tell myself anyway

[Bibulus]

lostlenore am feeling your pain with the evenings - dh works most evenings 5-9pm so when I get home from work it's me who has to feed dd and do the bedtime routine while he's at work. she has just had cornflakes for dinner tonight! followed by some scrambled egg and a bit of fruit

[2012baby]

Even though you say you're not anaemic, I'd take an iron supplement. My levels were fine at 28 weeks, but at around 34 weeks I suddenly felt awful - exhausted after a couple of hours, wobbly, teary, etc. I started taking Floradix and trying to eat really well, lots of protein and iron rich food, less sugar etc, and it made a real difference. I think my iron levels had dropped since my bloods. Floradix is good as it doesn't bung you up, either...

[idlevice]

When you say you had full blood count, did this include ferritin level as well to check for anaemia, not just haemoglobin only? The test incl ferritin as well is usually called iron studies. You can have ok haemoglobin levels but crap ferritin so worth checking. I had anaemia enough to need an IV iron transfusion & had said at every later antenatal appt that I felt terrible to no avail. I could hardly walk 100yds & mentally I felt in a bit of a fog.

[wasabipeanut]

33 weeks here - felt like death between 28 and 32 weeks but now a bit perkier although I am scaling back my expectations of what I can get done. I have a 2yo and 4yo which I have found hard work at times. It's tough at this stage.

[RandomMess]

Honestly I would still try spatone or florradix they won't harm you and your levels could have plummetted in the last 3 weeks plus you don't know if you usually have super high iron levels.

[McPhee]

Hi, 31+5 here and suffering extreme tiredness also. My iron levels were a rubbish 9.4 so I'm on 2 doses of iron pills a day, and can't go more than a few hours without feeling totally knackered and in need of my bed. Thankfully I've already stopped work.

[Ginga66]

Oh what a relief it's not just me! I am 36 wks last week at work and colleagues being bit bitchy about how little I am doing. Dh keeps complaining of tiredness but slept in till ten today with my ds 3! I need to start sleeping in the day when I'm on mat leave but yes so much to get ready. I AMA bit obsessed with getting place being neat etc but can't cope so am leaving it.

[PrincessWatermelon]

Is it totally odd to be posting on a thread, complaining of tiredness, when clearly I'm suffering with insomnia too!? It's 4am!

Am 33 weeks today and do not know how I'd be doing this with a DC already. Totally puts me off being pg again! So respect to you ladies.

I.still work 4 days and evenings I just.crash out. My bump is v large (37cm at last MW appt) and my back is now giving me grief. Apparently slouching on the sofa is now out....but it's so comfy! Once I'm in from work, I collapse and don't move!

Can you buy this Floradix from a pharmacy? Ta.

[MockCroc]

Like wasabi I felt absolutely hideous from around 29 weeks to 32 weeks and got very panicked that I would carry on feeling like that for the rest of my pg. I had a really quiet weekend the weekend before last and have felt much better since. I wouldn't say I'm marathon-ready, but life is feeling more manageable (33+6). Could you arrange for someone to look after DC for the day at the weekend or one of your day's off work and retire to bed? It might be what you need to push you through for a couple of weeks. Good luck and fingers crossed feeling like this doesn't last!

[Loonybun]

Another whale-sized exhausted preggy woman here too..

35 weeks and I can't even walk about the house without feeling like I'm going to collapse... I stopped work two weeks ago, I was trying to work as long as I could but I just couldn't manage it anymore!! Luckily I had 3 weeks holiday left to take so I'm on annual leave before my mat leave kicks in!

I think it's fairly normal to be honest.. This is my second and I has marginally more energy this time round as I think I know what to expect but I am still absolutely shattered..

And nothing wrong with pasta for dinner!! We had some god awful chicken curry thing I made last night as it was all we had in the kitchen and tonight we're having something and chips ... I'm just putting it all down to end of pregnancy knackeredness!

Good luck everyone x

[Fishandjam]

Thank you lovely ladies - such a relief to know I'm not alone/weird! (Well, not in this respect anyway.)

idlevice, my Hb levels were 12 point something but my haematocrit was a bit low - midwife didn't think this was anything noteworthy and TBH I have no idea what the relationship between the two is. But I've bought some Spatone anyway! Random, like you say, I think my normal iron levels are usually around 15 so maybe the drop is enough to make me feel rough, even though I'm not technically anaemic.

I know there's nothing wrong with pasta for dinner - just maybe not every night

Only another 3 weeks at work to go (9 working days, whoopee!)