Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

What is more exhausting: Late pregnancy or new motherhood?

52 replies

Romilly70 · 14/09/2010 18:48

Genuine question...
I am 32 weeks pg with DC1, and I just feel knackered practically all the time.

I am wondering if my age is something to do with it - 40 in a few days, also huge fibroid means I have suffered from palpitations, heartburn and just the general hefting my bump around means even turning over in bed or standing to cook dinner is a huge effort.

I am due to have a planned C-section and I just can't imagine being even more tired than this when my DS arrives. Or am I just being extremely naive...?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

nickytwotimes · 14/09/2010 18:55

It depends, it really does.

With ds1, I felt better after he was born.
With ds2 I felt far worse.

Depends on teh kid, depends on your body's reaction to the birth (however that takes place!)

It is different and you will cope. Trust me, I am a wimp and have managed twice.

All the best.

RuthChan · 14/09/2010 19:04

They are both tiring, but two different types of tiredness.
While pregnant you are suffering from the extra weight you're carrying around, the effect of having all your organs squashed up, reduced lung capacity, disturbed sleep etc.
Once the baby is born your body will fairly quickly return to normal. Instead you will suffer from the constant demands of a newborn baby and the lack of sleep that it all entails.
It is very tiring, but you are doing it all for a reason; your own little bundle of helpless love. That makes it all worthwhile.
Also, after the birth your body will be swimming with hormones that help you sleep whenever you get the chance.
With your first it is fairly easy to sleep when he/she does.
Don't worry, you will cope!

leggymambo · 14/09/2010 19:07

I think everybody's different but for me new baby was about a million times more tiring than being pregnant!

TheSistersGrim · 14/09/2010 19:09

New motherhood is more tiring but you are so pleased not to be pg any more you don't mind how tired you get.

YunoYurbubson · 14/09/2010 19:12

It's different for everyone. Personally I found being pregnant very much harder and more tiring than having a new baby.

withorwithoutyou · 14/09/2010 19:13

I think being pregnant is more tiring myself.

When I was pregnant I felt tired from the inside out, if that makes any sense (not really!) I mean, I felt physically exhausted and could not muster any adrenaline or motivation to keep me going.

Sleep deprivation tiredness is different, or at least it was for me. There is always a little bit of adrenaline lurking to keep you going.

I had a c-section 2nd time round and felt fabulous, even as early on as in recovery compared to the exhaustion of pregnancy. Having a toddler to look after did make me 1000x more tired 2nd time round though.

BeehiveBaby · 14/09/2010 19:14

First month out is way better than last month in IME.

Dylanpsmummy · 14/09/2010 19:14

Would agree with ruthChan that it's a diffrent type of tiredness personally this time after a really difficult pregnancy newborn dd is definatly easier.

Although I'm knackered (she's 6 weeks old) it's just such a relief to no longer be pregnant.

snowmummy · 14/09/2010 19:50

For me, it is definitely late pregnancy that is more tiring. I was less tired with a newborn after a c section than I was when I was pg.

StarExpat · 14/09/2010 19:56

For me, hands down it was newborn. I laugh now thinking of how I'd say how "tired" I was during pg... Ds is 23 months and I can say that before he was born I didn't know the meaning of tired.
Most exhausting was breastfeeding. It just knackered me - took loads of energy to produce and feed and baby up all the time.... Very tired for a loooooong time.

debka · 14/09/2010 19:59

Late pregnancy way worse. At least when you get no sleep with a newborn there's a reason for it.

buttonmoon78 · 14/09/2010 19:59

I agree with StarExpat. I thought with all 3 that I was tired in late pg then baby arrives and the sleep deprivation kicks in and I was exhausted.

However, physically, I felt better for not carrying all that weight around. And there was plenty of that...

bluecardi · 14/09/2010 19:59

Pleae take time now to rest & do nothing. You will look back on this time when you were busy & tired & wonder just what kept you busy - well I did!

CheckingCheques · 14/09/2010 20:03

I was shattered being pregnant and shattered with newborns. But prefered the baby being out a million times more

LittleB · 14/09/2010 20:06

I found late pg more tiring, don't think it helped that I worked up to 38wks, but with a newborn at least I could rest and sleep during the day! I'm 25weeks now and wondering how I'll manage to get through the next 11 weeks until I finish work, but then I have just had an infection and the anti-biotics gave me an upset stomach too, so I'm hoping I might feel a bit better soon!

sethstarkaddersmum · 14/09/2010 20:10

Pregnancy is way worse IME, but then I have had relatively unpleasant pregnancies and relatively easy newborns (and no major problems with breastfeeding, which can make a big difference.)
Don't stress, you will be fine.

GoldPlated · 14/09/2010 20:12

I skipped through both pregnancies (not literally you understand), so for me definitely new motherhood

StarExpat · 14/09/2010 20:12

I worked (teaching young children) until the day I delivered (38 weeks) and did feel "tired" but the bump was only a lot bigger at the very end, so that part didn't bother me so much. When my waters broke I was and asked the midwife if it would be possible to hold off until my due date of 40 weeks as I wasn't planning to stop working until then

The birth totally drained me. And hurt for weeks and weeks afterward (ventouse).

Feeding drained me.
Agree with bluecardi... I often wonder what I was so "busy" with before I had ds.

BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte · 14/09/2010 20:17

I found early motherhood a million times easier than late pregnancy, but I was very ill so probably no a representative sample.

But once the baby is her, he or she is such a wonderful tender bundle of big-eyed gorgeousness that it makes everything utter worth it.

WoTmania · 14/09/2010 20:21

I found early baby days much easier than late pregnancy with all 3 of my DC.
When I'm pregnant I'm tired and can't sleep. When I've had the baby I cosleep and Bf and am not particularly tired at all.

superv1xen · 14/09/2010 20:21

hello, i had 2 planned c/sections with my 2 and i have to say i felt much better after. hope you do too, and good luck with everything x

BikeRunSki · 14/09/2010 20:27

Neither compare to the fatigue of running around after a mobile 1 year old all day!

June2009 · 14/09/2010 20:28

I remember getting very irritated with people telling me "you think you're tired now, haha, that's nothing! Wait until the baby is here"
Well I can tell you now that was total bollocks for me. I found pregnancy way way way more tiring than new motherhood.
I worked ft until 42 weeks and had a c-section, granted the first 6 weeks hard but nowhere near as tiring as late pregnancy where I had insomnia, and could only manage 1 thing per day (working from home so the issue was to go out somewhere, tesco's or restaurant or mw app.).
I also had "mild" spd which did not help.

thelennox · 14/09/2010 20:29

3rd time round I found late pregnancy much worse than newborn - but I was quite seriously ill by that point, and was having iron transfusions all the time as my body would just not absorb any iron. so i definitely prefer the exhaustion of a newborn. It has a purpose whereas for last three months of my pregnancy I was just knackered all the time and I was doing absolutely nothing.

Haliborange · 14/09/2010 20:32

New motherhood was terrible both times for me.

Long labours, emergency sections, a bemused DH for 4 weeks and then totally on my own for 5 days at a time. Was knackered.

On the plus side I was so tired I stopped being able to wake up at every little squeak and DD1 slept through from 7 weeks.

Both times I was tired in late pregnancy but would just have naps, so that was fine. Once the baby was there that was the end of sleep for a while! If I could I would skip the whole new baby bit and get mine at 12 weeks old.

Flip

1 2 3