35 weeks pregnant can't sleep!

[Pricklypear12]

Hi all, posting for traffic as I'm desperate.

Over the past 10 days I have barely slept! I struggle to fall asleep and when I do I only sleep for 2 hours or so before waking again. I'm so exhausted. I've spoken to pharmacists, GP, MW. All keep saying they won't give me any medication because I'm 35 weeks pregnant. I also keep getting the infuriating suggestions of lavender and hot drinks and "read a book" etc which I have tried but this is way beyond that.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does anything help? Did anyone get anything prescribed? Anyone else SICK of being told no immediately when asking for pharmacological intervention just because you're pregnant and no one can be bothered to check what's safe for pregnancy/BF?!?!

Thanks in advance.

39 weeks tomorrow and I'm exactly the same.

No help, just sympathy.

@cuntness it's horrendous isn't it? I even told the MW, if I went into labour right now I would not have the physical energy to go through it and give birth

I had this with first DS, didn’t sleep for weeks.
This time round I’ve been using headspace app, the sleepscapes to drop off and the SOS meditations in the night - total game changer.

I’m now 34wks either number 2 - still wake often but drop off much better.

No help but sympathy as I’m also 35 weeks!

Anyone else SICK of being told no immediately when asking for pharmacological intervention just because you're pregnant and no one can be bothered to check what's safe for pregnancy/BF?!?!

Yes. I had horrific hay fever during the summer months. I was really struggling. Still suffering with nausea, finding myself a lot hotter than usual, much easier to dehydrate especially as nowhere will fill up your water bottle at the minute and my hay fever was awful. I rang the doctor and asked which antihistamines were safe in pregnancy, after speaking with the midwife who said to check with the GP. The GP just told me to get on with it, hay fever wasn’t that bad, they’d prefer a conservative approach as I was pregnant. So I struggled on for a few more weeks. Rang the GP back again and got a different GP this time. She told me which antihistamines were safe and also directed me to the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPs) website so that I could double check the active ingredient for myself if I so wanted.

What specifically keeps you awake? Is it physical discomfort or worry? Just wondering if it’s physical, can something be done to make you more comfy?

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing nothing specific that I can think of. Just endless hours of being awake but desperate to sleep

I think it's the body's way of preparing us. I had exactly the same. I used to have an insatiable need to get up out of my bed and start my day at the crack of Dawn (never ever ever been an early riser!)

It's awful and I agree with the annoying 'can't touch meds you're pregnant' response but I truly think it's a biological prep to get us ready for the newborn wakings.

I found I could easily sleep mid morning so would attempt (work depending) to catch up on sleep then. Could you do that?

@1940s sadly not as I have a toddler!

I’m sorry OP it sucks doesn’t it?!

I’m 37 weeks and have been the same for the last 2 weeks. This is my 7th pregnancy and in my case it always happens at this stage. Pregnancy Insomnia.

Most night I’m awake until 3am and then I sleep until 6:30am when my toddler wakes me up. My husbands alarm goes off at 5am though so that wakes me up too. So not much sleep for me! If I didn’t have the toddler I would sleep during the day, but she’s starting to drop her nap atm so I’m literally awake all day. Then the same happens at night again and I’m wide awake until 3am after being shattered all day. Hormones are crazy!!!

You have my sympathy. All I do is tell myself it will be over soon. I know once baby is here I’ll sleep wherever and whenever I can haha

@5Minions2CallMyOwn your sleeping pattern sounds very similar to mine right now :(

@InTheNightWeWillWish in my first pregnancy, my GP told me to just periodically rinse my eyes and nose with water instead of suggesting a safe antihistamine for my horrendous hayfever! In subsequent pregnancies I've been under consultant care and she's amazing with actually finding safe alternatives.

@CelloYouveGotABass sorry to sound silly but would I require earphones for that? Because that would probably drive me mad too

@Pricklypear12 if you sleep in the same bed, I’d say yes, unless they come to bed later. I don’t wear headphones, but DH sleeps in another room because we keep each other up!

Try listening to a mindfulness or yoga nidra session in bed. You just adapt them to pregnancy so being on your side, there are also specific pregnancy ones. It's pretty hippy but usually gets me to relax and get to sleep.

Sorry your going through this, I had terrible difficulty sleeping at the end of pregnancy, thought it was so unfair of my body to do it to me when in a few weeks time sleep was going to be even more disrupted and I really needed good sleep. If you are struggling to sleep it can help to get out of bed read for a bit then go back to bed when more relaxed as lying in bed tossing and turning gets you more stressed and less able to sleep in a vicious cycle. Hope things get a little better soon

I also try this thing from my pregnancy yoga where you assess each part of your body and say " I relax my feet and my feet are relaxed" working through the whole body and although it sounds odd I do find it actually works and I tend to get back to sleep, I may have to go through it 3 times but it does eventually kick in.