Am I normal or does this sound weird?

[princesspants]

I have a 6 year old, a 3.9 year old and a 14 month old.

I am sooooo tired ALL the time. Like a drugged tired.

My day consists of - DH goes into the shower around 6.30am then takes 3 kids down and gives them all breakfast while I shower and get ready. (so far, so good). Then I come down and take over with dressing and getting them out of the door.
Drop 6 yr old at school, then drop 3 yr old at nursery then home with 1 yr old who plays for 20 mins or so then goes down for a nap. (it has got a lot more civilised with DD going to morning nursery in August) I tidy up etc.

1 yr old wakes, I let him crawl then give him lunch then set off to pick up my very intense DD from nursery!

Walk home, give her lunch while she makes a million demands and DS now hangs off the back of my legs whining. Lunch then DS back to bed for 2nd nap.

Not that bad is it? Im now wiped out. I have already had my fill of DD. I tell myself I won't do the same thing again but I do - I slap on a DVD and I feel an over whelming urge to sleep. I try and gt 40 winks but she doesn't like it - fair enough! I am sitting down though so still no excuse for this stupid amount of tiredness, is there?

I then make up a bottle, get DS out of bed and we walk to school for DS1 then home. By this point im just a rag ! I try and palm them off with snacks and DVDs again (albeit healthy snacks) but my baby just whines and wants to hang on my legs while I try to make dinner.

Homework is near impossible. Then DH arrives home at 5pm. So no where near as bad as a lot of mums have it but I feel I struggle with how tired I am.

They all sleep well enough bar the odd nightmare or bad cough etc.

Now, I should say, I ended up with an under active thyroid after DD. My levels are fine but I have heard you are never quite the same once you have this disease. I also have sleeping problems so I have to sit up until 11.30-12am so that I can drift off otherwise I could lay awake for hours and hours. This is a side effect of the thyroid drugs.

So maybe the answer is down to that or maybe all mums of small children feel this bad? I would like to hear how you feel physically as maybe this is normal mum tiredness!

When I was at home with mine I was way more tired then now working FT and picking them up from the cm. I think the more you do the more energy you have and the less you do and the less you see people the less energy you have.

I think you need to discuss this with your doc. You sound excessively tired, yes motherhood is exhausting but you're not getting much sleep. Do you eat well? You need lots of lovely food to keep you going (healthy food not junk).

There is a good thyroid thread in the health section.I know exactly how you feel.You really need to keep an eye on it and make sure your vitamin d and b and iron levels are all okay too.I was diagnosed after first dd four years ago and never felt the same since.Its very frustrating.Make sure you get a record of your tsh and t3 and t4 each time you get tested.

When and what are you eating in amongst all this?

crystal yes I am into healthy eating and even try to miss out gluten as I know this can make me feel worse. I do exercise too. Cycling and swimming.

I had a horrible feeling this might be 'how I am' as opposed to just a mum thing that will pass.

I feel awful because Im not giving my kids enough attention. I feel I barley survive the day and try to palm them off rather than enjoy them.

I won't get the last 3 year back when they were at some of their most precious ages. I've missed out and so have they.

Really feeling down about it tonight. I have been to the GP. My thyroid levels are all fine. They never test T3 even when I have begged, apparently pointless . I have been slightly iron deficient since number 3. Im totally intolerant to the iron tablets/syrups the doctor gives you so I do my best with diet and SpaTone sachets.

Just have to live with it then. Hopefully it will ease as they grow a bit but I loathe the fact I can't get this time back. Thanks for replys.

funky crossed your post. I eat a huge bowl of fruit, yogurt and seeds in the morning. I do drink coffee twice a day (tried and failed to kick this so far ).

I either have a Marks & Spencer salad bowl, sometimes add, boiled eggs and avacado or homemade soup and fruit. If im out of the above I will end up with a tuna sandwich or cheese. Maybe twice a week.

Dinner is mainly fish, stir fry's, baked potatoes, spag bol. I have half a bottle of wine fri night and half sat, if we aren't out somewhere. I vice is crisps at the weekend but im mainly a pain in the ass food obsessive

Drhamster how many DC's do you have now and do you feel awful too?

When I was in your position I used to grab a nap while the youngest slept and my older DD was in nursery. I set an alarm on my phone so I knew I'd wake before I needed to go to school to get her even if the baby slept in.
It kept me sane!

Princesspants - I'd go back to your doctor if I were you. I have 3 kids similarish ages to yours, and one is not a great sleeper, and yes I'm tired a lot of time but not in the same league that you're describing. And I'm quite overweight and unfit so know that I'd feel better if I was exercising and eating better (must get around to that!). The level of fatigue you're describing sounds beyond what is normal to me (although I do go to bed a lot earlier than you).

damson thanks. I will definitely make that appointment I think you are right. Just needed to confirm it's not just the kids.

I have an under active thyroid and even when my levels are normal but slightly low (ie in normal range but at edge of it) I feel exhausted. When you say it's "normal" what exactly was your last tsh result? My suspicion is that you have sub clinical under active thyroid...

I also have an under active thyroid - and again, although my levels are fine I do still think I'm more tired in general than I was before. My DD is 23mo and not a great sleeper and I'm 18wks pregnant but I'm still not sure it's right that I'm regularly dropping off in front of the tele by 10pm. It's just so hard to know what's normal!! Might your GP be able to refer you to a thyroid specialist?