Did anybody with DC have sleep problems in early-mid pregnancy?

[Cheesenchocolates]

I am pregnant and have a toddler who wakes frequently and sometimes for long periods. I think it's a mixture of the normal toddler wakings but complicated by a rare condition she has. We are seen by specialists. I don't have any family etc nearby to help and DH frequently works away.

Some nights are lovely and manageable and she only wakes two-three times so although I'm woken every two-three hours I can get about 8 hours total and feel fine (I know it's disrupted sleep but I've got quite good at going straight to sleep with her so I feel our cycles more or less sync and I must at least be close to completing a cycle each time)

Others like last night can mean I only get about three-four hours total and disrupted at that. I'm lucky to be a SAHM with her at the moment and so not working from home as well during lockdown or having to commute other times, but the days still feel quite full on and tiring in early pregnancy!

There's literally nothing I can do other than continue to help her get the sleep she needs so I feel quite pragmatic about it and can cope myself BUT I am worried about the impact on the baby. My midwife mentioned it was important to get plenty of sleep to avoid pregnancy complications and help the baby's brain development, and that lack of sleep would raise my cortisol and also impact baby. But what can I actually do? Especially in lockdown

I am really concerned by this and it's not helping the situation. Does anybody have any reassuring stories about your wonderful DC after problems sleeping during early pregnancy, for any reason?

I'm second trimester now so hopefully that will help with daytime tiredness!

Little bump or maybe I should ask to move to pregnancy? Although it's a question for mums really rather than mums to be as looking for reassurance more than anything!

Various things in pregnancy are associated with risks. It's helpful to talk about modifiable risks, like alcohol consumption. It's not massively helpful to turn around and tell a woman who is already pregnant that she should have lost weight before having a baby, for example. If you can't change your situation, it's not helpful to make you feel guilty about it.

As far as I can tell, the research into the impact of insomnia in pregnancy isn't great quality. I've had a quick look, and it looks like there is a correlation between poor sleep and some negative outcomes like having baby earlier than planned, but it's unclear whether the poor sleep was the cause. Just because two things are seen together doesn't mean one causes the other. I know it's easy for me to say, but I really would try not to worry too much.

And think about all those mums who have two babies close together, and who are still waking in the night to look after their first child while pregnant with the second. Most younger siblings turn out OK

Thank you. I didn't dare look at research myself really because I find that starts a cycle of worry!

Relatives tell me I need to find a way to get more sleep etc too, I must be exhausted etc, as if I were some kind of martyr! Honestly I do anything and everything I can to help my daughter sleep, I speak to her doctors, and none of these helpful parties can ever give me any practical help so what do they expect me to do?!

I'll just keep plodding on as best I can. Modifiable wise I think I'm doing ok and eat as healthily as I can, am active and no alcohol/smoking etc and that's all I can do!